Dawn of a new era
WE WOULD like to tell ourselves that even in death our Nelson Mandela played a significant role in making a reality what, only a few weeks before, had been unthinkable in world affairs.
It was at Madiba’s memorial service on December 10, 2013 that US President Barack Obama shook hands with the leader of what had once been one of his country’s arch-foes, Raul Castro of Cuba. The memorial service was one of the largest gatherings of world leaders, graced by dozens of heads of state and government.
On Friday, this rapprochement had its crowning glory – the US hoisted the Stars and Stripes over its newly reopened American embassy in Cuba, the culmination of a remarkable behind-the-scenes diplomatic manoeuvre designed to end more than half a century of hostility.
Obama and Raul Castro, 84, the current president and brother of 89-year-old Fidel Castro, announced on December 17 that they would re-establish diplomatic ties 54 years after the flag was taken down from the embassy. A trio of Marines hastily took down the flag on January 4, 1961, after the Americans had been given just 48 hours to depart the island by Fidel Castro after relations were formally ruptured by Castro and Dwight Eisenhower.
Out of view, diplomats had been working to restore ties. The US business lobby has been keen to end sanctions that have prevented American companies from operating there.
Forgotten, at least not mentioned, was the Bay of Pigs invasion, one of more than 200 apparent attempts by the US to dislodge or assassinate Fidel Castro.
Obama now has the final opportunity to seal his legacy by closing the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The detention centre became known for its harsh and sometimes cruel treatment of prisoners, many of whom had been transported there from Afghanistan and Iraq.
There is also the pivotal matter of the trade blockade America has imposed on Cuba all these years. The US should, of course, lift it immediately. Obama supports this but not so the opposition Republican Party, which has vowed to block any attempts to end the blockade.