Thaindian News

Havana, April 14 (IANS) Former Cuban president Fidel Castro Tuesday complained that the US had done nothing to end the decades-old embargo on his country, stressing that Cuba “will never beg” for it to be lifted.
“Not a word was said of the blockade, which is the most cruel of all measures,” the leftist leader said in an article published Tuesday in the state media, Prensa Latina reported.

On Monday, the White House announced President Barack Obama’s decision to lift all restrictions on travel and remittance by Cuban Americans. The idea behind the decision, according to US officials, is to support the Cuban people’s desire to determine their own destiny.

The move came just day before the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in which Obama is to meet representatives of all Latin American countries except Cuba.

In his article title “Reflection”, Castro described the 47-year-old embargo against the communist country as a form of “genocide” which severely affected the economy and caused death and suffering for his people.

“The blockade…is the way a truly genocidal measure is piously called, one whose damage cannot be calculated only on the basis of its economic effects, for it constantly takes human lives and brings painful suffering to our people,” Castro wrote in what could be seen as the first official response to Obama’s decision.

He made it clear that Cuba would never beg the US for lifting the sanctions.

“Cuba has resisted and will resist. It will never stretch its hands to beg. It will keep moving forward with its head held high, cooperating with its brother peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he wrote.

However, the tone of Castro’s message was to some extent conciliatory and he praised Obama’s sincerity in his efforts to normalise relations with Cuba.

“On the other hand, our country, which has resisted and is willing to resist whatever it takes, neither blames Obama for the atrocities of other US administrations nor doubts his sincerity and his wishes to change the US policy and image.”

He also said that with these measures, aimed at closing the gap between divided Cuban families and promoting the free flow of information and humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, Obama was making an effort to fulfill the objectives he set out during his campaign and after taking on his position.

– Indo-Asian News Service

skp/vm