Castro's About-Face On U.S. Relations Generates Local, Natl. Talk
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A local Cuban political prisoners gathered along with other exile organizations just one day after Cuba's leader Raul Castro had some major demands for the U.S.
The organization invited the community to gather, for what they called a "patriotic event in pursuit of Cuban freedom" at the Bay of Pigs Monument on 8th Street SW and 13th Avenue.
The planned gathering comes a day after Raul Castro demanded that the United States return the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, lift the half-century trade embargo on Cuba and compensate his country for damages before the two nations re-establish normal relations.
READ:Raul Castro: US Must Return Guantanamo For Normal Relations
Castro went on to say at a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, "if these problems aren't resolved, this diplomatic rapprochement wouldn't make any sense."
At the anti-Castro event in Little Havana, activists said Castro's about-face on normalizing relations proves you can't make a binding deal with the devil.
"A communist dictatorship. You never win with a communist dictatorship!" declared John Mandes of the human rights organization Mambisa.
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Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told CBS4's Gary Nelson the attempt at normalizing relations with Cuba is playing out just as she predicted.
"It is amazing that Raul Castro continues to set the standard for this diplomatic relations deal," Ros-Lehtinen said. She said giving up the Guantanamo Naval Base would threaten U.S. national security.
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Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Dec. 17 that they would move toward renewing full diplomatic relations by reopening embassies in each other's countries. The two governments held negotiations in Havana last week to discuss both the reopening of embassies and the broader agenda of re-establishing normal relations.
READ: U.S. Announces New Cuba Trade, Travel Rules
Cuba has said it welcomes the measures but has no intention of changing its system.
"Since the very beginning, since the next day after President Obama's announcement, Raul Castro said, 'We are not moving an inch on our policies, on our form of government.' They're not going to give in," said Ileana Fuentes, a human rights activist and cultural consultant for the Cuban Museum.
Despite Castro's demands, Fuentes believes U.S. diplomats will come up with an agreement that works for the United States, but she admits it may take a very long time before anything really changes.
READ: U.S. Cubans Split Over Change In U.S. Policy
The Obama administration says removing barriers to U.S. travel, remittances and exports to Cuba is a tactical change that supports the United States' unaltered goal of reforming Cuba's single-party political system and centrally planned economy.
Even as Raul Castro issued tough new demands for normalizing relations, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators filed a bill in Washington that would remove all restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans.
"It's about time we showed some reality," said Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont. "It's time."
Joining Leahy at the podium was Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona.
"We've tried this current policy of prohibiting travel for about 50 years, and it hasn't worked," Flake said.
The bill's sponsors say free travel will expose Cubans to democracy and act as a prelude to lifting the trade embargo, opening up a new market for American products.
Ros-Lehtinen blasted the proposed bill and promised to battle it.
"The travel industry in Cuba is controlled by the military," she said. "When you feed that monster, that's cash that the military will use to oppress the people."
Sylvia Iriondo of the group Mothers and Women Against Repression said sponsors of the open travel bill are naïve in believing it will bring change in Cuba.
"Unilateral concessions don't work," she said. "There will be no real change in Cuba until there is a regime change and the Castros are out of power."
Coral Gable Mayor Jim Cason, who once ran the U.S. Interest Section in Havana said he was not surprised by Castro's list of demands.
"Normalization is probably not going to occur," Cason said, adding that he doesn't believe the regime ever intended to install real diplomatic normalcy.
As for increasing trade and allowing more travel, Cason said the proof will be in the pudding.
"The president and those who support this change in policy will have to show that it is empowering the Cuban people," Cason said, and that it is "trickling down to the citizens and that we will see improvements in human rights."
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