Cuba's President Castro Sends Positive Signals to the New Obama Administration
U.S. officials note the change in tone by Raul Castro and his ailing brother, Fidel
The Obama administration has taken note of remarks both by Cuban President Raul Castro and by his brother, former President Fidel Castro, expressing, in part, positive sentiments about Barack Obama and the significance of his presidency, according to a senior State Department official. Both Castros, using somewhat different language, have said they view Obama as intelligent and sincere in wanting to change U.S. foreign policy and see his presidency as historic.
The Castros' remarks have come since the U.S. election and have continued occasionally in interviews, comments to the media, and, in the case of Fidel Castro, his frequent articles in the Cuban press. "I think the statements are important. They've registered," said the State Department official.
U.S. policy toward Cuba, including the various restrictions that flow from a 47-year-old economic embargo, will be reviewed by Obama administration agencies. During the campaign, Obama said that he intended to remove restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba by Cuban-Americans and that he favored well-prepared "direct diplomacy" with the island's communist government.
Outside analysts are watching closely for moves from either Washington or Havana to lessen tensions and begin a dialogue on some of the disputes dividing them.
The State Department official's comments also offer a sense of how Cuba's modest economic reforms—in agriculture and consumer purchasing—are being perceived in official Washington. "The steps have been very small. They've been very controlled," said the official. "They're looking for ways to signal they're capable of economic change."
On the internal scene in Cuba, the official spoke of a "significant desire, and even pressure, on them [Cuban officials] for social and economic reform." The official added, "The Cuban government has to respond in some fashion."
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Reader Comments
America - Thrid World or Still Free & # 1 ????
If we keep going in the direction we are now going we proably will; be broke and not be able to get out from under it. It happened to Russia and we look to be headed the same way. Health Care and Social Security are very important, bailing out those who made BAD buys and now can not pay their own way,when they AND the lenders knew full well they could NOT afford what they were getting, is NOT (in my opinon )the way to go. I feel we will go though a super infaltion whichI am not sure we will be able to get out of without falling on VERY hard times.
I see the new president has already started to take apart our Defence Department (Little Known, but there) and if he and congress continue we will be a Thrid World Country and with the number of countries in the world that DO NOT LIKE US WE ARE IN BIG trouble
American-Cuban Friendship?
History shows Fidel Castro's communist revolution ejected the petty bousequoise, organized crime syndicates and Cuban elites/wealthy and installed a backward system of communism that has kept its people impoverished and under tight control. Can we just forgive and forget? Does the U.S. really need Cuba for anything besides great cigars (so we hear)? Would opening the borders and dialogue do much to change Cuba - and should we care? Why do we fear communism when everywhere its been tried, it sucks (China changed to a socialist/capitalist hybrid that is an abbrogation from Marxism). I don't see that we have much to lose or gain from official engagement, however we must keep a vigilate eye on potential importation of terrorists who could use Cuba as a new insertion point if we become too relaxed.
Re Cuba and U.S. Diplomacy
The current leaders of Cuba are still the same as the leaders of the cuban missal adventure,Fidel Castro is still alive and he has done much to sabotage the democratic spirit in latin america and is still doing it.....it was he who authorized the russians to build a missal site against the united States in the sixtys and he still has not paid the price for his aggressiveness....it looks as though cooperation and good will with Cuba may depend on the relative health of Fidel Castro....cordially.....
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