Obama's wrist goes limp in awkward Raul Castro photo op

[superbeets]

[h=2]Havana ball! Barack and Michelle sit down for mojito-spiked mousse and rum soup at Cuban state dinner after Obama's wrist goes limp in awkward Raul Castro photo op[/h]

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle sat down for an historic state dinner with Cuba's president Raul Castro on Monday night. America's first couple looked vibrant as they took their seats in Havana's Palace Of The Revolution alongside Nancy Pelosi. First Lady Michelle wore an eye-watering pair of patent black stilettos with her v-neck floral summer dress and bright red earrings, while President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro opted for simple dark suits, white shirts, and ties in different shades of blue. It came after a photo op went wrong for the pair as Castro lifted Obama's arm as the President's wrist went limp, pictured right.

 

[superbeets]

[h=1]Havana ball! Barack and Michelle Obama sit down for mojito-spiked mousse and rum-drenched soup at state dinner with Cuban president Raul Castro[/h]

• America's first couple looked vibrant as they took their seats in Havana's Palace Of The Revolution on Monday night
• They were joined at the dinner by senior White House staff and several members of Congress
• The menu included a shrimp mousse with mojito, cream soup with rum, and pork topped with plantain chips
• Earlier Obama held talks and a news conference with Cuba's communist dictator, Raul Castro
• President, First Lady, daughters Sasha and Malia, and Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, arrived in Cuba on Sunday evening; they were met by torrential rain that began moments after they landed in Havana
• U.S. President will also meet with dissidents of government that has a history of human rights abuses
• Michelle Obama went to an event highlighting let Girls Learn, her campaign for education for adolescent girls
• He paid his respects to Jose Marti, a major figure in the country's revolt against Spain, before meeting with Castro, then will host an event for entrepreneurs; later he and FLOTUS will attend a state dinner
• See more of the latest news on President Obama and his Cuba visit at www.dailymail.co.uk/obama

By MIA DE GRAAF FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and FRANCESCA CHAMBERS IN HAVANA, CUBA, FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:22, 22 March 2016 | UPDATED: 03:59, 22 March 2016




President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have arrived for an historic state dinner with Cuba's president Raul Castro.
America's first couple looked vibrant as they took their seats in Havana's Palace Of The Revolution on Monday night alongside Nancy Pelosi.
First Lady Michelle wore a pair of patent black stilettos with a v-neck floral summer dress by her favorite designer Naeem Khan and bright red earrings, while President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro opted for simple dark suits, white shirts, and ties in different shades of blue.
Waiting for them in the palm tree-lined dining hall was a trolley of bread rolls and Cuban cigars.
Their chairs were adorned with gold fabric and white chiffon; red roses sat in the middle of each round table.
On the menu: shrimp mousse spiked with mojito, rum-infused cream soup, and 'traditional' pork topped with plantain chips.
State dinner guests were treated to music from the Failde Youth Band, a group dedicated to preserving Cuban music.



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[superbeets]

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First Lady Michelle wore an eye-watering pair of patent black stilettos with her v-neck floral summer dress and bright red earrings, while President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro opted for simple dark suits, white shirts and ties in different shades of blue

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The President and First Lady are seen arriving at the Palace Of The Revolution in Havana to greet President Castro on Monday night

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Michelle, who towered over President Castro, appeared to entertain the crowd as she spoke after greeting them

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Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were joined at the dinner by senior White House staff and several members of Congress


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[superbeets]

