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Awkward Gesture Ends Obama News Conference in Cuba

President Obama's hand dangled like a dead fish as Cuban President Raul Castro grabbed his wrist.
Image: CUBA-US-OBAMA-CASTRO
Cuban President Raul Castro raises President Barack Obama's hand during a meeting at the Revolution Palace in Havana on March 21.NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP - Getty Images
By Matthew Nighswander

Diplomacy can be an awkward business. Stiff handshakes and forced smiles are all par for the course but President Obama and Cuba's President Raul Castro upped the ante at the end of their joint news conference Monday, with an awkward gesture that has already become a Twitter sensation.

After refusing to answer a question about political prisoners, Castro abruptly ended the news conference. The two leaders shook hands and then Castro took Obama's arm by the wrist, lifting it into the air. Perhaps Obama didn't want to appear too enthusiastic while posing with the controversial communist leader, but for whatever reason, he let his let his hand dangle loosely, like a dead fish, creating the uncomfortable moment captured in the above photo.

Related: Che Guevara Mural Looms Large Behind Obama During Cuba Visit

Related: Tense Cuban Leader Raul Castro on Political Prisoners: Give Me Their Names!

Matthew Nighswander

Matt Nighswander joined NBCNews.com as a multimedia producer in July 2012. Nighswander is part of the team responsible for selecting photos for the site and creating original content based on photography. Among his individual responsibilities is the Month in Space slideshow. Nighswander reports to James Collins, director of photography.

Nighswander joined NBCNews.com from MSN.com, where he was a lead homepage photo editor. 

Prior to his work at MSN, he was an international photo editor at The Associated Press and received an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago.