MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Raul Castro demands the return of Guantanamo and compensation for US trade embargo
Cuban President Raul Castro demanded on Wednesday 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 full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesThere's that 'demand' word.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 07:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0The US doesn't need anything from Cuba, but Cuba desperately needs help from the US, especially in trade.
Yet the beggar is 'demanding' that the rich man give him money. Bizarre!
I know that these Latin Americans like to talk 'big' to their buddies but they seem to forget that they're not in the pub and everything they say is reported on by the press.
Do they honestly believe that the US doesn't hear what they say?
Anyway Castro has unilaterally decided to close the door for moving forwards with the US, and Cuba, now that it can't rely on the revenue from Venezuela's oil, can disappear back into the mire.
But at least they got to bad mouth the US, eh! That help feed people won't it?
And what more will he ask for? For Cuba to be accepted as the 51st State of the Union? Idiot!
Jan 29th, 2015 - 07:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0Oh dear and just when it was going so well.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 10:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0According to the Cuban-American Treaty, the United States is entitled to lease Guantanamo Bay for as long as it considers necessary. The United States pays the rent every year. What is it with latinos? Why do they think the only laws they have to pay attention to are the ones that suit them?
Jan 29th, 2015 - 11:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0If Cuba was such a utopia, why would they need the USA markets? That's another story.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 11:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0They demanded the USA reimburse them for lost revenue from the embargo. Great......I say reimburse the USA businesses, with interest that were stolen. Also, let's not forget the USA not only fought for their independence from Spain, but also paid them off like 20 million in a treaty. Now Cuba, what say you reimburse that payment as well plus interest?
Take your fucking demands and stuck them up your geriatric, communist asses.
@2 No, they want to be like Puerto Rico. The're US citizens, use US Dollar but they don't pay Federal Taxes! How Great is that?
Jan 29th, 2015 - 11:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0Batista anti-Communist secret police to carry out wide-scale violence, torture and public executions; ultimately killing anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 people. For several years until 1959, the Batista government received financial, military, and logistical support from the United States.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 11:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0USA backed a dictator that directly lead to castro taking power organised terrorist attacks assassination plots and a blocade
I seem to recall reading the memoirs of Sr. Fidel Castro and his adventures in New York, USA, prior to the Granma yacht from Mexico spearheading the liberation of Cuba.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 12:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0He went to the Americans FIRST for aid and arms against the Batista regime. He was turned down, embarrassed, and became infuriated with the North Americans.
Next up to the dinner plate were the Russians and who saw an opportunity. If it hadn't been the Russians it would probably have been China under Mao.
Here at present is an OPPORTUNITY. Perhaps Raul Castro is afraid of losing his iron grip on Cuba, and has decided to withdraw from the opportunity process. If Castro puts up impossible demands, he will lose out, yet still try and maintain control. As mentioned above there is more for Cuba to gain in this rapprochement then there is for the United States.
Oil fueled handouts from Brasil and Venezuela will eventually dry up, and the specter of an island Zimbabwe will be just around the corner.
All those nice colourful, nostalgic 1954, and 1955 Chevrolets cannot last much longer in the heat and humidity without spare and replica parts from the US.
They just never stop do they...idiots.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 01:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@1 LEPrecon
Jan 29th, 2015 - 01:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“There's that 'demand' word.”
This seems to be the most impotent word used by Latinos as it never seems to result in them getting what they demand.
A great source of myth for all, so I hope they continue.
A latino ' demand' seems to have as much practical effect as pissing into a hurricane.
And I am sure you have noticed, the demand is nearly always voiced with their buddies, but not aimed directly at who the demand refers to, also making them highly amusing.
As soon as the begging bowls come out, the door should be firmly replaced to the state it was , Closed shut and bolted,
Jan 29th, 2015 - 01:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0something we should do with the argies...
They forgot to ask for Florida - they'll be needing that too.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0How about the United States sends all its aircraft carriers and sealift ships?Who wants to leave and be rehoused on suitable uninhabited island? What's left is a bomb and missile range.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 03:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@10 Pete Bog
Jan 29th, 2015 - 03:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“And I am sure you have noticed, the demand is nearly always voiced with their buddies, but not aimed directly at who the demand refers to, also making them highly amusing.”...
