The arrival yesterday of former US president Mr Jimmy Carter has been greeted in Cuba and elsewhere as a political landmark. He is the first US president, serving or retired, to visit that country since President Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. The highest-ranking previous political visitor from the United States was the Republican governor of Illinois, Mr George Ryan, who has been encouraging business ties between the two countries.
Mr Carter's visit is of a much more political hue and in the course of his five days in the country having discussed human rights issues with Mr Castro he will make an historic television broadcast to the Cuban people.
Significantly he will also visit the Cuban Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Centre shortly after the US administration included Cuba in its list of countries forming the "axis of evil" and accused Havana of providing equipment to "rogue nations" which could be used to create biological weapons. Cuba has strenuously denied the charges.
The timing of the trip coincides with moves by Cuban dissidents to demand greater human rights. The initiative, known as a Varela Project after a 19th century priest who formulated much of Cuba's early political thought, has, it has been reported, gathered 11,000 signatures and called on the National Assembly to hold a referendum on rights issues.
It calls for freedom of expression and association, an amnesty for non-violent political prisoners, the right to run businesses and the institution of a revised and more transparent electoral law. Should the referendum approve these changes, the dissidents want free elections to be held within a period of nine to 12 months.
Due to the limited freedom of expression that exists in the country and the strong government involvement in the major local media, few Cubans are aware of the Varela Project. It is not yet clear whether Mr Carter will refer to the initiative when he makes his historic address to the Cuban people on Thursday, though this undoubtedly gives it an unprecedented boost.
With the current administration openly hostile to Cuba and its government, attempts to achieve improve relations will be difficult. An improvement in the human rights situation would, however, be a major advance.