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Obama Spars with Castro on Human Rights During Historic Visit

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22 March 2016 06:50 WIB

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Cuban President Raul Castro shake hands at the start of their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 29, 2015. President Barack Obama held talks Tuesday with Cuban President Raul Castro, the second time the leaders of the once-estranged nations have met this year. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

TEMPO.CO, Havana-U.S. President Barack Obama pushed Cuba to improve human rights during his historic visit to the Communist-led island on Monday, publicly sparring with President Raul Castro who showed flashes of anger and hit back at U.S. "double standards".


In a joint news conference that was tense at times, Obama praised Castro for openly discussing their differences but he said a "full flowering" of the relationship can happen only with progress on the issue of rights.

"In the absence of that, I think it will continue to be a very powerful irritant. America believes in democracy. We believe that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and freedom of religion are not just American values but are universal values," Obama said after talks with Castro, in remarks broadcast live on Cuban state television.

The Cuban leader countered that no country meets all international rights but appeared uncomfortable as he made the rare step of taking questions from journalists in a country where the media is state controlled.

Obama, the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years, agreed in 2014 to improve relations with the former Cold War foe but he is under pressure at home to push Castro's government to allow political dissent and to further open its Soviet-style economy.

Opponents say he has given away too much as he improves ties, with too little from Castro in return.

Castro, an army general who became president when his ailing older brother Fidel retired in 2008, had never before taken questions from foreign reporters on live Cuban television and was clearly irritated when asked about political prisoners in Cuba, demanding the reporter produce a list of those in jail.

"Tell me now. What political prisoners? Give me a name, or the names," Castro said. "And if there are these political prisoners they will be free before nightfall."

Cuba says it has no political prisoners and that the dozens listed by dissident groups are instead common criminals.

Castro said Cuba has a strong record on rights such as health, access to education and women's equality. His government criticizes the United States on racism, police violence and the use of torture at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.

In another awkward moment at the news conference, Castro lifted Obama's arm in the air as if to form a victory salute. Obama resisted, letting his hand hang limp rather than form a fist.

REUTERS



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