After 54 years, The USA and Cuba have officially re-established diplomatic relations with the reopening of embassies in their respective capitals, a tangible sign of that thaw that began last December 17, thanks to the mediation of Pope Francis, with the historic announcement of Barack Obama and Raul Castro. For the first time since 1961, the Cuban flag was raised at the US State Department.
In the early afternoon, the official ceremony is scheduled at the diplomatic representation of the island in Washington, just 3 kilometers from the White House: present the foreign minister of Havana, Bruno Rodriguez, who will later be received by his American colleague, John Kerry, before holding a press conference together. It is the first official visit by a foreign minister to the Castro island since 1959. Opening without fanfare, however, for the American representation in Havana where the diplomats await the trip of Kerry himself, expected in a few weeks, to fly the stars and stripes flag with all the honors.
Despite the progress between Washington and Havana, there are still several knots to untie, including the theme of human rights violations by the Castro regime. Some Republicans have gone on the attack on this, including Marc Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants and one of the candidates in the GOP primaries for the 2016 presidential elections. "This recognition - he underlined - somehow sends a message to dissidents in the world that the United States accepts the current form of Cuban government as legitimate".
On the other side, Raul Castro has urged Obama to use his executive powers to "dismantle" the economic embargo in place against the island since 1960, considered the main obstacle to a complete normalization of relations. Also weighs the issue of compensation for American property confiscated after the Cuban revolution in 1959 and on which almost 6 disputes were opened in the United States for a value between 7 and 8 billion dollars. Finally, Washington would like the return home of several fugitives wanted in the US, such as a former Black Panther activist, Joanne Chesimard, accused of the murder of a policeman in New Jersey in 1973 and fled to Cuba in 1984.
