This Is What Diplomacy Looks Like

After years of virtual non-engagement with Latin America, the United States has finally started communicating with leaders who have been viewed as adversaries, such as Cuba's Raul Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Now that these countries are talking again, maybe they'll be able to move beyond some of the issues that have kept the nations at odds with each other - in Cuba's case for over 40 years!

First, U.S. President Barack Obama has loosened travel restriction to Cuba and now will allow Cubans living in America to visit relative on the island. This is the first step in a thawing of US/Cuba relations. From NPR:

Trading their warmest words in a half-century, the United States and Cuba pressed ahead Friday with a dizzying series of gestures as leaders of the Americas gathered for a summit. The momentum was so great that the head of the Organization of American States said he'll ask his group to invite Cuba back after 47 years.

Second, stories keep emerging about how Obama and Chavez reacted to each other at the Summit of the Americas. The two Presidents actually greeted and spoke to one another and with just that simple yet highly symbolic gesture of acknowlegement, Venezuela has agreed to restore its ambassador to the United States.

Here are some photos and video of Obama/Chavez interations at the summit....

Chavez and Obama shake hands...

Chavez gives one of his books to Obama. That book, Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. The books is now a best seller on Amazon.com.

Here is video footage of an exchange between the two leaders. It is nice that these Presidents will actually talk to each other.