On Monday morning, a decades-in-the-making moment occurred when Cuban President Raul Castro welcomed President Obama at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana. Their symbolic handshake celebrates 15 months of reinstated diplomacy between the two Cold War foes. As such, Obama becomes the first sitting U.S. president to touch down on Cuban soil since Calvin Coolidge visited 88 years ago. Of course, this isn’t the first time Obama and Castro have met in person. They previously shook hands at Nelson Mandela’s 2013 funeral, but today will see the first direct talks between the leaders. They’ll hold a press meeting and sit down for a state dinner on Monday evening, but for now, we’ve got photos and video clips.
During an early morning interview with ABC News, Obama addressed a possible “Berlin Wall moment” in U.S.-Cuba relations. His answer included hopes for Cubans to embrace America as a future partner and a promise that change is coming. Obama also announced Google’s plans to bring wi-fi and broadband access to the country. There will be tourism and trade benefits to come, but there are still plenty of human rights issues to be addressed. Obama previously hoped to reserve this visit for signs of true change in the oppressive Castro regime. However, Sunday’s arrival was prefaced by dozens of human rights protester arrests, which shows how much progress has yet to be made.
Fox News aired the Star-Spangled Banner playing at the palace.
Obama's #Cuba Visit: President #BarackObama and President Raul Castro listen as the Star-Spangled Banner is played.https://t.co/l3SaaJsDes
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 21, 2016
This post-handshake moment shows Presidents Obama and Castro reviewing troops at the Palace of the Revolution.
On Sunday, Barack and Michelle took a tour of Old Havana, including this rain-soaked visit to the Catedral de los Angeles.
The entourage also visited the U.S. embassy staff in Havana. They’re shown here with U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis.
An ABC News clip shows the lead up to the big moment, along with a discussion of what will happen during the rest of Obama’s visit.