Earlier, President Obama participated in an event focused on entrepreneurships and opportunities for the Cuban people.
But the activity-packed trip, the first for any US president in nine decades, has not been without its hiccups.
The leaders, who renewed their countries' diplomatic ties 18 months ago, fumbled their way through an awkward handshake at a press conference on Monday morning - before Castro began lecturing Obama on human rights.
Castro argued that the United States has been hypocritical in its approach to Cuba, as it does not guarantee healthcare and higher education for all of its citizens nor does not provide women with 'equal pay’ as his country does and pensions.
And he refused to admit that his regime had imprisoned anyone for speaking out against the government, growing furious as he was questioned by a reporter from CNN about his administration’s record of abuses against its own people.
Obama said he and Castro had a ‘frank’ discussion about those issues, and he reiterated America’s belief that freedom of speech, assembly and religion are ‘universal’ human rights.
But he also took ownership of areas where America is 'falling short' - saying he does not 'disagree' - and thanked Castro for his observations 'because I think that we should not be immune or afraid of criticism or discussion, as well.'
Both leaders again called for an end to the United States' trade and travel embargo on Cuba, a legal blockade that only Congress can remove and says it will not.


.[h=3]WHAT'S ON THE MENU?[/h]Shrimp mousse under kisch supreme with cream of mojito
Golden cream soup flavoured with Caney rum accompanied by slivers of ham
Traditional pork garnished with baby tamales with plantain chips
Trio of grandmother’s sweets



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President Barack Obama intended to showcase the progress Cuba has made since the countries renewed their relationship 18 months ago with his visit this week to the island nation. Instead, he found himself on the receiving side of a lecture from Cuban dictator Raul Castro on human rights. Castro also refused to admit that his regime had imprisoned anyone for speaking out against the government

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AWKWARD: After the news conference ended, Castro tried to grab Obama's arm, but the United States president was taken aback

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GRIN AND BEAR IT: Obama slapped on a smile as Castro grabbed his arm and put it up the air in a show of unity between the nations

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Revolution: Obama honored Cuban independence figure Jose Marti this morning in a square with massive artwork of Che Guevara, the Marxist South American revolutionary who took part in the 1961 overthrow of the existing government which brought Fidel Castro to powe



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[superbeets]

Castro said this afternoon that it must be removed for relations to be fully normalized. He also demanded that the United States give back the land that house the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and prison.
‘The relationship between our governments will not be transformed overnight,’ Obama declared in his opening remarks, pointing to disagreements on democracy and human rights. ‘But the United States recognizes the progress that Cuba has made a nation.’
As Obama responded to CNN reporter Jim Acosta's questions ahead of Castro, the head of state held a side conversation with adviser, speaking over the fellow president as Obama talked about what he sees as an ‘impediment’ to additional cooperation between the U.S. and Cuba - the foreign power's human rights violations.


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Excuse me,’ Obama finally said, turning to his host, causing a bemused and befuddled corps present at the news conference to break out into laughter.
Castro explained that he was seeking clarification on the questions, and whether they were directed at him or Obama. Specifically, he said he was unsure whether the portion about political prisoners was for him, as well as a request to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two leading candidates in the United States’ presidential race.
He slyly wriggled of the inquiry about American politics, telling Acosta, ‘Well, I cannot vote in the United States.’
Not before he lambasted the American journalist for what he perceived as an impertinent question about his administration’s jailing of its political opponents, however.

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White House photographer Pete Souza posted this picture to Instagram on Monday, writing, 'The President and Malia share a laugh as Malia translates Spanish to English for her dad at a restaurant in Old Havana'

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'The First Lady with Malia and Sasha at La Catedral de la Virgen Maria de la Concepcion Inmaculada in Old Havana,' Souza wrote of this image

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Souza released several images on Monday giving a behind-the-scenes look at the president's historic trip to Cuba. Mr Obama pictured above greeting Cubans in Old Havana on Sunday

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White House staffers and the President angle to get the best view of Cuba as Air Force One lands in the country on Sunday

