Fidel Castro meets with 3 visiting US lawmakers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Fidel Castro meets with 3 visiting US lawmakers

By WILL WEISSERT – 43 minutes ago

HAVANA (AP) — Fidel Castro met Tuesday with three members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the former Cuban president's first meeting with American officials since falling ill in July 2006.

Greg Adams, a spokesman at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, said Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, and two other lawmakers met with the ailing, 82-year-old Castro. He did not have further details, nor could he provide the names of the other Americans who attended the meeting.

The meeting appears to underscore the Cuban government's desire for improved relations with the United States under new President Barack Obama.

Adams said he expected the Cuban government to release more information during the nightly newscast on state television.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAmsicW8N2RLyDMGseghZNrEpiNgD97DQL5O0

[Richd506]

1. Great news! It's about time!

[EFerrari]

2. I read that the CBC's first visit was in 1999 and Maxine Waters

led that delegation. The CBC is generally out ahead of everyone else. :)

[Mika]

3. Where's WD? Surely WD would have evidence that this is all fake news.

After all, according to WD (and some other DUers), Fidel has long been dead. :rofl:

[roody]

4. I am so jealous of Barbara Lee.

[Dramarama]

5. She is one cool Representative

[roody]

7. She is, and she has met Fidel.

For good and/or ill, he is an icon.

[seafan]

6. 'Castro asked how Cuba could help Obama in his efforts to change the course of U.S. foreign policy.'

This has just been an amazing week.


More from the Miami Herald:


Fidel Castro meets with 3 visiting US lawmakers

April 7, 2009

HAVANA -- Signaling its willingness to discuss improved relations with the Obama administration, Cuba on Tuesday granted three visiting members of the Congressional Black Caucus the first meeting with Fidel Castro by American officials since he fell ill in 2006.
The surprise meeting came a day after the full delegation of six representatives spent more than four hours talking privately with Cuban President Raul Castro, his first encounter with U.S. officials since formally replacing his brother as head of state nearly 14 months ago

.....

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., current head of the 42-member caucus, said at a news conference in Washington after the group's return that lawmakers met for nearly two hours with Fidel Castro and found him "very healthy, very energetic, very clear thinking."

She said they went to Fidel's home, where they were greeted by his wife.

"We believe it is time to open dialogue and discussion with Cuba," Lee said, noting that the group would present its findings to White House officials, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D.-Calif., and State Department officials.

"Cubans do want dialogue. They do want talks. They do want normal relations."

Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., who also met Fidel with Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said Castro "looked directly into our eyes" and asked how Cuba could help Obama in his efforts to change the course of U.S. foreign policy. Richardson said she had the impression that 82-year-old Fidel wants to see changes in U.S.-Cuba relations in his lifetime.

.....

Tremendous news, indeed.




Something else we want to see in our lifetime is justice for the war criminals who waltzed out of the White House on January 20, 2009.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Castros tell lawmakers they want talks with U.S.

Posted on Wednesday, 04.08.09
Castros tell lawmakers they want talks with U.S.

Returning from meetings with both Fidel and Raúl Castro, members of the Congressional Black Caucus said Cuba would welcome talks with the United States.

BY LESLEY CLARK
[e-mail]

WASHINGTON -- The Castro government is interested in talking to the United States, a delegation of black members of Congress said Tuesday, returning from a five-day trip to Cuba where they met with Raúl and Fidel Castro.

But members of the Congressional Black Caucus said they didn't discuss whether Cuba was prepared to offer any concessions in return.

''We didn't get into any of the details,'' said caucus chairwoman Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who led the trip. ``We just want to see a dialogue. You don't have to offer anything to talk.''

The group of seven lawmakers, which included six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, spent four hours with Raúl Castro, including dinner. Three members met separately with Fidel Castro at his home. They described the aging leader as ``very engaging, very energetic . . . very talkative.''

The visit marked the first meeting between Raúl Castro and U.S. lawmakers since he took the helm of the country a year ago and the first with the elder Castro since he took ill in 2006.

`TIME TO TALK'

''It's time to talk to Cuba,'' Lee said. 'We are convinced, based on the meetings, that the Cubans do want dialogue, they do want talks and they do want normal relations with the United States of America and I believe it's in the United States' best interest to do that.''

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/989566.html

[bemildred]

9. Fidel Castro wants to help Obama: U.S. lawmaker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fidel Castro appeared healthy and asked how Cuba's leadership could best help U.S. President Obama move to normalize relations between the two countries, two U.S. lawmakers said on Tuesday after meeting the 82-year-old former Cuban president in Havana.

"Of course, he has been ill. But I think we will agree that he was very healthy, very energetic, very clear thinking," Representative Barbara Lee, one of three Democrats to meet Castro, told a Washington news conference.

Representative Laura Richardson said Castro appeared eager to see relations change between the two countries.

"He was very well aware of what was going on," Richardson "As he leaned in, he looked directly into our eyes, quite aware of what was happening, and said to us 'how can we help President Obama?'"

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUSTRE5376X120090408

[Judi Lynn]

10. U.S.-Cuba policy could take center stage at Americas summit

Posted on Tuesday, 04.07.09
U.S.-Cuba policy could take center stage at Americas summit

President Barack Obama is expected to address Cuba travel policy as pressure mounts leading up to the Summit of the Americas.

BY LESLEY CLARK
[e-mail]

WASHINGTON -- The White House advisor to the upcoming Summit of the Americas on Monday confirmed President Barack Obama's intention to ease family travel and remittances to Cuba in coming days and wouldn't rule out a meeting between Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Even as he acknowledged the widespread interest in Cuba and increased pressure to fully lift the U.S. economic embargo, advisor Jeffrey S. Davidow stressed the administration's hope the communist-ruled nation would not dominate next week's gathering of the 34 hemispheric leaders.

~snip~
In the coming days, Obama is to announce a change to Cuba policy to allow Cuban Americans annual visits with relatives on the island and send them money as often as they like.

Pressure is mounting for Obama to do more. A procession of Latin American presidents has visited Havana in the past months, publicly underscoring how Washington's policy is out of sync with the rest of the hemisphere. The House and the Senate held back-to-back press events last week to advocate bills that would change Cuba policy. Even a top Republican on the Senate foreign relations committee wrote Obama last week asking him to appoint a special envoy for talks with Cuba and to begin discussions about including Cuba in the OAS.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/987808.html