At the scene: Will Grant, BBC News, Havana It was a speech heavy - TopicsExpress



          

At the scene: Will Grant, BBC News, Havana It was a speech heavy on symbolism. Among others, in the audience were the reunited Cuban 5 - the group of Cuban intelligence officers freshly released from jail for spying in the US in exchange for the USAID contractor imprisoned in Cuba, Alan Gross. Elian Gonzalez - the young boy who was at the centre of an epic legal tussle between the US and Cuba during the Clinton administration and who is now a 21-year-old graduate of the military academy - was there, too. Amid sustained applause, President Raul Castro tried to keep Cubans feet firmly on the ground. After all, Cubas key demand - the complete lifting of the US economic embargo - is still to be met. Nevertheless he praised President Barack Obama for his bravery in trying to reverse decades of hostilities between the two countries and confirmed that he would attend the summit of the Americas in Panama in April. That potentially paves the way for a face-to-face meeting with the US president - an almost unimaginable prospect a year ago. As President Castro drew parliament to a close for 2014, it is no exaggeration to say it will be remembered as one of the most historic years in the history of the Cuban Revolution.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 07:34:34 +0000

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