Introduction: US-Cuba Diplomatic Rapprochement and Washington’s Relations with Latin America

For long-time observers of Cuban-US relations, and for anyone concerned with Cuban affairs, “17D” has become universally recognized as shorthand for the December morning in 2014 when Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro appeared on television simultaneously to announce their intentions to restore diplomatic ties and endeavor to normalize relations between their two countries. Catalyzed by 1.5 years of secret negotiations directed by senior confidants of the two presidents, bypassing normal diplomatic channels, the unexpected announcements provoked elation in some quarters and consternation in others. After 55 years of estrangement and hostility, the two presidents acknowledged that an alternative path for relations between the two governments, based on mutual respect and reciprocity, was both possible and desirable.