Cuban parliament president dismisses Obama
KINGSTON, Ontario -- Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon
dismissed President Barack Obama's recent overtures to Cuba and said
Saturday for the first time that the new U.S. administration's stance is
"the continuation of an illegal, unjustifiable and failed policy."
Obama has suggested it may be time for a new beginning with Cuba, and
the White House authorized unlimited travel and money transfers for
Americans with relatives in Cuba. But his administration has said it
would like Cuba to respond by making small political and social changes
to its single-party communist system.
"In other words Cuba must change and behave in accordance with
Washington's wishes," Alarcon said at the close of a Cuban academic
conference in Canada.
"That attitude is not only the continuation of an illegal, unjustifiable
and failed policy, it is also the consequence of a profound
misconception, a false perception of itself that lies as the foundation
of the U.S. role in the world."
The U.S. has long sought what it considers real change from Cuba in
human rights, free speech, free markets and democratic government.
Last month, President Raul Castro said Cuba was willing to discuss
"everything" with the U.S., leading to hopes that a door was opening to
a new relationship.
But former President Fidel Castro insists that Cuba should make no
concessions in return for better U.S. ties.
The Obama administration has said it has no plans to lift the embargo
which bans nearly all trade with Cuba.
The island's government blames those sanctions for frequent shortages of
food, medicine, farming and transportation machinery and other basics.
Alarcon said Obama's gestures were dictated by growing domestic demand
and don't amount to much.
"Essentially he lifted newer restrictions that George W. Bush had
imposed on Cuban- American travelers," Alarcon said.
Alarcon said Obama should exercise his authority and immediately free
five convicted Cuban spies. The so-called Cuban Five are communist
agents who were convicted of espionage in Miami in 2001. The ringleader
was implicated in the death of four exiles killed when Cuban military
fighters shot their planes down off the island's coast in 1996.
Cuban parliament president dismisses Obama - The China Post (11 May 2009)
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2009/05/11/207621/Cuban%2Dparliament.htm
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