President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro met at the Revolutionary Palace in Havana Monday for the first such official contact between Cuba and the United States in more than half a century. In a joint news conference, Obama heralded a “new day” in relations with Cuba. Castro called for the United States to lift the trade embargo on Cuba and return the Guantánamo naval base.

Cuban President Raúl Castro: “The blockade is the most important obstacle for our economic development and the well-being of the Cuban people. That is why removing it is essential for us to normalize bilateral relations. It will also be beneficial for Cuban migrants, who want the best for their families and their countries. On advancing toward normalization, it will also be necessary that the illegally occupied territory at the Guantánamo naval base is returned.”