Raul Castro is willing to hold talks with the US

Cuba’s President Raul Castro has made a seemingly impromptu address at a Revolution Day ceremony and said he is willing to hold talks with the US.

Raul Castro, who had not spoken at the event for the past two years, grabbed the microphone to address the crowd in the eastern province of Guantanamo.

The president said he would hold talks with the US, as long as it was “a conversation between equals”.

The two countries have not had diplomatic relations for five decades.

Raul Castro said the offer had already been made through diplomatic channels and that no topic was off limits.

“Any day they want, the table is set,” Raul Castro said.

Cuba’s President Raul Castro has made a seemingly impromptu address at a Revolution Day ceremony and said he is willing to hold talks with the US

He said he was prepared to discuss “the problems of democracy, human rights etc. But on equal terms because we are no-one’s colony”.

Cuba would remain independent and free, he said, and nothing like the uprisings in Libya or Syria, backed by foreign forces, would happen in the country.

If the US wanted confrontation, he quipped, then it should be in baseball or some other sport.

“Preferably baseball when sometimes they win, sometimes we do,” he said.

Turning to internal matters, he said that social and economic reforms within Cuba would go on “little by little”.

The annual ceremony marks the 59th anniversary of the failed storming of the Moncada military barracks, often considered the beginning of the revolution led by his brother Fidel Castro.

Fidel Castro frequently used Revolution Day addresses to make major policy announcements.

This year’s main celebration began at dawn with music and speeches.

First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura said in a keynote address that Havana would continue efforts to shut down the US naval base there.

“We will continue to fight such a flagrant violation… we will never stop trying to recover that piece of ground,” he said.

 

Diane A. Wade

Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.

Recent Posts

Spain: At Least 158 Killed In The Country’s Worst Flooding Disaster

At least 158 people have died in Spain's worst flooding disaster in generations. On October…

2 days ago

Russia Fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, Surpassing Global GDP

Google has been fined two undecillion (a two followed by 36 zeroes) roubles by a…

2 days ago

Financing Your Home Remodel: 7 Tips for Success

Embarking on a home remodel is an exciting journey, promising enhanced comfort, increased property value,…

2 weeks ago

Donald Trump Serves Up McDonald’s Fries While Kamala Harris Celebrates 60th Birthday with Church Choir

The US presidential candidates continued to campaign across key swing states on October 20. Footage…

2 weeks ago

America PAC: Elon Musk Promises to Award $1M Each Day to Swing States Voters

Elon Musk has said he will give away $1 million a day to a registered…

2 weeks ago

Canada Expels 6 Indian Diplomats Amid Khalistan Row

India and Canada have decided to expel their top envoys along with other diplomats as…

3 weeks ago