Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cuba to raise the American flag in Havana amid what will be a historic ceremony for the isolated island nation. The event will occur just weeks after the U.S. reopened its embassy in Havana after more than 50 years of estrangement. The flag raising ceremony will occur Friday, August 14th.
Kerry’s visit will mark the first time a sitting U.S. secretary of state has visited Cuba since 1945.
Tensions have been elevated since the announcement of two countries’ detente. This week, the U.S. announced it was “deeply concerned” about arrests of dissidents in Cuba. About 90 activists, including several wearing masks of U.S. President Obama, were briefly detained Sunday during a march in Havana. The march was organized by the Ladies in White, a dissident group formed by the wives of political prisoners.
The Pope plans to visit Cuba in September. Here is the travel schedule for his upcoming visit.
