Quote:
Barack Obama has told Latin American leaders that the days of American meddling in the region were over.
Mr Obama spoke hours before the start of the 35-nation Summit of the Americas, where he is coming face-to-face with Cuban leader Raul Castro amid their diplomatic thaw.
He told the forum of civil society leaders in Panama City that "the days in which our agenda in this hemisphere presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity, those days are past".
While declaring that the days of US interfering were over, the first African American president of the US launched a defiant and markedly personal defence of Washington's support for opposition groups.
"We've stood up, at great cost, for freedom and human dignity, not just in our own country, but elsewhere. I'm proud of that," Mr Obama said, citing the US civil rights movement.
"As you work for change, the United States will stand up alongside you every step of the way."
Turning to Cuba, Mr Obama said that even as "a new chapter" in relations was launched, "we'll have our differences, government to government, with Cuba on many issues."
Mr Obama, Mr Castro and other regional leaders will sit down for a seaside dinner in a complex of ruins from the era of the Spanish conquistadors.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-are-over.html
The rest of the article then dives deeper into US-Cuban relations and said that
IF Obama takes Cuba off the blacklist, Congress can still call a vote on it though most Americans and Cubans are favor of the countries being on better terms.
