Politics

1,000 Words: The handshake

Bob CollinsBob Collins Mar 21, 2016
53

We know that President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro shook hands inside the Palace of the Revolution during their meeting today because we’ve got the picture to prove it.

Back dropped by the US and Cuban flags, US President Barack Obama, left, and Cuba's President Raul Castro shake hands after a joint statement in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 21, 2016. Brushing past differences, President Obama and President Castro sat down for a historic meeting, offering critical clues about whether Obama's sharp U-turn in policy will be fully reciprocated.(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

That was before the two spoke.

At the conclusion of their joint appearance today, however, awkwardness ensued; the kind where someone is trying to avoid the optics that critics back home might jump on. But that explanation doesn’t make much sense because of picture No. 1.

Cuban President Raul Castro lifts up the arm of President Barack Obama at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution, Monday, March 21, 2016 in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The video of it is even more awkward.