. >> at that submit f joining us live lucia, we have the cuban president apologizing to the current u.sent. quite extraordinary. >> this is really it is a historic. we have been saying that now for days but who would have againsted of all people roul sounds like almost the new best friend of the barack obama. he said he thought president obama was a very very good person, that he was the only president among the last seven or eight in the -- presidents in the united states who was not guilty of having committed great injustices against the cuban people. het president obama did have to sit through a barack of criticisms from others in the hemmis fear until now t including the president of bolivita. >> we know the two men are due to have this historic meeting later. i am flot sure of the exact timing but the improvement, of relations very important to both men. isn't it? >> i'm sorry. there is a lot of noise here could you please repeat the very last part of your question? >> yes, of course lucia. i was saying the improving of relations between the u.s. and cuba is veryimportant percentag

. >> lucia newman joins us live now from panama city.sident obama is insisting that there be dissident present at this meeting. so how will that play out? >> it's interesting that president obama, and president raul castro have already spoken this morning on the phone, maybe that was one of the subjects of conversation before they meet face-to-face in about eight more hours here in panama city. we know president obama will be attending a social forum before the summit gets underway and there will be cuban disdents and supporters at that forum. at least president obama can say he was in the presence of cuban civil society as he had promised he would do before coming here. >> let's shift to venezuela, this dispute with that is brewing between washington and venezuela, and it reminds us of some of the division that might be at this summit. what more can you tell us about that? >> latin america is divided right now. some people would call it the pink tide and then the less pink. center left-wing governments many who support cuba and venezuel

neighbours of the americas for the first time represents more than a photo opportunity >>> lucia joins us live from the summit in panama city. are we closer to cuba being removed from the listed states as sponsor of terror. >> we will not get under way until about midday on friday. in answer to your question steps are being taken, one to be announced at the summit itself and that is the administration's decision to lift or to take cuba out off the list of countries that allegedly promote terrorism. this was a demand made by the government in order to renew normal diplomatic relations with the united states something that president obama, as i said had been want toinging to announce at the summit. >> what about relations between the u.s. and venezuela in. >> while the united states is getting closer to cuba it's further away from venezuela. that is a sticking point at the summit. 24 latin american americans wrote a letter demanding respect to human rights and releasing prisoners, others at the sum out... >> okay. we have lost lucia newman there. we'll leave it there. sorry about the break up in

. >> lucia newman live in panama city city, thanks very much indeed. >>> joining us from washington, d.c. rachel deloria larie. thank you for being with us on the program. the has been a defendant historic summit and meeting between these two men. how quickly can do you think this relationship is likely to develop going forward? >> well i think that we can expect to see cuba removed from the u.s. state sponsored terrorism list possibly as soon as tonight. once that happens, i think that we will see the formal reestablishment of diplomatic relations go forward quite quickly actually. i think we will see the opening of embassies, the exchange of ambassadors so you know, we are normal normalizing but we are not normal normalized. >> there is a dangser, is there not, that congress could actually block these efforts to normal eyes relations anyway. how likely is that? >> i don't think that that's very likely. true that congress has the ability to block the various ways in which we are likely to see congress also be moving forward and normalizing relations. however, i think that we are goi