The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
December 18, 2014

Obama Announces Historic Restoration of Diplomatic Ties with Cuba 
------------------------------------------------------------------


 
President Obama has announced the United States will restore full
diplomatic relations with Cuba for the first time in more than half a
century. In a historic address Wednesday, Obama announced the shift
would include the opening of a U.S. embassy in Havana.

President Obama: "First, I've instructed Secretary Kerry to immediately
begin discussions with Cuba to re-establish diplomatic relations that
have been severed since January of 1961. Going forward, the United
States will re-establish an embassy in Havana, and high-ranking
officials will visit Cuba. Where we can advance shared interests, we
will, on issues like health, migration, counterterrorism, drug
trafficking and disaster response."

 

.