US Embassy In Cuba: Obama, Raúl Castro Diplomatic Exchange May Re-Open Embassy After 53 Years

We are at the cusp of witnessing a historic moment as President Barack Obama and President Raúl Castro are working to restore diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. A phone call that lasted about an hour on Tuesday marks the first talk at a presidential level between the two nations since the Cuban revolution, which lasted from July 26, 1953 to January 1, 1959.

While normalized relations between the two countries will no doubt be a long and arduous journey, the measures first began with the release of political prisoners from both sides. According to the New York Times, the United States released three Cuban spies that were held in American prisons since 1981. In exchange, Cuba returned a U.S. intelligence agent that had been held for nearly 20 years. American contractor Alan Gross, who was held in a Havana prison since 2009, was also released under "humanitarian grounds."

According to CNN, the next measure in US-Cuba relations will be the reopening of embassies. Talks between the United States and Cuba allegedly began in June 2013 with the aid of the Canadian government as well as the Vatican. Pope Francis, the first pope from Latin America, wrote a letter to President Obama and hosted a final meeting at the Vatican to encourage renewed relations with Cuba.

“Today, the United States is taking historic steps to chart a new course in our relations with Cuba and to further engage and empower the Cuban people,” announced the White House in a written statement.

“This is being done because we believe the policy of the past has not worked and we believe the best way to bring democracy and prosperity to Cuba is through a different kind of policy,” said a senior administration official from the White House during a conference call with reporters. The identity of the official was withheld. "Our emphasis on human rights will be just as strong and we believe more effective under this policy. We will engage directly with the Cuban government on human rights.”

The re-establishment of embassies in both nations will facilitate high-level exchanges between the two governments in the months ahead. Obama confirmed that an assistant secretary will be assigned to Havana to lead an American delegation on talks regarding Cuban-American migration. The United States and Cuba will also discuss serious issues regarding counternarcotics, environmental protection, and human trafficking.