Fidel: Raul's Overture Was 'Misinterpreted'

Castro replaced 'pugnacious' minister with diplomat

(NEWSER) - Raul Castro’s overhaul of Cuban ministers may be meant to ease tensions with the US under President Obama, writes Tim Padgett in Time. Cuba’s president replaced a “pugnacious” former foreign minister who had close ties to Fidel with a longtime UN ambassador—and the move occurred the same week the Senate votes on legislation that could relax the trade embargo. More»

(NEWSER) - The Cuban embargo has failed to encourage democracy there, and the president-elect should do something about it, writes Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post. It's time to “bring five decades of counterproductive American policy toward Cuba to a definitive end.” While engagement with other Communist regimes has worked to our benefit, the shunning of Cuba has only strengthened Fidel Castro’s outsider credentials. More»

Cuban prez slams US over arrested contractor

(NEWSER) - Raul Castro signaled that his honeymoon with the Obama administration is over in an angry speech yesterday accusing the US of stepping up its effort to topple the country's Communist government. "The enemy is as active as always," said Castro, pointing to the Cuba's recent detention of an American citizen for distributing communications equipment to opposition groups. More»

Casual discussions could pave road to 'open relationship'

(NEWSER) - The US is inching toward loosening relations with Cuba on the heels of President Obama’s Latin American trip, the New York Times reports. Cuban diplomats are set to meet informally with US officials to “test the waters,” an administration official said, mulling future talks over migration, drug trafficking, and other issues in efforts at “a serious, civil, open relationship.” More»

If we can be sure of anything, this is it

(NEWSER) - It's time—actually it's way overdue—for America to admit that its Cuba policy simply hasn't worked, writes Michael Kinsley in the Washington Post. The US has been "unrelentingly hostile" to Havana, but to what end? Communism has collapsed just about everywhere else, but here it survives "unreformed and unapologetic." We've used the carrot and stick with other totalitarian regimes, but here it's been all stick, to no avail. Lift the embargo already. More»