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PANAMA CITY — It was an awkward moment that neatly encapsulated Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s problem with Cuba.

Just a few feet separated him from Cuban President Raul Castro at the traditional “family photo” of leaders attending the Summit of the Americas over the weekend. As chasms go, it might as well have been a kilometre wide.

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Harper and Castro were in their pre-assigned spots in the front row. They had just shaken hands very quickly as Castro walked towards his spot on the platform.

Then came the agonizingly silent wait. There was an empty spot between Harper and Castro — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was late in arriving.

Castro looked curiously into the space. So did Harper. Neither chose to exchange words.

Instead, Harper merely held his hands up by his side and shrugged them. Finally, Santos arrived and the space was filled.

As the United States and Cuba end a half-century of deep distrust, this is the state of relations between Canada and Cuba.