Castro Dreams Aloud of the End of the American Blockade

Cuba. The aged leader responded via internet to Obama’s gesture.

“Cuba resisted and will continue to do so. We will never hold out our hands begging for handouts.” Several hours after Monday’s announcement by the White House of the total lifting of travel restrictions and money transfers by Americans of Cuban origin to their homeland, Fidel Castro responded to Washington’s overture.

”Reflections.” The old Lider Maximo, who in February 2008 passed the torch to his brother Raul due to health reasons, shared his “reflections” on the website Cubadebate. “Of the blockade, which is the cruelest of measures, not a word was uttered,” he underscored. For him, the lifting of the American embargo imposed on Cuba since 1962 remains the only real expected initiative.

Fidel Castro, who always expresses the official position despite his “retreat” from local political life, nonetheless used very moderate language when speaking of American President Barack Obama. Cuba “does not blame Obama for the atrocities committed by other United States governments” and does not doubt “the sincerity of his desire to change the policy and image” of his country, he noted. Castro “understands that he waged a very difficult battle to be elected, despite centuries-old prejudices (racist).” This is why his brother, Raul, “expressed the desire for dialogue – on the basis of strict respect for sovereignty – to normalize relations with the United States.”

Negotiations. Starting Friday, a summit of the Americas will be held in Trinidad and Tobago and attended by Obama. For the first time since taking office in January, he will meet all his Latin American counterparts, minus the Cuban heads of state.

The lifting of the embargo, though not on the official discussion agenda, will be central to the water cooler negotiations. The majority of Latin leaders – on a continent that has turned mostly to the left – consider the maintenance of these sanctions obsolete.