Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:56pm GMT
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The White House was characteristically
dismissive of the 50th anniversary of Cuba's revolution, saying
Wednesday the island was still suffering.
"The Castro brothers have not treated their people particularly well,"
White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said when asked to comment on
Thursday's anniversary.
The January 1, 1959 revolution overthrew a U.S.-backed dictator, brought
Fidel Castro to power and ushered in a deep chill in U.S. relations with
the island as Havana veered down a communist path at the height of the
Cold War.
"Many political dissidents are in jail. The economy is suffering and not
free," Johndroe told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where Bush is on
holiday. "The United States will continue to try to seek the freedom of
the people of Cuba and support them."
Cuba has blamed a 46-year-old U.S. trade embargo for much of the
country's economic woes, but critics led by Washington have pinned the
blame on Havana's one-party system.
Raul Castro, who became president in February after his older brother
Fidel Castro stepped aside because of illness, did undertake a handful
of reforms after taking office, such as allowing Cubans to buy
computers, cell phones and DVD players.
But the Bush administration has described the changes as insignificant
and insufficient.
Democratic President-elect Barack Obama, who takes over from the
Republican Bush on January 20, looks set to ease some of the sanctions
on Cuba and also indicated on the campaign trail that he might be open
to dialogue with the Cuban leadership.
(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Frances Kerry)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE4BU3W420081231
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