‘Give me a list, just give me a list. Give me a name or names,’ he said, according to an interpretation offered to reporters present. ‘If we have as list, they will be released before tonight ends.’
The authoritarian government's crackdowns on free speech are frequent and well-documented.
Amid the fanfare of Obama's arrival, as many as 50 protesters demonstrating against the government over its use of force and intimidation were arrested in Havana, including the leader of women's democracy group, Ladies in White.
The Cuban Observatory on Human Rights last month said the number of dissident arrests had went up - not down - since the U.S. and Cuba announced on Dec. 17, 2014 that they would resume high-level diplomatic relations.
In January alone, 1,474 people were 'arbitrarily' detained, the non-governmental organization told Bloomberg Politics.
'We are moving forward and not looking backwards,' Obama told Acosta as he took his turn at the microphone, and part of the purpose of his visit was to prove 'we don't view Cuba as a threat to the United States.'
Obama said his historic visit - the first from a U.S. president in nearly 90 years - marked a 'new chapter' the the countries' relations.
'But as is true with other countries,' he said. 'We will continue to stand up for basic principles that we believe in.'
The communist country has made ‘enormous achievements’ in healthcare and education, Obama acknowledged.
'President Castro, I think, has pointed out that in his view making sure that everybody getting a decent education or healthcare' is a part of basic security and human rights. 'I personally would not disagree with that, but it doesn't detract from some of these other concerns,' said Obama, an architect of a law in the United States expanding access to health insurance.


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[superbeets]

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History: The moment Raul Castro and President Obama shook hands in Havana this morning, symbolizing a new start to relations

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Cordial: The Cuban leader and the U.S. president spoke through translators. Castro and the president were holding two hours of talks

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Moment of history: The Cuban military band played the Star Spangled Banner as both leaders stood to attention

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Diet of talks: The only dialog overheard between President Obama and the Cuban leader were about his visit. 'We had a great tour yesterday,' Obama told Castro. 'Enjoyed it. And we had a great dinner.'

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The two leaders shook hands as they participated in formal welcome ceremony of Obama before engaging in more than two hours of talks about their country's recently re-established diplomatic relationship.

On Monday morning Obama also paid his respects to Cuban hero Jose Marti, a major figure in the country's revolt against Spain in the 19th century. After laying a wreath at Marti's memorial, a 358 foot tower, in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, a pack of press chased him down as he entered the memorial's museum to sign his name to the guest book.
Looming in the background during the outdoor ceremony was a massive artwork tribute to Che Guevara, a leader in the 1959 revolution that brought Raul Castro's brother Fidel to power. Fidel handed off power to his brother in 2008 and will not meet with Obama while he in town.
Obama said today that he'd be willing to meet with Castro to close the loop on the Cold War. His Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters during an evening briefing that it would not happen at this time, however.
'I think the president was speaking generally about the potential for some engagement in the future,' Rhodes said. 'We have not requested such a meeting...the Cubans ahve not suggested such a meeting of us.'


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Cubans wave and take pictures as Obama's car passes by on its way to the Revolution square this morning

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Start to the trip: President Obama waved to hundreds of Cubans gathered in Old Havana as he was taken on a tour amid heavy rain last night

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U.S. President Barack Obama stands near a portrait of Abraham Lincoln rolled out just for his visit as he is guided on a tour of the Museum of the City of Havana on Sunday night

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Flying the flag: As her husband started formal talks with President Raul Castro, Michelle Obama arrived at for a Let Girls Learn roundtable at the Fabrica de Arte Cuban. The initiative aims to help teenage girls stay in school


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[superbeets]

Obama's three-day trip to the Communist country, 90 miles south of Florida, is mostly symbolic.
But it has been accompanied by a slew of regulatory changes that will allow American companies to do more business with Cuba and U.S. citizens to visit the country for approved purposes with increasing ease.
Speaking to ABC News on the evening of his arrival, Obama said of the trip, 'The time is right. Obviously our intention has always been to get a ball rolling, knowing that change wasn't going to happen overnight.
'And although we still have significant differences around human rights and individual liberties inside of Cuba, we felt that coming now would maximize our ability to prompt more change,' he said. 'And it gives us, I think, the opportunity before I leave office to continue to stay on track in moving things forward.'

