On Cuba, Obama and Castro Trade Signals About Talks
In a surprising and quick response to President Obama's policy moves, Cuban President Raúl Castro is offering to talk directly with the U.S. government about an array of sensitive subjects, including human rights, freedom of the press, and political prisoners.
Castro responded just hours after Obama, on a visit to Mexico City, said that it was up to Havana to take the next step after Washington's move to end restrictions on Cuban-Americans traveling to and sending money to relatives on the island. The Cuban leader, professing an open mind on talks as long as Cuba is treated as an equal with the right to self determination, said that "we have sent word to the U.S. government, in private and in public, that we are willing to discuss everything."
Raúl Castro, the brother of ailing former President Fidel Castro, has said in the past that he would be willing to meet with Obama for talks in a neutral place and would respond to U.S. actions to improve relations "gesture for gesture."
His rapid response to Obama, coming just before the start of a 34-nation Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, may be aimed at keeping up the pressure from other Latin American nations on Washington to ease its hard-line Cuban policy, which still includes an economic embargo and a ban on general travel.
Castro's move likely also reflects his smooth assumption of power, which was formalized in February 2008. He has been putting his own stamp on the Cuban power structure, including firing prominent cabinet members and ordering modest economic reforms.
Obama is personally popular with Cubans, who have high hopes that some improvement can be made in a tense, Cold War-style relationship that has endured for a half a century. Castro, who has seemed more attentive to popular sentiments and discontents than was his brother, may feel an incentive to show that he is willing to be responsive to Obama, at least in principle.
Obama this week called on Cuba to respond with steps "grounded in respect for human rights," a reference to Havana's jailing of political prisoners and lack of political freedoms. But U.S. officials have also said that a broader policy review on Cuba continues, opening the possibility of further steps to generate direct talks with the Communist government.
Reader Comments
Add to my comment on Cuba and JfK
As we all know, there are "conspiracy theories" about who killed JFK. How could such a thing happen? It turned out the secret service didn't perform as usual. The top was left down on the car even after ads were in Dallas papers, almost death threats. I make this comment to see if someone, unknowingly, might have a photo of "a man on or near the curb to the right and ahead of JFK, with "a gun built into his hand." A man told me that when I manned a Democrat registration booth. He said the man's sleeve could hide the gun. If he pointed his hand, as if waving, he could fire the gun & not be discovered. The fatal shot hit the right side of his head near the front.. If anyone can add to my comment, I'll be watching. That "man with the gun" would probably be dead now, so it's really an academic question. Oswald was killed so fast after JFK died, he had no chance to tell what he knew. A coup happened, and LBJ was fooled by faked cables to start the Nam War. It made us support corrupt Catholic Pres. Diem, protege of Cardinal Spellman. Diem profited from heroin. See "The Politics of Heroin in SE Asia," McCoy, and The Pentagon Papers.
Catholic Batista gave Cuba to Mafia and Vatican
When Batista was dictator of Cuba, the Mafia owned the casinos, brothels, hotels and other tourist attractions. In Latin America, United Fruit (begun by Jesuits) sweated labor in Banana Republics. Mafiosi were often Catholic, forgiven by their confessors, and tithing dirty money to the pope. Other faiths had members belonging to organized crime. Castro and his brother led the Revolution but it won because exploited Cubans were for them, 100%. After Allen Dulles & his CIA fooled JFK to attack Cuba in the illegal Bay of Pigs invasion, JFK fired Duiles. After JfK was killed (by organized crime and the chuch, I say) Allen Dulles was a member of the Warren Commission. Imagine such a thing!! That Commission said Oswald killed JFK but he was the Fall Guy. Ruby, who had ties to the CIA as did Oswald, killed Oswald do he could not talk. Ruby begged to be taken from jail..he said he wasn't safe there because he knew too much. He died "of cancer," that could have been induced by exposure to radiation in jail hospital. After the US wrongly put the embargo on Cuba, we've paid too much for sugar & products we used to buy there. We need a big change. People have the right not to be religiocapitalists.
Obama is engaged
Yes indeed, the Castro boys need a new line of credit, having defaulted on their loans with European banks and the Obama looks like the perfect mark.Viva Obama
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