Secretary of State John Kerry called for a “genuine democracy” in Cuba on Friday morning as he watched the American flag raised here for the first time in more than a half-century, formally reopening the U.S. embassy and beginning what the Obama administration hopes will be an era of prosperity for the island nation.
Addressing his audience in English and Spanish, Kerry recounted decades of U.S.-Cuba relations “suspended in the amber of Cold War politics” and urged the Cuban government to usher in a new era of freedom.
“We remain convinced the people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy, where people are free to choose their leaders, express their ideas and practice their faith,” Kerry said.