White House officials have said the speech will be the highlight of the trip-an opportunity for the president to give Cubans a sense of his vision for the future.
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In a joint news conference Monday with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro in Havana, Obama said “full flowering” of the relationship would happen only with progress on the issue of rights, Reuters reported.
“And yes, I believe voters should be able to choose their governments in free and democratic elections”. President Barack Obama will meet with Cuban dissidents today and watch a baseball game with the communist country’s president after delivering a speech that will conclude his historic trip with a hopeful vision for future relations. During a question-and-answer session, Castro was asked about political prisoners, but he denied that any were being held, and asked the reporter who asked the question to provide him with a list.
Sanders referred to the Castro government as a “dictatorship”, but lauded Cuba’s healthcare system and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s efforts to eliminate illiteracy after the revolution ousted U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Referring to Mr. Castro’s criticisms of the U.S., Mr. Obama said he welcomes debate about America’s “flaws”.
According to Sanchez, there are 77 political dissidents in prison and another 11 under house arrest.
Change may be on the way, but Cubans fear how permanent the change will be.
“We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal”, Castro said.
The president said he made a decision to end a half-century of Cold War isolation because US policy toward Cuba was ineffective.
Monday’s news conference also included an exchange between Castro and CNN reporter Jim Acosta, a second-generation Cuban-American, who asked about political prisoners in Cuba.
It’s a sight many Cuban Americans never thought they would see.
Castro acknowledged there were still “profound” differences over human rights and the decades-old United States economic embargo.
Obama replied by saying that the embargo is definitely going to end sometime and their agreement to improve ties will continue beyond his administration.
The events on Monday show the United States and the global community the complete pageantry of his state visit.
“The simple truth is, deals with the devil require the devil to deal”, said New Jersey Sen.
President Barack Obama waves while standing in front of Cuba’s foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez (R) after he arrived at Havana’s worldwide airport March 20, 2016.
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On Tuesday, Obama is scheduled to give a speech directly to the people of Cuba.
