Cuba to US: Guantanamo Must Be Returned

Local Editor

In the process of the thaw in relations between the US and Cuba, Raul Castro the Cuban leader called on the US to end the economic embargo against the country and demanded that Guantanamo Bay be returned to Cuba.

Castro reaffirmed Cuba's willingness to normalize relations with the US, but stressed that the embargo must first be lifted. He also noted that the US must return Guantanamo to Cuba before full rapprochement. Guantanamo Bay has been under US control for over a century.

At a Latin American summit in Costa Rica on Wednesday, he said "The main problem has not been resolved: the economic, commercial and financial blockade, which causes huge human and economic damage and is a violation of international rights".

In an attempt to exclude Washington from interfering in Cuba's internal affairs, Castro suggested that Obama extend measures similar to those the US announced for the telecom industry to the rest of Cuba's economy, but added that he knew that ending the longest embargo in modern history, would be a "long and hard road."

Castro and Obama announced that Havana and Washington would begin to rebuild long-severed diplomatic ties by reopening embassies in each other's countries.

However, the Cuban president expects more than facilitating both travel and trade restrictions on Cuba from his US counterpart.

Castro commented on the issue, "He could use with resolve his broad executive powers to substantially change the scope of the blockade, even without the Congress decision".

Then again, Obama faced opposition from Republican lawmakers who were against normalizing ties with Cuba before the country agreed to political change.
Speaker of the House John Boehner said, "Relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalized, until the Cuban people enjoy freedom - and not one second sooner".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team