Raul Castro Urges U.S. to End Broadcasts Aimed at Cuba

In a short statement, the US State Department said that on Wednesday Washington and Havana had reached “a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries”. Based in Miami, Florida, the stations are funded by the United States government and are transmitted to Cuba with programming broadcast in Spanish, which Castro believes is an attack on the country’s sovereignty.

Last year, US President Barack Obama expressed desire to restore diplomatic ties that were broken after the Cuban revolution of 1959. These actions were preceded by the rectification of the unjust designation of Cuba as a State sponsor of terrorism.

The diplomat also recalled the increase, compared to previous years, of cooperation between the two governments in areas of mutual interest, such as air and aviation security, maritime and aeronautic search and rescue, the struggle against drug trafficking, against the smuggling of emigrants, migratory fraud and illegal emigration.

According to Castro, the issues include lifting or substantially scaling back the U.S.-led trade embargo against Cuba, withdrawing from the Guantanamo Bay, where the United States illegally maintains a naval base and notorious prison, ending programs aimed at “regime change” as well as changing prejudicial immigration policy towards Cuba. Other agreements addressed by the two nations are climate change, traffic in persons and human rights, mutual compensations, and the re-establishment of a direct postal service.

“Although President Obama has repeatedly stated his opposition to the economic, commercial and financial blockade and has urged the Congress to lift it, this policy remains in force”, said Castro.

She noted that the USA president has broad executive powers to change this situation and expand the scope of the measures.

It is expected that he will soon reach agreements with other countries to accept more freed prisoners and provide a plan to transfer some of the most unsafe suspects to a new prison in US territory.

Obama told Yahoo News in an interview released on Monday about the anniversary that he hopes to visit Cuba in 2016, but only if he is able to meet with political dissidents and if he can possibly “nudge the Cuban government in a new direction”.

“We will continue to work as we have done so far to make progress in the rapprochement with the United States government and in building a new relationship with that country”, she concluded.