WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s overtures to Cuba have enlivened the debate in Congress on boosting American travel and trade to the island, but Raul Castro on Wednesday decried the administration’s opening salvo as “achieving only the minimum.”
Speaking in Havana before a gathering of international ministers, the Cuban president said that “it is not Cuba that has to make gestures.” He called Obama’s moves two weeks ago to lift travel and gift restrictions on Cuban-Americans and ease restrictions on U.S. telecommunications firms “fine, positive, but only achieve the minimum. The embargo remains intact.”
The State Department appeared unmoved by the criticism, countering that it’s Cuba that needs to show some effort.
“We’re interested in a dialogue with Cuba, but I think the international community wants to see some steps from Havana to see, to gauge how serious the government there is,” said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
Obama’s moves have emboldened critics of U.S. policy, who already had filed legislation to allow Americans to travel to Cuba. Next up, a contingent of farm state senators is expected soon to introduce legislation aimed at boosting agricultural trade with the island.
