The inauguration of a Cuban embassy in Washington drew rival protesters with chant's of "Viva Cuba" competing with "Free Cuba" as experts said much more needs to be done to enact lasting change.
ADVERTISEMENTMainly pro- Havana protesters gathered as Cuban officials inaugurated their embassy in Washington on Monday.
While backing the new era of restored diplomatic relations they want things to go further including the lifting of US sanctions.
A t the same time a lone Cuban dissenter was stopped by police after he tried to break into the embassy.
He accused the Obama administration of making a deal with a dictatorship that kills Cubans every day, saying the red paint he’d covered himself with represented Cuban blood.
Cuba raised flag over newly opened embassy in D.C. July 20, as Cuba-US diplomatic tie restored http://t.co/M8cdpSxEcspic.twitter.com/UfH4jSDAXJ
— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) July 20, 2015
While the reciprocal re-establishment of embassies is a watershed moment in bilateral relations, our correspondent in Washington talked to a Latin American expert asking her what needs to be done to bring about lasting change for the Cuban people.
“Though Cuba has served as diplomatic force in terms of having great diplomatic relations around the world, it is economically very isolated. And we know that Cuba’s economy is struggling. It is going to need the help of the international financial community, and that is going to come first,” said Rachel DeLevie-Orey, Latin America analyst, Atlantic Council.
Reporting for euronews Stefan Grobe said:
“The re-establishment of diplomatic relations does not change Cuba’s economic problems, nor does it alter the US view that Cuba has a serious democracy deficit. But after a standoff that goes back to President Eisenhower, this day marks a new beginning,”
The US flag will be raised in Havana when US Secretary of State John Kerry visits the country next month. In the meantime the US Cuban embassy has set up its new Twitter account
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