Obama visits shrine in Miami to honor Cuban Americans

Amid a thaw of relations between Washington and Havana, U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday visited a shrine in Miami in the southern state of Florida to honor Cuban Americans.

Obama toured the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami and talked with Father Rumin Dominguez, who is the pastor of the National Shrine and himself of Cuban origin.

Obama visited the church to pay his respects to the Cuban- American diaspora that worship there, Bernadette Meehan, spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council, told reporters.

The president made the visit to honor the "sacrifices that Cuban-Americans have made in their pursuit of liberty and opportunity, as well as their extraordinary contributions to our country," Meehan added.

The shrine visit came just a day before a 45-day review period expires for Congress to challenge Obama's decision to remove Havana from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that imposed sanctions on some companies doing business with Cuba.

Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro announced in December a thaw in relations following more than five decades of enmity. Last month, Obama said he would take Cuba off the list, making a concrete step toward re-establishing diplomatic ties. Enditem