Latin America

US President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro will further the rapprochement between their two countries during a face-to-face meeting at the UN on Tuesday.

“I’m sure that Congress will inevitably lift an embargo which should no longer be there,” president Obama said in his address this morning to the UN General Assembly. In the audience was Cuban president Raul Castro.

Cuban President Raul Castro will address the UN General Assembly for the first time on Monday, with a speech less hostile than those of his older brother, a testament to the rapprochement with the United States.

The Colombian government and the FARC insurgents agreed on Tuesday in Havana to create a special jurisdiction to judge crimes committed during the conflict of more than 50 years.

US President Barack Obama thanked pope Francisco today for his support for the “new beginning” in relations with Cuba.

Cuban President Raul Castro spoke on Thursday afternoon by telephone with his US counterpart, Barack Obama, just hours before Pope Francisco starts a historic visit to the island.

Diplomat Jose Ramon Cabañas Rodriguez handed President Barack Obama his credentials as Cuba’s ambassador to the United States at an official ceremony that took place on Thursday at the Oval Office.

The governments of Cuba and the United States agreed today on an agenda of issues to address in the coming months. These include: areas of mutual interest and cooperation, areas where the two countries maintain strong differences, and lastly, the issue of compensation for properties confiscated by Cuba and damages caused by the US embargo to the island’s economy.