Latin America

President Obama has submitted a plan to Congress to close Guantánamo Bay military prison. Despite Obama’s pledge to close the facility as one of his first acts after taking office in 2008, there are still 91 prisoners there, 35 of whom have been cleared for release. Republicans in Congress have repeatedly obstructed his attempts to close the prison.

President Barack Obama said on Saturday that his upcoming visit to Cuba will advance the efforts of his administration to build a future with more freedom and opportunity for the Cuban people.

Russian Orthodox Church Leader, Patriarch Kirill, paid a private visit on Saturday afternoon to the house of Fidel Castro in Havana.

Francis and Kirill made a joint call to defend Christians from the persecution and violence unleashed by current world conflicts. The meeting held in Havana was the first meeting between the leaders of the two churches since a rupture occurred nearly a thousand years ago.

The Costa Rican and Mexican governments agreed today to facilitate direct flights for Cuban migrants from the Central American country to Mexico. The flights will cost $790 USD, double the average round trip fare.

Today, a group of UN independent jurists described the situation faced by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – who has resided in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London as a refugee since June of 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden – as a case of “arbitrary detention.”

Pope Francis returns briefly to Cuba on February 12 for a meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, announced the Vatican on Friday. His last trip to the island was for an official four day visit back in September 2015.