Lula Heads for Cuba Next Week

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Feb. 20 — Brazilian president Lula da Silva will visit Cuba next week after attending the Rio Summit in Cancun, Mexico.

He is scheduled to meet with both Cuban President Raul Castro and Fidel Castro in Havana on Wednesday.

The South American leader will also be at the closing of a trade and economic affairs meeting of officials from Brazil and Cuba, said a spokesperson on Friday.

Lula has attempted to convince US president Barack Obama to drop the nearly half century US economic blockade on Cuba.

The Brazilian leader has told Obama that such a move would go a long ways to improving US-Latin American relations.

To date Obama has not taken Lula’s advice.

While US and Cuban officials have met to discuss migration and postal service issues (with no new accords being announced), relations remain cool and hopes of ending the blockade or the US travel ban on its citizens from visiting Cuba have dimmed after Obama’s first year in the White House.

Lula will also visit Haiti and El Salvador on his trip north.