That's the usual Latino way of complaining. See it all the time while sitting at the pool in the Condo....people love to gossip and complain about how the Condo is being administered, but never appear at the quarterly Administration meetings to voice their opinions...they think it's easier to give someone else the bullet to fire.
You can't compensate for an embargo. It is simply a trade barrier there is nothing that says two nations must trade.
Jan 29th, 2015 - 05:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So typical bluster from someone who is realising how powerless he really is.
As for Guantanamo. The US don't realy need this base but it is a useful thorn in the side of the Cuban government. As with the Panama Canal and Hong Kong's New Territories, there will come a time when the US relinquishes this old and unequal treaty. However it won't be a gift to a communist governments. I predict it will be a gift when Cubans finally manage to wrest power away from the geriatrics living with a 1950s mindset and establish a democracy.
Sorry Fidel, but you'll did before you see any of those things you want.
I think they fear the population learning about what is in the real world, just like religion feared the “printed” word and people gaining knowledge. They are two geriatric shitheads who should have been red dotted decades ago. These “demands” are a way for Cuba to pull out. I don;t even believe Fidel is still alive. He has not been seen in a year and all of his responses to events are in a letter. Really now......a letter?
Jan 29th, 2015 - 09:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0According to Congressman Ros-Lehtinen, “Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is strategically important for U.S. national security”, but this is not true. In fact, as those of us who actually do business and travel outside of the US know, it is a strategic liability. The sooner that it is decommissioned the better.
Jan 30th, 2015 - 03:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0No one other than Cuba and maybe Venezuela gives a sh!t about Guantanamo.
Jan 30th, 2015 - 06:12 am - Link - Report abuse 0It doesn't affect the US' relations with anyone.
Hepatia are you a waitress? Because you don't seem intelligent enough to be anything more.
It would appear that the use of Guantánamo as a detention centre for suspected terrorists of third party nationalities was not contemplated in the 1903 agreements between the US and Cuba and, thus, it can be interpreted as being a reason for a defect in that agreement. The uses that were ceded to the US were clearly defined in the agreements.
Jan 30th, 2015 - 09:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0Hepatitis you are on the USA's NSC now to tell us what is and is not strategically important to US interests? Next you will be telling us you live in the USA.
Jan 30th, 2015 - 10:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0@17 Hippy
Jan 30th, 2015 - 09:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well, sounds like you have some very important information that no one else does...perhaps you should ask the Armed Forces and NSA for a meeting , to offer your valuable insight.
http://en.mercopress.com/2015/01/29/raul-castro-demands-the-return-of-guantanamo-and-compensation-for-us-trade-embargo#comment377919: Given the relative size of the Cuban diaspora and expatiate community I think that the Cuban population already have an idea of how the rest of the world is.
Jan 31st, 2015 - 03:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0Various senators and congressmen, Rubio, Cruz, Menendez and so on believe that the US has caved to the Cuban government. But, I think, the Cuban government has a more realistic view of the consequences of the repeal of sanctions. They think that those consequences will weaken their hold on the country. And they are right.
Anyway the bill is in the Senate. We will see how it goes.
@22 Hippy
Jan 31st, 2015 - 09:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Rubio, Cruz and Menendez are right, but the only ones who have “caved in” to the Cubans, is BO and the democratic / liberal a.holes that infest Washington, not the US.
But you made a broad statement in # 17 : “According to Congressman Ros-Lehtinen, “Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is strategically important for U.S. national security”, but this is not true”.... please tell us why “this is NOT true”.
We and definitely myself, are still waiting for your strategic explanation on why Gbay is not of national interest to my country? I take it you seem to think the only use was a terrorist internment camp, you can't be farther from reality.
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 03:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You sit with the NSC advising POTUS with PDB on what goes on in the world and what should be of national interests? If you can get a VISA, come visit the USA sometime and then post after your visit, but in the meantime, fill us all in on your clearance rating to make such a foolish statement.
Dream on inFidel.
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 08:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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