WORLD / America
Raul Castro sees economy reform, talks with US
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-27 01:57
CAMAGUEY, Cuba - Acting President Raul Castro asserted his leadership of
Cuba on Thursday with promises of economic improvement and an offer of
talks with the United States when the Bush administration is gone.
"Raul, Raul, Raul!" some 100,000 government supporters chanted during a
Revolution Day speech one year after taking over from his brother.
Cuba's acting President Raul Castro addresses the crowd while standing
above a stone relief of his brother Fidel during an event marking the
1953 assault on the Moncada military barracks in Camaguey, Cuba, July 26,
2007. [Reuters]
He said Cuba's 80-year-old leader Fidel Castro, who is recovering from
life-threatening surgery and has not appeared in public for a year, was
increasingly active.
But Raul Castro's one-hour speech left no doubt that he is in charge for
now.
He said salaries were too low -- a major complaint by Cubans-- and the
country has to produce more food to feed its people. Deep reforms of its
inefficient agriculture are on their way, he said.
Cuba is open to receiving more foreign investment as long as it brings
capital, technology and markets, he said.
"There won't be spectacular results. Time is needed," Raul Castro, who is
76 and considered to be more pragmatic than his brother, told Cubans.
"Fidel is not here, but it's the same. We have him in our hearts and Raul
is doing a good job," said Dignora, a labor union official wearing a red
T-shirt and waving a Cuban flag.
Cuba's most important holiday marks the attack led by Fidel Castro on the
Moncada army barracks in the eastern city of Santiago in 1953. That
launched his armed revolt against a US backed-dictator that triumphed in
1959.
Raul Castro said it has been a difficult year since his brother fell ill
because Cuba's enemies in the United States had banked on the collapse of
its socialist system.
The administration of US President George W. Bush stepped up an
"implacable war" to undermine Cuba with trade and financial sanctions
that include denying Cuban access to international financial services, he
said.
But he said Cuba remains stable and Cubans united behind the ruling
Communist Party.
"Cuba is a dangerous example in a poor continent. They have not succeeded
in bringing us to our knees," he said.
The Bush administration has rejected what it calls a "succession from one
dictator to another" in Cuba.
Raul Castro last year twice made overtures to the United States offering
to negotiate an end to the decades-old political rift on an equal
footing. He is now looking past the next US presidential elections.
"The new administration will have to decide whether it maintains this
absurd, illegal and failed policy against Cuba or accepts the olive
branch we extended," he said.
"If the next US government puts arrogance aside and decides to talk in a
civilized fashion, that is welcome. If not, we are prepared to continue
facing their hostile policy for another 50 years," he said.
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