Feature: Cubans hope for respect in detente after decades of enmity

For engineer Arturo Gonzalez, 62, U.S. President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba was one of the most important events in his life.

He said his country has suffered harsh "American onslaughts," but he believed time has come to wipe the slate clean and move forward toward a new era of respect and understanding.

"I never thought I would see a U.S. president on Cuban territory. Those of my generation have had to overcome numerous twists of fate," Gonzalez told Xinhua.

"However, nothing compares with our resistance and conviction that tomorrow can be better. Now, we must see if Washington will truly privilege understanding over its imperialist interests," he said.

Cubans were aware of the momentous occasion on Sunday when Air Force One touched down at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, with Obama and his family on board.

Seeking to leave a foreign policy mark in his final year in office, Obama is now on a three-day visit to the Caribbean country amid Washington's trade embargo against Havana and enduring disagreements on many issues.

Washington and Havana agreed in 2014 to move to reopen ties, ending decades of animosity following Cuba's 1959 revolution.

For young Cubans, the first visit by a sitting U.S. president in 88 years does not mean the past should be forgotten but that new steps should be taken in a changing society.

"Young people want our country to move forward while preserving its social and political achievements, which have brought Cuba to where it is today," said Maria de Jesus Francisco, an 18-year-old student.

"For example, we all enjoy free education and healthcare, we have guaranteed jobs after graduating from university. These would be privileges in any part of the world," she said.

However, Cuba's younger population is hopeful that Obama's visit will speed up the arrival of many of their demands, including better access to Internet, a broader range of job opportunities, salary increases, and access to a wider selection of goods.

"We would like to have better connectivity everywhere, for concerts by famous bands like the Rolling Stones to be more frequent, for the economy to flourish while respecting the needs of all, and for all this to happen without impairing our existing benefits," Francisco said.

Nodelia Martinez, a lawyer, has been following the likely impact of strengthened exchanges between Cuba and the United States.

"Relations between our people have always existed and we hope that they broaden, politically and economically," she told Xinhua.

"However, we are cautious about how the U.S. has and continues to interfere in the internal affairs of Latin American countries. It continues to try and maintain its hegemony, which is worrying," she said.

Martinez also took note of challenges awaiting Cuba as American authorities have revealed in their desire to "empower" the Cuban people.

Local analysts told Xinhua that they believed Washington will seek to project its own interests in Cuba, by supporting the private sector, increasing access to the Internet and helping build up the middle class.

For his second day in Havana on Monday, Obama met with Cuban leader Raul Castro and will hold a business forum between American companies and Cuban public and private entrepreneurs.

Speaking to the press after their meeting, Castro said U.S. embargo and presence in Guantanamo Bay base remained obstacles to normalizing bilateral relations.

The two countries have "profound differences" that will never disappear, Castro said, urging the United States to put into practice "the art of civilized coexistence."

Obama's Cuba visit is part of a Latin American tour that will also take him to Argentina. Endit