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Display: The President and John Kerry put their hands on their hearts as the Star Spangled Banner was played in the square

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This morning he paid his respects to Cuban hero Jose Marti, a major figure in the country's revolt against Spain in the 19th century

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Personal message: The President signed the book of remembrance to Jose Marti at the memorial



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[superbeets]

Progress has been made, Obama told ABC News' David Muir, while acknowledging the Cuban government has not stopped 'stifling dissent.'
By engaging the nation's government, however, Obama and his administration believe they can erode Castro's argument that the economic dysfunction in the country is a result of the United States' embargo on travel and trade.
He added: 'We still have some work to do.'
And he said, 'I think it is very important for the United States not to view ourselves as the agents of change here, but rather to encourage and facilitate Cubans themselves to bring about changes....We want to make sure that whatever changes come about are empowering Cubans.'
'Change is going to happen here, and I think that Raul Castro understands that,' the U.S. president said during the interview, calling it 'inevitable.'
The government wants to control the speed of it, he said, but as he said he has told them, change can happen to them, or they can get out in front of it.
His first formal engagement on Monday was laying a wreath at the city's memorial to Jose Marti, a hero of Cuba's war of independence from Spain.
He wrote in a book of remembrance: 'It is a great honor to pay tribute to Jose Marti, who gave his life for independence of his homeland. His passion for liberty, freedom, and self-determination lives on in the Cuban people today.'
Afterward, he met with Castro and held a joint news conference with him before peeling off for his event with entrepreneurs.
Obama declined to rip into his host at today's event, but he is expected to address the Castro regime's ongoing human rights abuses tomorrow during a speech that the Cuban government has agreed to televise.
The U.S. president told ABC News he will 'respect' the Cuban people and their right to self-determination in his remarks. 'But what I will assert is that the values that we believe in, we think are universal,' he said.
Freedom of speech, assembly and faith are something that all people aspire to, Obama stated. And a market that allows for private ownership and commercial business has been proven to increase profits.
'That doesn't mean that they have to model themselves on us....What it does mean though is that there is a possibility for Castro himself...to lay the foundation so that the country can move forward, and we want to be a partner and encourage that process.'
President Obama, his wife Michelle, children Sasha and Malia and the first lady's mother, Marian Robinson, touched down in Havana at 4:20pm ET on Sunday, with the first drops of rain falling as the Obamas walked down the Air Force One steps.
Obama is the only president aside from Calvin Coolidge to come to Cuba, and the White House said last week it hoped the visit would 'deepen' America's relationship with the authoritarian government following more than half a century of tension.
The Obamas began their trip with a tour of Old Havana that was nearly a washout on Sunday evening as a deluge of rain came down minutes after they landed in Cuba for an historic three-day visit to the communist country.
The first family pressed on, despite the stormy skies, strolling through the Plaza des Armas as they huddled under umbrellas and made their way to the Museo de la Ciudad, the museum of Cuba's capital city, and on to Havana Cathedral.
President Obama's family - particularly his daughter Sasha - looked less than pleased as they perched underneath their blue and black umbrellas.
As the Obamas taxied towards their motorcade, the president wrote on Twitter: '¿Que bolá Cuba? (What's up Cuba?). Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people.'
Castro did not greet them on the tarmac, leaving the country's foreign minister to conduct the greetings and handshakes instead.
As he arrived in the country, Obama admitted that Cuba had work to do to correct its poor human rights record, but said: 'Change is going to happen.'
Obama and his entourage were whisked off the runway to Melia Habana hotel to meet with U.S. embassy staff before their tour of Old Havana, a family excursion that was ill-fated, given the torrential downpour, but left on the schedule nonetheless as the U.S. president made a symbolic display of solidarity with the Cuban people.
Cuban and American flags flew from the president's car as it left the airport in the direction of central Havana.
'This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity,' Obama told embassy staff as he greeted them and reflected on the seven months since the embassy reopened in Havana last July. 'I want you to know, everyone we've accomplished so far, it's all happening because of you. Every day you're bringing the US and Cuba closer together.'
Obama was later cheered as he passed through a square outside Havana Cathedral, with hundreds of people erupting in applause and shouting the president's name as the first family stepped forward.


