Obama, the first United States president to visit Cuba in 88 years, hailed a “new day” – a “nuevo dia”, as he said – in relations between the former Cold War foes.
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The leaders had a “frank” and “candid” discussion behind closed doors, then made a brief appearance on state-run TV where a clearly uncomfortable Castro answered questions from the media – a rarity for the Communist leader.
Cuba is criticised for briefly detaining demonstrators thousands of times a year but has drastically reduced its practice of handing down long prison sentences for crimes human rights groups consider to be political.
Strongly defending his country against accusations of human rights violations, Cuban President Raul Castro yesterday pointed out that not one single country is fully compliant with all 61 worldwide instruments regarding human rights.
“We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal”, Castro said.
Obama also insisted he had not stopped tackling Castro over human rights.
Mr Obama emphasised that he had brought his family with him, as well as the largest-ever delegation of cross-party politicians and businessmen and women, in a sign of how important the visit was. Give me a list of the political prisoners and I will release them directly. Castro said. “Give me a name, or the names, and if there are these political prisoners they will be free before nightfall”. “What political prisoners?” said Castro.
Obama responded that “it’s fair to say the US and Cubans are now engaged in more areas than at any time in my lifetime”.
“(They can see) what happens when the government controls not just the commanding heights of the economy, but the entire economy”, he said.
He spoke to Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel before the speech and offered the condolences of the American people, the White House said. More than three-dozen USA lawmakers along for the trip planned to join them for the game between the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball’s American League and Cuba’s cherished national team.
After abruptly ending the news conference, Raul Castro raised the U.S. president’s arm in an awkward gesture. Their work together “benefits not only Cuba and the United States, but the entire hemisphere”, Castro said.
Praising the Cuban people’s ingenuity, Obama urged listeners in the Communist nation to be open to opposing points of view.
“Havana is only 90 miles (145 miles) from Florida, but to get here we had to travel a great distance”, Obama said.
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He sought to lay out a hopeful vision of future U.S.-Cuban relations.
