Pope Francis unexpected hero of US-Cuba relations breakthrough
Pope Francis has congratulated both the US and Cuba on restoring relations, as the Vatican together with Canada were confirmed to have played a significant role in the talks which broke 50 years of cold.
The Vatican said that it was a key player in negotiations between
the two countries, “resulting in solutions acceptable to both
parties.” Pope Francis added that he will continue to be
supportive of the process. It emerged on Wednesday that he had
sent a personal letter to both US President Barack Obama and
President of Cuba Raul Castro during the summer.
Earlier in the day, a US Senator had mentioned both Vatican
involvement and the letter, saying that it had provided
“greater impetus and momentum for us to move forward.”
“Pope Francis sent letters to President Obama and to Cuban
President Raul Castro this past summer urging a resolution of the
matter of prisoners and progress in our bilateral
relationship,” US Ambassador to the Vatican, Kenneth
Hackett, confirmed to Reuters.
Additionally, the Vatican was responsible for playing host to
meetings between Cuban and US officials.
Canada was a host to the secret talks, it turned out Wednesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper revealed his country's
role in the negotiations and said that he stood behind a Cuba
which acknowledged “the values of freedom, democracy, human
rights and the rule of law.”
Cuba exchanged American citizen Alan Gross for three Cubans
jailed in the United States on Wednesday. The prisoner swap is
set to pave the way for a major overhaul of bilateral ties,
potentially bringing an end to over five decades of severed
diplomatic relations.
US officials said Gross was transported on a government plane in
the morning after being released on humanitarian grounds, which
followed a request from the White House. He arrived at Andrews
Air Force base near Washington DC. Footage broadcast by MSNBC
showed him exciting the aircraft, where he was met by
well-wishers.
The three Cubans had been part of the so-called ‘Cuban Five.’ The
group was allegedly sent by former Cuban President Fidel Castro
to carry out espionage in South Florida. The men, who were
convicted by a court in Miami in 2001 on charges including
conspiracy and failure to register as foreign agents, are widely
lauded back home.
'Mutual interest for both nations' - Castro
On Wednesday, Castro spoke to his own nation of the change in diplomatic relations welcoming the improvements in the relations with the US. However, he added that some differences exist between the two e.g. over questions of sovereignty human rights. Castro still said that the countries must live with their differences “in a civilized manner”.
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embassy in Cuba, lift sanctions
Castro reminded that the “economic, commercial, and financial
blockade, which causes enormous human and economic damages to our
country, must cease.”
The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba over 50
years ago due to the Castro's socialist reforms and increased
cooperation with the Soviet Union. Along with the severed ties,
Washington also imposed a commercial, economic and financial
embargo against Cuba in 1960. That embargo was soon expanded to
include all imports to the small Caribbean island.
“I look forward to engaging Congress in an honest debate on
lifting this embargo,” President Barack Obama said.