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[superbeets]

The Obamas then dined at a privately-owned restaurant in a bustling, working class neighborhood. Jubilant crowds surged toward the president's heavily fortified motorcade as it inched towards the San Cristobal restaurant.
After a short dinner, the Obamas headed to the ambassador's residence, where they are staying during their visit.
The first family will now spend two days on the island, then fly to Argentina for another two before returning to Washington, DC, just before the Easter holiday.
Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump accused Castro of disrespecting the United States by not meeting Obama at the airport.
'Wow, President Obama just landed in Cuba, a big deal, and Raul Castro wasn't even there to greet him. He greeted Pope and others. No respect,' Trump tweeted.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democrat seeking to replace Obama in the White House, meanwhile praised the president for 'making history by traveling to Cuba and moving relations between our two countries into a new era'.
'This is an approach that is long overdue....Fifty years of Cold War is enough. It is time for Cuba and the United States to turn the page and normalize relations,' Sanders said.
The president is scheduled to meet with dissidents of the oppressive government, as well as the country's leader, Castro, during his visit. He will also give a televised speech from Havana's national theater, Gran Teatro Alicia Alonso.
Obama's first stop after landing in Cuba was meeting with staff at the recently re-opened embassy. The inclement weather meant the president chatted with workers at a nearby hotel instead of the consulate.
The president said: 'Back in 1928, President Coolidge came on a battleship, it took him three days to get here. It only took me three hours.
'Having a US embassy means we're more effectively able to advance our values, our interests and understand more effectively.'
Speaking to diplomatic staff, he added: 'I'm so glad you brought your families here because I always like taking pictures with kids. Their future is what we all work for so hard and I'm so grateful to all of you for making it happen.'
The U.S. operated out of the embassy during the detente between the U.S. and the Castro regime from 1977 until the summer of 2015, but it was under the authority of the Swiss government, which served as the protecting power.
It officially assumed the role of the United States' mission in Cuba on July 20, 2015, when diplomatic ties were formally restored.
The president's spokesman on Friday said Obama will not shy away from using his 'bully pulpit' on the trip to address human rights violations in the communist country that the United States was estranged from for more than 50 years.
'For more than 50 years, we tried a strategy of saying, well, why don't we just try to ignore the Cubans and see if they change their mind on their own. Not surprisingly, that strategy didn't really work very well, so we're trying a new approach,' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday.
Earnest said: 'The President of the United States is going to get on Air Force One, he's going to fly to Havana, Cuba, and he is going to sit down with the leader of Cuba and say, you need to do a better job of protecting the human rights of your people.
'He's going to give a speech to the Cuban population, to the Cuban people, one that will be carried on TV, according to the Cuban government, where the President will advocate for better respect for human rights.
And while he's in town the president will 'visit with people who have previously been victimized by the government, and encourage them to continue to fight for the kinds of universal human rights that we deeply cherish in this country'.
'That is effective advocacy for American values,' Earnest added.
'That is effective advocacy for the kinds of principles that we cherish in this country and in our government.
'And it is, by the way, an approach that is strongly supported by the vast majority of the Cuban people.'


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[jimmythegreek]

Obama's wrist goes limp in awkward Raul Castro photo op

fairy nice guy.

 

[roadreeler57]

Cuba can keep them,air force one the limo ect ect ect...

 

[SheriffJoe]

 

[SheriffJoe]

 

[SheriffJoe]

 

[GasMan]

Hey DuhFinch..is Obama gay? I figured you would know.

 

[The Guesser]

Hey DuhFinch..is Obama gay? I figured you would know.

You should probably ask Closeted Gay Casper.

 

[The Guesser]

Getting turned on? Is a trip to the Purple Flower patch to do your thing in order?

 

[Dave007inVegas]

 

[busterhyman]

must be why he's such a good golfer. need those flexible wrist.bust er hyman