Kerry raised the flag over the US Embassy in Cuba

John Kerry
Photo: frame with video

Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Cuba on Friday and raised the American flag over the US embassy for the first time in 54.

“Thank you for joining us in this truly historic moment as we prepare to raise the flag... symbolizing the restoration of diplomatic relations after 54 years,” Kerry said at the ceremony, addressing the crowd in English and Spanish, according to CNN.

In fact, the US and Cuban embassies opened on July 20.

The Cuban government organized a magnificent event on this occasion last month, and the United States decided to postpone the official ceremony until the moment when the delegation will be headed by Secretary of State John Kerry.

Kerry, who became the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in the last 70 years, arrived accompanied by several members of Congress and three former marines who participated in the last flag launch ceremony in Havana in January 1961.

According to the State Department, the ceremony in Havana will take a whole day and will include a number of events with the participation of US congressmen and government officials, representatives of Cuban authorities and civil society.

“Among those traveling to this event in Havana, there are people who have never been to Cuba before, including Cuban-Americans, so this will be a very emotional moment,” said a State Department official.

However, according to him, an official meeting between Kerry and Cuban President Raul Castro is not scheduled.

No dissidents were invited

As a senior administration official said, Cuban dissidents will not take part in the flag raising ceremony over the US embassy.

"This is fundamentally an event at the government level, reflecting new relations and the resumption of the work of the embassy," the official explained. However, representatives of Cuban civil society, including human rights activists, politicians and the media, were invited to the second ceremony, which will be held later Friday at the residence of Ambassador Jeffrey De Lorentis, head of the US diplomatic mission.

Kerry said in an interview with CNN: "In a broader perspective, we will have the opportunity to meet with ... broader sections of Cuban civil society, including dissidents."

According to the American human rights defender of Cuban origin, Frank Chulson, US efforts to normalize relations with Cuba could be a step backwards for Cuban dissidents.

"It is completely unreasonable to assume that President Obama will meet Raul Castro, and then Castro will take up the mind and stop oppressing the Cuban people," says Chulson, who heads the Center for a Free Cuba in Washington.

Pointing out that the Cuban government continues to arrest anti-government demonstrators and dissidents, he notes that the Castro regime is “emboldened” opposite, because the United States does not yet exert any pressure on him about human rights.

Kerry stresses that the issue of human rights continues to “occupy one of the first points in the list of things that we will focus on in direct interaction with the Cuban government.”

Earlier this week, Reporters Without Borders, in a letter to the Secretary of State, recalled that in 2015, Cuba ranked 169 among the 180 countries in the press freedom index.

Reaction of congressmen

Some US lawmakers also doubt the correctness of the administration’s decision to develop relations with Cuba against the backdrop of an alarming human rights situation.

“We are so eager to conclude this deal that we are ready to close our eyes to the hundreds of peaceful dissidents who were arrested hours before the opening of our embassy,” said Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Leytinen, a Cuban-American.

“This is a cruel insult to the freedom of the beautiful Cuban people and a dangerous situation for the national security of the United States,” Ros-Leutinen said Wednesday at a press conference in Miami.

Other legislators, including Senator Patrick Lehi, supported the administration’s decision.

“Finally, after 55 years, the era of unsuccessful and ineffective isolation policies ends,” he said in July, commenting on plans to open an embassy in Havana.

Aftermath

The opening of the embassies will allow Americans to travel to Cuba more often and will give Cubans increased access to the US embassy in Havana.

However, Cubans may soon not notice any significant changes in their daily lives.

“In the short term, this will not bring much benefit to ordinary Cubans, except perhaps hope,” said Philip Brenner, a professor of international relations at the American University, who has visited Cuba more than thirty times.

According to Brenner, the Cubans will see significant changes only if Congress removes the trade embargo against Cuba.

“The embargo has a serious impact on the lives of Cubans, and it will be beneficial for them if the United States and Cuba are able to achieve its lifting,” he says.

Obama spoke in favor of lifting the embargo, which was introduced in the sixties.

Relations with Russia

Earlier it became known that President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the settlement of debt on loans granted to the country during the Soviet era. The total debt is about $35,2 billion. Russia will write off 90% of Cuba's debt, the remaining 10% ($3,5 billion) is expected to be invested in the Cuban economy and repaid over 10 years in equal semi-annual payments, they write “News«.