Obama arrives in Havana for historic visit to former Cold War foe
President Barack Obama arrived in Cuba on March 20 on a historic visit, opening a new chapter in US engagement with the island's Communist government after decades of animosity between the former Cold War foes.
Obama landed at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport aboard Air Force One, the presidential jet with "United States of America" emblazoned across its fuselage, a sight almost unimaginable not long ago.
Stepping down onto the red carpet in a light drizzle, Obama and his family were greeted by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, the top Cuban official present. The formal welcoming ceremony will be on March 21 when Obama meets Cuban President Raul Castro at the presidential palace.
The three-day trip, the first by a US president to Cuba in 88 years, is the culmination of a diplomatic opening announced by Obama and Castro in December 2014, ending a Cold War-era estrangement that began when the Cuban revolution ousted a pro-American government in 1959.
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Traveling with first lady Michelle Obama, her mother and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, the president met first with staff of the newly reopened US Embassy at a Havana hotel.
The Obamas then took in the sights of Old Havana, drawing cheers from small crowds of Cubans and foreign tourists. Obama was also hosted on a tour of Havana's 18th century cathedral by Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who played a key role in secret talks that led to the rapprochement 15 months ago.
“It's a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people," Obama told US diplomats.
Obama will hold talks with Raul Castro – but not his brother Fidel, the revolutionary leader - and speak to entrepreneurs on March 20. He meets privately with dissidents, addresses Cubans live on state-run media and attends an exhibition baseball game on March 22.
