Answering a question on why his regime was keeping Cubans incarcerated for expressing anti-government views, Castro went on the defence saying, “Did you ask if we had political prisoners?”.
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“We continue to have serious differences, including on democracy and human rights”.
But referring to the commercial opening, President Castro said today it’s not enough, and he pointed again to the decades-old USA trade embargo on Cuba, which Congress has refused to abolish.
The White House has all ruled out all but ruled out a meeting between Barack Obama and veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the United States president’s trip to Cuba. Ahead of the president’s visit, he said much of the capital city has been repaved and repainted.
“There is a program here to be fulfilled”, said Castro.
“Give me a list of the political prisoners, and I will release them immediately”.
Marion Smith, the foundation’s chief, told TIME that Castro’s statements on political prisoners were “laughable”, adding that there may be a “couple hundred” political prisoners, even if his organization has only named 51.
It’s yet another sign of improving relations between the two countries. He insisted that Washington was not going to give up pressing for political freedoms in Cuba, where the Communist Party controls politics, the media and the economy.
“Every street corner in Cuba you’ll see the revolution lives, they don’t think the revolution ever stopped”, he said. “But by and large most Cubans aren’t dissidents, and they’re simply celebrating the fact that President Obama and President Castro appear to have been able to turn a page on some of the worst moments of their shared history”.
The most lasting outcome of America’s tough stance on Cuba, however, has been our ability to keep the island and its residents poor and isolated.
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He said that human rights remained an impediment to the strengthening of ties. The U.S. leader traveled with his family and was taking in the sights in Old Havana and attending a baseball game between the beloved Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays. But he has faith in the process underway, that when Cubans meet Americans they will learn from each other and that change will follow.
