As it happened: President Obama in historic visit to Cuba

Summary

US President Barack Obama is first sitting US president to visit Cuba in 90 years
Mr Obama addresses Cubans at El Gran Teatro de La Havana, with President Raul Castro in attendance
Final day also sees US president meet civil society activists and attend a baseball game
The White House first announced restored diplomatic ties in July 2015
On Monday the two leaders sparred over human rights issues but hailed progress in diplomatic relationship

Live Reporting

Jasmine Coleman and Ashley Gold

President Obama departs Cubapublished at 20:24 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
The Obamas have boarded Air Force One, leaving Cuba for Argentina. That concludes our live coverage of Obama's Cuba visit. Thank you for sticking with us.
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Obama and the dissidentspublished at 20:24 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Tara McKelvey
BBC News, Havana
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Mr Obama met with dissidents on his last day in Cuba
President Obama met with a prominent Cuban dissident, Berta Soler, on Tuesday, as Cuban President Raul Castro denies that the country has political prisoners.
One dissident, Elizardo Sanchez, was detained at Jose Marti International Airport on the day a group of US journalists arrived. He was released shortly afterwards. By the time the journalists arrived, things looked calm – as if nothing had happened.
Cuba experts say there’s a reason for the arrests. “There’s a string of people – the old guard – who are not really thrilled about the opening,” says Eric Olson, a director at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, describing the new relationship between the US and Cuba.
“How do you control it? Some of it is done by exerting their power,” Mr Olson says, explaining that these officials try to show that they are still in control by arresting the activists.
At times, though, it seems like “shadow boxing”, a term that Mr Obama has used to describe the relationship between the two countries.
US officials tell me privately they knew beforehand that the activists would be arrested. The activists themselves had told the Americans what they planned to do – and that they would be arrested.
Still Obama administration officials the situation has improved, despite these setbacks.
Scenes from inside President Obama's speechpublished at 19:46 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News, Washington
Image caption,
The speech took place in Havana's magnificent neo-classical Gran Teatro
Image caption,
Roberta Jacobson savoring the moment: she negotiated the details of détente as the State Department’s top official for the Western Hemisphere
Image caption,
Faces you don’t often see: Alicia Alonso, the Grande Dame of Cuban ballet – the Gran Teatro is named after; and Miguel Diaz Canel on the far right, possible successor of Raul Castro
Image caption,
Standing ovation as President Obama strides onto the stage
Image caption,
Obama sums up his message to the Cuban people and government: the ideals of any revolution – American or Cuban – find their truest expression in democracy
Image caption,
A Cuban American wipes away tears as President Obama speaks about the pain of exile and the need for reconciliation
Image caption,
Raul Castro getting his own applause. The Cuban President clapped when Mr Obama mentioned the December 2014 rapprochement, not when he said its full benefits couldn’t be realized without change in Cuba too
Baseball game holds greater significance for Cubanspublished at 19:05 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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Obama meets Cuban dissidentspublished at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Berta Soler, leader of Ladies in White, was among the activists who met the US president
Before the baseball game, President Obama met privately with about a dozen Cuban dissidents at the US Embassy. He noted that some of them had been detained, and praised their "extraordinary courage". Among the participants was Berta Soler, leader of Ladies in White, a protest group.
Read more: Who are Ladies in White?
They look like they're enjoying itpublished at 18:44 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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Cubans 'miss work to catch a bit of history'published at 18:21 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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Prediction? 'Cuba to win, 5-0, of course!'published at 18:12 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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Minute's silence for victims of Brussels attackspublished at 18:02 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro stand with the crowd to pay tribute.
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Presidents take their seatspublished at 17:56 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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US congressman: 'Cubans yearn for freedom'published at 17:53 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Suzanne Kianpour
BBC News, Havana
Image source, AP
Congressman Seth Moulton is in Cuba for the first time as part of a group of 30 plus US lawmakers made up of Democrats and - albeit less so - Republicans. It's a bit like a class trip - a mix of both work and play.
"The point is to get to know the Cuban people and to get to know the culture because that's what Americans are going to be doing when they come here," he told me earlier.
In between official White House visit business, like a state dinner, and congressional meetings they've managed to squeeze in some fun - shopping in Old Havana, lunch in downtown, even a rock concert.
"This is a fantastic country and you see it in the Cuban people, " he says.
"We're seeing in the Cuban faces a yearning for freedom and democracy. There's hope this visit will bring that to them."
But there's still a fight to be had when the lawmakers return to Capitol Hill - lifting the embargo is something the Democratic congressman feels strongly about.
"The embargo hasn't worked - we've been trying a policy for 50 years that hasn't brought a change to the people. So it's time to try something different."
Atmosphere building at baseball stadiumpublished at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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Cubans react to Obama speech - 'Astonishment'published at 16:42 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
The BBC's Tom Geoghegan watched the address in a Havana cafe and has been tweeting some of the reactions from the people there.
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Obama: Time for US and Cuba to 'leave the past behind'published at 16:39 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Here's a recap on President Obama's speech earlier in Havana. Drawing his address to a close, he said it was time for the US and Cuba to "leave the past behind".
He said that while changing relations between the US and Cuba would not be easy, his trip to Havana "renews my hope...we can make this journey as friends, as neighbours".
Media caption,
Obama: Time for US and Cuba to 'leave the past behind'
Cuban reacts to Obama speech - 'We want peace'published at 16:21 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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The view from the standspublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Fans are gathering at Estadio Latinoamericano baseball stadium for the upcoming Tampa Bay Rays exhibition game against the Cuban national team.
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'Vintage Obama' in Cuba speechpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Tara McKelvey
BBC News, Havana
Image source, Reuters
The speech in the theatre was vintage Obama - it had a narrative, starting with the earlier, dark years of US-Cuban relations that date back to the 1950s.
It also had personal elements - he said he was born in the year of the Bay of Pigs, and that afterwards the world nearly came to an end.
Finally it had evocative language - "I know the history, but refuse to be trapped by it" - and a few jokes. And it built up to his larger point, which was his message for the Cuban people - choose democracy. It isn't perfect but it's the best system there is.
He was a powerful speaker in the theatre, and he gave a speech that was eloquent and moving.
'Unique moment in time'published at 15:06 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
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People stand and cheerpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
Tara McKelvey
BBC News, Havana
People in the audience stand up and cheer - both for Obama after he finished speaking and for Castro who stands up in the balcony and waves.
Image source, EPA
Obama: Time to look to the futurepublished at 14:56 Greenwich Mean Time 22 March 2016
"It's time for us to leave the past behind and look forward to the future together," says Mr Obama, wrapping up his remarks in Cuba. "My time here renews my hope and confidence in what the Cuban people will do."