The approximately 50 Cubans living in Iceland celebrated yesterday when U.S. and Cuban leaders announced that formal diplomatic relations between the two countries would be resumed after 50 years of hostility.
Tamila Garzell, a student at the University of Iceland, was born in Cuba but has lived in Iceland for 12 years with her son and Icelandic husband. Her family lives in Cuba and she told ruv.is that they were ecstatic at the news yesterday.
“They didn’t want to believe what was happening but all of a sudden they say Raúl [Castro] speak on television and announce: ‘yes, this is happening,’ and people just ran out onto the streets and hugged each other, family, friends, coworkers, neighbors. There was a party in Cuba yesterday,” Tamila said in description of the event.
“I grew up with the thought and hope that this was about to change. That I had to be patient and wait—changes were coming—and finally, we made it,” she exclaimed.
