Miami Reps Denounce Opening of American Embassy in Cuba

The brief essay came a day before an historic moment in U.S.-Cuba relations: Secretary of State John Kerry is to raise the Stars and Stripes over a restored American Embassy in Havana, though the economic embargo legally remains in effect.

The United States said it was “deeply concerned” over the incident but that it would not affect Kerry’s visit. Kerry said he will meet with dissidents and “a broad cross-section of Cuban society that will be invited to that event at the mission”.

Rubio added that refusing to meet with the Cuban dissidents would be an “unforgivable betrayal of America’s moral leadership in the world”.

Later, the Cubans saw the US interests section as a forward base of operations where the Americans would train, fund and direct Cuba’s dissidents.

The U.S.is deeply concerned about the roundup of 90 activists by Cuban authorities, a State Department official said Monday.

On Wednesday, she was joined by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart who said, “He might as well be raising the white flag of surrender because that is what this shameful day is really about”.

All this is fine and refined for a French-speaking diplomat who represents a president who wants his legacy to show he re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba despite all the obstacles Cuban President Raul Castro could put in his path.

But in an interview with the Miami Herald and CNN en Español in which he also disclosed new details about U.S.-Cuba talks on Venezuela, Kerry confirmed that Cuban dissidents will not be invited to Friday’s official flag-raising ceremony at the embassy. And the Cuban government has flat-out said we are not changing anything.

Resolving outstanding claims on both sides will be a complex, and critical, part of the thawing of relations between the US and Cuba. “I wouldn’t say we’ve pushed over the top, because we still have an embargo, but we are in a totally different place”.

“The United States will continue to advocate for the rights to peaceful assembly, association and freedom of expression and religion, and we’re going to continue to voice our support for improved human rights conditions and democratic reforms in Cuba”, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

The embassy reopening will allow more Americans to travel to Cuba and give Cubans increased access to the U.S. embassy in Havana. That poses risks because the Cuban government views such contacts as subversive and won’t attend events where they are present. “But I am convinced that by being there, President (Barack) Obama is convinced that by being there, we will be able to do more to help the Cuban people”.