President Obama said July 1
that the U.S. and Cuba struck a deal to reopen embassies in each others'
capitals and reestablish diplomatic relations between them for the first time
since 1961.
The U.S. embassy, which has served
as the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, will officially reopen on July 20 when
Secretary of State John Kerry will raise the American flag over the embassy,
which overlooks Havana’s Malecon and the Plaza de la Revolucion.
Last Dec. 17, Obama announced that
the U.S. was ending an “outdated approach” of isolating Cuba. Since then, some
travel restrictions have been eased and on May 20 the U.S. dropped Cuba from
its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Funding for the new U.S. embassy
and the naming of a U.S. ambassador to Cuba could be blocked in
Congress, Obama warned.
“It is time to move forward.
It is time for Congress to do the same. The embargo has not worked for
more than 50 years. Cuba and the U.S. are neighbors. Now we can be friends,”
Obama said.