The United States may still be attempting to remove the Cuban Communist Party from power, in spite of a public promise from President Barack Obama disowning “regime change”, warned an island nation foreign ministry official on Thursday. Since taking over as president for his ailing brother in 2008, Raul Castro, the longtime defense minister, has proven less bellicose toward America than his brother, now 88 and retired.
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In April, Obama told reporters at the Summit of the Americas in Panama that regarding Cuba, “We are not in the business of regime change”.
Following Steinmeier’s meeting on Thursday with President Raul Castro (photo), there are to be further discussions later in the year on a cultural agreement and conditions under which Germany could establish a trade office on the island.
The 2016 U.S. State Department budget request includes $20 million for such programs to aid victims of political repression, support civil society and promote free speech.
“We hope that (Obama) continues to use his executive authority to dismantle this policy”, Castro said.
Steinmeier is set to meet his counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, other ministers and the head of the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Machin reiterated.
There was no immediate confirmation from the State Department of Kerry’s schedule for Monday, but spokesman John Kirby said it was expected the top U.S. diplomat for Latin American, Roberta Jacobson, would attend the embassy ceremony in Washington.
The State Department meeting coincides with Havana’s opening of its embassy in Washington – a significant milestone in the re-establishment of full diplomatic ties between the Cold War rivals.
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“As we have said, it is about founding a new kind of tie between both states, that is different from all our shared history”.
