It was a handshake over 50 years in the making. U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuba President Raul Castro met for the first time Friday night, shaking hands at a gala dinner attended by Latin American leaders visiting Panama for the Summit of the Americas meetings.
"As we move toward process of normalization, we'll have our differences government-to-government with Cuba on many issues, just as we differ at times with other nations within the Americas," Obama said at a forum attended before the summit began. "There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm here to say that when we do speak out, we're going to do so because the United States of America does believe, and will always stand for, a certain set of universal values."
The presidents' spoke by phone on Wednesday and arrived in Panama City within minutes of each other Thursday. At the dinner, Castro leaned in to Obama and said "how are you" in English.
While it may seem trivial to some, the interaction large enough for National Security Council spokesman Bernadette Meehan to issue a statement saying, "At the Summit of the Americas this evening, President Obama and President Castro greeted each other and shook hands."
The face-to-face meeting eases tension going into full-fledged discussions on Saturday. There is speculation that Cuba could be removed from the list of countries that support terrorism. This consideration has drawn ire from Cuban dissidents and Republican lawmakers.
Anti-Castro protestors and government supporters clashed Friday night outside Hotel Panama. Activists denounced Cuba's involvement give their countless human rights violations. Cuban-American senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez urged Panama to withdraw Cuba's invitation leading up the summit, insisting that it made a mockery of the gathering.
For Cuba, this is the first time they've received an invitation since the high-level gathering began in 1994. Part of the reason they're attending the summit is because of strengthened ties with the U.S.
Last December, Obama and Castro agreed to diplomatic talks aimed at removing barriers to commerce and travel. The countries' swapped prisoners on Dec. 17; the U.S. releasing three convicted Cuban spies in exchange for USAID contractor Alan Gross.
Once the summit ends, Obama will make an announcement before heading back to Washington D.C.