US rejects talks with Cuba

US rejects talks with Cuba
26/07/2007 20:47 - (SA)

Washington - The United States on Thursday quickly rejected the idea of
dialogue with Cuba's communist government, floated by its interim leader
Raul Castro.

"The only real dialogue he needs is with the Cuban people," State
Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said, after Raul Castro called
for talks to end more than a half century of enmity between the
neighbouring nations.

"If the new US administration once and for all can set aside its
overbearing nature and talk in a civilized fashion, that will be most
welcome," Raul Castro, 76, told thousands of Cubans at a rally in
Camaguey marking Cuba's national day, missed for the first time by his
convalescing brother Fidel Castro, 80.

McCormack shot back: "I think that if the Cuban people were able to
express the opinion on the question of whether or not they would like to
freely choose their leaders, the answer would probably be yes.

"Unfortunately, that is not the dialogue that is taking place in Cuba at
the moment.

"So we look forward to the day when the Cuban people do have the
opportunity to have that free and open dialogue. The dialogue needs to
happen in Cuba."

The United States and Cuba do not have full diplomatic relations. The
United States has had a trade embargo clamped on Havana for 45 years.