Cuba's public face of diplomacy with US leaving post
Source: Associated Press
Michael Weissenstein and Andrea Rodriguez, Associated Press
Updated 12:25 am, Monday, July 24, 2017
Cuba's public face of diplomacy with US leaving post
Michael Weissenstein and Andrea Rodriguez, Associated Press Updated 12:25 am, Monday, July 24, 2017
FILE - In this May 21, 2015, file photo, Josefina Vidal, Director General of the U.S. Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attends the fourth round of talks to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, at the State Department, in Washington. Cuban officials said on Sunday, July 23 2017, that Vidal, the public face of Cuba's diplomatic opening to the United States will leave her post to become ambassador to Canada. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP / Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP
HAVANA (AP) — The public face of Cuba's diplomatic opening with the United States is leaving her post to become ambassador to Canada, officials said Sunday.
Josefina Vidal was sworn in to her new role at a ceremony presided over by President Raul Castro, according to Cuban media. Officials said Vidal's deputy Gustavo Machin would also leave the division of U.S. affairs to become ambassador to Spain.
In a government renowned for its opacity, Vidal and Machin were given unusual rein to talk publicly about Cuba's relations with Washington. They offered regular briefings to journalists about the state of diplomatic ties, which were re-established two years ago. Under their watch, the Cuban government often spoke more openly than the U.S. administration about the state of bilateral relations.
Vidal took the reins of the U.S. affairs division in 2006, helped negotiate the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and stayed through the announcement of President Donald Trump's new Cuba policy last month. The Cuban government appears to have decided to bring in new faces to deal with the Trump administration, although it did not immediately say who would take their places.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Cuba-s-public-face-of-diplomacy-with-US-leaving-11312155.php
