U.S. seeks ‘new beginning’ with Cuba

April 23, 2009 by Jennifer Brandt  
Filed under Immigration, Violence Reduction

Trading their warmest words in a half-century, the United States and Cuba built momentum toward renewed ties, with President Barack Obama declaring he “seeks a new beginning” — including direct talks — with the island’s communist regime.

The flurry of back-and-forth gestures began earlier this week when Obama dropped restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, challenging his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, to reciprocate. Obama noted those moves and renewed his promise for his administration to engage with the Cuban government “on a wide range of issues,” including human rights, free speech, democratic reform, drugs, immigration and the economy.

In a diplomatic exchange of the kind that normally takes months or years, Castro had responded within hours to Obama’s policy changes this week. He extended Cuba’s most open offer for talks since the Eisenhower administration, saying he’s ready to discuss “human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners — everything.” Cuban officials have historically bristled at discussing human rights or political prisoners, of whom they hold about 200.

The United States replied Friday, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offering: “We welcome his comments, the overture they represent, and we are taking a very serious look at how we intend to respond.”

As leaders of the Americas gathered for a summit in the Caribbean only Cuba was not represented.   The head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza said he would ask the 34 member nations to invite Cuba  back after 47 years.

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Source: Associated Press