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WORLD NEWS Monday 17 July 2017

Cuba’s Raul Castro dismisses harsher U.S. tone under Trump

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ month that the U.S. would that operate and deal with
Associated Press impose new limits on U.S. property confiscated after
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban travelers to the island and Fidel Castro’s revolution.
President Raul Castro de- ban any payments to the Speaking to the National
nounced President Don- military-linked conglomer- Assembly, Castro called
ald Trump’s tougher line on ate that controls much of the Trump administra-
relations with Havana on the island’s tourism indus- tion’s policies a “setback,”
Friday, calling it a setback try. He said the U.S. would though he reiterated his
but promising to continue consider lifting those and government’s position that
working to normalize ties other restrictions only after it would work to normalize
between the former Cold Cuba returned fugitives relations with Washington.
War rivals. and made a series of other Earlier in the legislative
Castro’s comments to Cu- internal changes including session, Economy Minis-
ba’s National Assembly freeing political prisoners, ter Ricardo Cabrisas an-
were his first on Trump’s allowing freedom of as- nounced that Cuba’s
June announcement of a sembly and holding free economy is growing again
partial rollback of the Cu- elections. after a dip last year.
ba-U.S. detente achieved Trump’s policy retained ele- Cabrisas said the economy
by then-President Barack ments of Obama’s reforms grew around 1 percent in
Obama. They contained but tightened restrictions the first half of 2017. That
echoes of the harsh rheto- on travel and employed puts GDP growth on track In this March 17, 2015 file photo, Cuba’s President Raul Castro
ric of the past. harsh rhetoric on human to hit 2 percent for the year. listens to the playing of national hymns during his welcome cer-
“Any strategy that seeks rights. The government said the emony at Miraflores presidential palace before the start of an
to destroy the revolution On Friday in Washington, economy shrank last year emergency ALBA meeting in Caracas, Venezuela.
either through coercion or the Trump administration by 1 percent amid falling Associated Press
pressure or through more said it was suspending for support from troubled Ven-
subtle methods will fail,” another six months a provi- ezuela. That was the first
Cuba’s president told leg- sion of the U.S. embargo on decrease reported in two
islators. Cuba. decades. Cabrisas said
He also rejected any “les- The State Department said that instability in the supply
sons” on human rights from it told Congress that it will of Venezuelan oil weighs
the U.S., saying his coun- keep suspending a provi- on the country but tourism,
try “has a lot to be proud sion of the Helms-Burton construction, transporta-
about” on the issue. Act that deals with prop- tion and communications
Surrounded by Cuban- erty seized from Americans. were growing.
American exiles and Cu- The provision lets Ameri- Foreign media did not have
ban dissidents in Miami, cans use U.S. courts to sue access to the National As-
Trump announced last non-American companies sembly session.q

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