Fri Jan 5, 2:45 PM ET
HAVANA (AFP) - The United States urged Cuba's communist government to
embrace political and economic reforms, again nixing engagement with
interim leader Raul Castro.
"Our policy is very clear and our law is very clear. We would like to
see a release of political prisoners, we would like the Cuban people
receiving basic human liberties, the ability to open up a business, the
ability to work where they want, the ability to have free speech, the
liberty to have political parties," said US Commerce Secretary
Carlos Gutierrez, a Cuban-American.
"We'd like to see that before we change our policy and before we change
the embargo," Gutierrez told reporters after a speech at the US Chamber
of Commerce.
Raul Castro, now at the helm of the Americas' only one-party communist
state, last month called for dialogue with the United States.
But Washington, which never expected the communist regime to outlive
Fidel Castro's leadership, so far has shown no interest in dealing with
Raul.
Fidel Castro, 80, who underwent an operation on July 27, has yet to make
a public appearance since handing power temporarily to his brother Raul,
the 75-year-old defense chief, on July 31.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070105/pl_afp/uscubapoliticseconomy_070105194503
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