Dissidents Not Invited to US Flag Ceremony in Cuba

HAVANA -- Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling to Cuba for Friday's historic flag-raising ceremony at the U.S. Embassy. 
   
Although U.S. policy towards the island nation has focused on dissidents for years, they are not invited to the ceremony.  Instead, officials say Kerry will meet quietly with prominent activists later in the day.
  
The subject of human rights in Cuba presents a huge quandary for the U.S. right now.  The Cuban government considers its dissidents to be traitorous and has stopped meeting with American politicians who visit them while visiting Cuba. 

Many believe that Cuban officials would boycott the American ceremony if Kerry invited any of the government's critics.
  
Presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is calling the embassy omissions a "slap in the face" to democracy activists in Cuba. 

"Cuban dissidents are the legitimate representatives of the Cuban people and it is they who deserve America's red carpet treatment, not Castro regime officials," he said.
  
Amidst the shifting political winds, most Cubans still find the struggle for daily life is their most pressing concern.  The average government salary here is $20 a month -- and even professionals typically make less than $50 – so just getting enough food to eat is a constant worry. 

One man told CBN News, "Each day, sitting down to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in Cuba is a challenge."
   
For many Cubans, improved relations with the U.S. is good news. They are hoping for more openness, more opportunities and ultimately a better life. 

Although the Cuban government has demonized the U.S. for years in its propaganda to its people, today many young Cubans are consuming American culture via smart phones and even sporting American patriotic clothes. 

"I use the American flag because the Americans respect Cubans just like we respect Americans," said Havana resident Leanxy Cutinio, who was wearing an American flag shirt.

But Cubans are also aware of the political concerns alongside their economic hopes.  Political arrests are up this summer, including 100 detainments just last weekend.
  
Meanwhile, many U.S. conservatives fear that the Obama administration has not negotiated with Cuba from a position of strength and has given away its leverage.
  
"We've essentially now condoned the longest running military dictatorship in the entire Western hemisphere," Ana Quintana, policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, explained.

"The Cuban government knows that nobody's going to hold them accountable and that's why you're going to continue to see a ramp up in politically motivated arrests," she said.
  
A handful of Senate Republicans warn they'll block any U.S. ambassador to Cuba nominee unless the Cuban government bolsters its human rights record.

They're hoping that Kerry will use his time in Havana to promote democratic principles, noting that Secretary of State George Schultz met with Jewish "refuseniks" in Moscow in 1987 at the height of the Cold War. 

At the time, Schultz told them, "We are with you." Such a move by Kerry could signal a new era in U.S.-Cuban relations.