SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
In order to achieve fully normalized relations, the United States must return the base at Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, the island nation's President Raul Castro said Wednesday.
The remarks follow a historic restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries that began in December.
Speaking at the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Costa Rica, Castro also called for an end to the embargo and for Cuba to be taken off the list of state sponsors of terror.
"The re-establishment of diplomatic relations is the beginning of a process toward the normalization of bilateral relations, but this will not be possible while the blockade remains in effect; the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base is not returned; the radio and television broadcasts breaching international rules and regulations do not cease; and adequate compensation is not paid to our people for the human and economic damages sustained," Castro said.
"If these issues are not resolved, a diplomatic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States would not make sense," he said.
"It was possible to advance in the recent negotiations because we treated each other with respect, and as equals," he said. "Future progress demands that this remains so."
He added that "the path to the removal of the blockade will be long and difficult and will require the support, mobilization and resolute action of every person of goodwill in the United States and the world."
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman wrote earlier this month that the 13th anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo "serves as a reminder that we need to permanently close the prison and return the land to its rightful owners, the Cuban people. It is time to put an end to this dark chapter of United States history."
Closing "the most notorious prison on the planet" would help "to right more than a century of wrongs that the U.S. government has perpetrated" in Cuba, Goodman wrote.
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
In order to achieve fully normalized relations, the United States must return the base at Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, the island nation's President Raul Castro said Wednesday.
The remarks follow a historic restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries that began in December.
Speaking at the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Costa Rica, Castro also called for an end to the embargo and for Cuba to be taken off the list of state sponsors of terror.
"The re-establishment of diplomatic relations is the beginning of a process toward the normalization of bilateral relations, but this will not be possible while the blockade remains in effect; the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base is not returned; the radio and television broadcasts breaching international rules and regulations do not cease; and adequate compensation is not paid to our people for the human and economic damages sustained," Castro said.
"If these issues are not resolved, a diplomatic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States would not make sense," he said.
"It was possible to advance in the recent negotiations because we treated each other with respect, and as equals," he said. "Future progress demands that this remains so."
He added that "the path to the removal of the blockade will be long and difficult and will require the support, mobilization and resolute action of every person of goodwill in the United States and the world."
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman wrote earlier this month that the 13th anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo "serves as a reminder that we need to permanently close the prison and return the land to its rightful owners, the Cuban people. It is time to put an end to this dark chapter of United States history."
Closing "the most notorious prison on the planet" would help "to right more than a century of wrongs that the U.S. government has perpetrated" in Cuba, Goodman wrote.
In order to achieve fully normalized relations, the United States must return the base at Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, the island nation's President Raul Castro said Wednesday.
The remarks follow a historic restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries that began in December.
Speaking at the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Costa Rica, Castro also called for an end to the embargo and for Cuba to be taken off the list of state sponsors of terror.
"The re-establishment of diplomatic relations is the beginning of a process toward the normalization of bilateral relations, but this will not be possible while the blockade remains in effect; the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base is not returned; the radio and television broadcasts breaching international rules and regulations do not cease; and adequate compensation is not paid to our people for the human and economic damages sustained," Castro said.
"If these issues are not resolved, a diplomatic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States would not make sense," he said.
"It was possible to advance in the recent negotiations because we treated each other with respect, and as equals," he said. "Future progress demands that this remains so."
He added that "the path to the removal of the blockade will be long and difficult and will require the support, mobilization and resolute action of every person of goodwill in the United States and the world."
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman wrote earlier this month that the 13th anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo "serves as a reminder that we need to permanently close the prison and return the land to its rightful owners, the Cuban people. It is time to put an end to this dark chapter of United States history."
Closing "the most notorious prison on the planet" would help "to right more than a century of wrongs that the U.S. government has perpetrated" in Cuba, Goodman wrote.