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UP FRONTSaturday 15 August 2015
Kerry Calls for Democracy as US Flag is Raised in Cuba
B. KLAPPER Bodyguards stand next to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as he waves goodbye before getting arrests of government op-
M. WEISSENSTEIN on a car after a stroll in Old Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. Kerry walked in the historic San ponents aim to intimidate
Associated Press Francisco plaza, stopping to look in shops and greet local residents and store owners. dissent and include beat-
HAVANA (AP) — Jubilant ings.
crowds waved American (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) In New York, Republican
flags and chanted “Long presidential contender
live the United States!” as people of Cuba would be Kerry after the ceremony, deaths resulting from those Marco Rubio, a Cuban-
the Stars and Stripes rose best served by a genuine Rodriguez responded by problems,” Rodriguez said. American senator from
over the newly reopened democracy, where people indignantly opening his re- “The territory where torture Florida, said he would re-
U.S. Embassy in Cuba on are free to choose their marks with complaints of occurs and people are verse the Obama adminis-
Friday after a half-century leaders, express their ideas, U.S. human rights transgres- held in legal limbo isn’t un- tration’s new Cuba policy
of often-hostile relations. practice their faith,” Kerry sions — from police shoot- der Cuban jurisdiction.” on his first day in office,
Secretary of State John said. He spoke before an ings of black men to mis- Many Cubans disagree arguing it gives the Castro
Kerry celebrated the day audience of Cuban and treatment of prisoners at with that assessment, in- government international
but also made an extraor- U.S. diplomats on the em- Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. cluding Afro-Cubans who legitimacy and more re-
dinary, nationally broad- bassy grounds and hun- naval base that Cuba says say discrimination is still sources to repress its peo-
cast call for democratic dreds of thousands, per- must be returned. rampant despite the revo- ple.
change on the island. haps millions, of islanders “Cuba isn’t a place where lution’s egalitarian ideals, Kerry acknowledged that
Hundreds of Cubans mixed watching and listening live. there’s racial discrimina- and human rights groups the Obama administration
with American tourists out- Addressing reporters with tion, police brutality or who say regular, short-term would have a difficult fight
side the former U.S. Inter- in Congress to end the U.S.
ests Section, newly embla- A journalist stands next to people as they wait behind barriers to catch a glimpse of the flag rais- trade embargo of Cuba
zoned with the letters “Em- ing ceremony near the U. S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. U.S. Secretary of so that normal business ties
bassy of the United States State John Kerry traveled to the Cuban capital to raise the U.S. flag and formally reopen the long- between the two countries
of America.” They cheered closed U.S. Embassy. Cuba and the U.S. officially restored diplomatic relations July 20. could resume.
as Kerry spoke, the United “There is no way Congress
States Army Brass Quintet (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) will lift the embargo if we
played “The Star-Spangled are not making progress
Banner” and U.S. Marines on issues of conscience,”
raised the flag alongside Kerry said.
the building overlooking President Barack Obama
the famous Malecon sea- also called for change in
side promenade. Cuba when he announced
Meeting more than 54 the new U.S. policy of en-
years after the severing of gagement in December,
diplomatic relations, Kerry but his words were less
and Cuban Foreign Minis- pointed than Kerry’s in Ha-
ter Bruno Rodriguez set an vana.
early September date for Cuba formally reopened
the start of talks on full nor- its Washington embassy
malization of a relationship last month. The U.S. raised
so long frozen in enmity. its flag in Havana then, too,
Not all the talk was as warm though saving the formal
as the sunny summer day. ceremony for Kerry’s visit.
Kerry and Rodriguez said Three Marines who took
their nations would contin- part in the flag-lowering in
ue to disagree over issues 1961 handed over the new
such as democracy and flag to Marines who raised
human rights. But they also it on Friday.
said they hoped to make Kerry was the first secre-
progress on issues ranging tary of state to visit since
from maritime security and 1945, and his speech was
public health to the billions remarkable for its bluntness
of dollars in dueling claims and the national spotlight
over confiscation of U.S. in which it came.
property and the U.S. eco- Many Cubans lauded
nomic embargo on the is- Kerry’s call for reform, in-
land. cluding greater access to
It seemed that virtually all technology on an island
of Cuba was glued to tele- with one of the world’s low-
vision or listening by cell- est rates of internet pen-
phone as Kerry directly ad- etration. They paired their
dressed the island’s people praise with calls for the Unit-
on political reform. That’s a ed States to lift the 53-year-
subject that has remained old trade embargo and al-
off-limits in Cuba even as low easier travel between
the single-party govern- the two countries.
ment has implemented a “More democracy, elec-
series of economic reforms tions, we hope for that
and re-established diplo- to come with this diplo-
matic ties with the U.S. matic opening,” said Ju-
“We remain convinced the lio Garcia, a 51-year-old
mechanic.q
