Raul Castro Reiterates Cuba’s Demands on US at UN General Assembly

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Raul Castro addressing the UN General Assembly. Photo: telesurtv.net

HAVANA TIMES — Cuban President Raul Castro again addressed the United States with demands aimed at completing the process of normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries during his speech Monday afternoon at the UN General Assembly, DPA reported.

Castro, the first Cuban president to speak before the UN since his brother Fidel took the floor there in 2000, demanded an end to the economic and financial embargo on the island that the United States has maintained since 1962; the return of the territory occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base; the suspension of all broadcasts aimed at destabilizing his government, and compensation for “economic and human” damages.

During a speech to the 140 heads of state and government that was merely 15 minutes long, Castro spoke of the “long and complex process towards normalization” that the two countries undertook in December of 2014 and has led to the reopening of their respective embassies, after more than fifty years of ideological rivalry.

Castro, who has been president of Cuba since 2008, spoke of his anti-imperialist convictions before the plenary, but avoided mentioning the United States in his criticisms. He did not praise US President Barack Obama, whom he had mentioned during a speech delivered at the Summit on Sustainable Development, for having brought about the rapprochement.

The Cuban president expressed his support for allies including Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Syria and Russia and criticized “the selective application of human rights criteria as a means of validating political decisions.”

15 thoughts on “Raul Castro Reiterates Cuba’s Demands on US at UN General Assembly

  • You are wrong. If you double -down after your errors have been discovered, then you will be stupid and wrong. Shia and Sunni muslims have been chopping off each other’s heads since the first caliphate. That’s more than a millenia before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.

  • Well that’s just great. Why Circles allows you to post this crap is beyond me. This has nothing to do with Cuba. We all know how much you hate the U.S.

  • the US started the mess in the Middle East in the first place

  • I did not allege any deaths in Cuba. I only gave facts!
    If I wished to address the US, I would do so in the New York Times. The Havana Times is about Cuba. so I don’t raise the subject of Scotland my former home as it has no relevance.
    If relevance was applied to editing your contributions in these pages, little more than 5% would be left.

  • No one is forcing you to stay in the US, of this I am sure. You do so because despite your hatred of the US, you understand that you can not live anywhere else as freely as you live in the US. Ironic, isn’t it?

  • Bashar al-Assad’s brutal and criminal assault on his own people is a “US mess”? Russian airstrikes on both Syrian opposition forces and innocent civilians is “cleaning up”? Russia is a regional military power. Their military build-up in fractured Syria has far less impact than you suggest. US-HATERS like you have been betting against the US and frothing at the mouth every time you sense a stumble in US policy. Yet, despite your jealous fantasies, the US continues to prevail and stand for good in the world. This too shall pass.

  • what I have to say have nothing to do with Cuba it’s something that needs to be spoken ,
    I am brought to tears Russia is cleaning up US mess in Syria , the Lion of Moscow president Putin have shown the world what it means to be decisive , from this point on the Middle East have changed beyond recognition .

  • it’s good to know you have a sense of humor .
    I am against any and all loss of human life for any reason even the death penalty , that being said when you have a cancer in society do you let it spread or the you cut off and throw away ? example Isis in Syria.
    in the cases of death in Cuba that yo have alleged , how does that compare with the thousands that Pinche killed in Chile for the sake of the American back policy ? why is it I don’t here you complaining about human rights in American history of genocide ?
    there is a picture I took from the internet and posted it on my G Plus account it shows a base in Iraq full of new weapons that American left for Isis to get there hold on , keeping in mind that one fly by bombing would have destroyed it and turned in into a pile of junk , question is why the Americans create and arm one of the most vicious waves of terrorism in the Middle East ? explain that to me please ,
    if you look on the waves of immigration to the United States from Vietnamese
    Costa Rican Haitians Guatemalans Salvadorian Palestinians Lebanese and now Syrians , they all had one thing in common A blizzard of American created misery blew their shapes into this American harbor ,
    if I knew then what I know now I would have made different decisions,I would have stuck to my guns in Palestine instead of emigrating to the country which is the source of our problems.
    in the Cold War United States of America was the friendliest country on this planet we all believed the lies , we should have read history and realize that United States of America could not stay out of war for more than 10 15 years they are simply addicted to it

  • Si nidal:
    Viva Raul
    Viva Fidel,
    Viva los Castros
    Que controla todo y todos!
    As a Palestinian who sought refuge in the free not communist world nidal, you should think about those who were lined up and shot without trial under the command of Raul Castro Ruz.
    You should think about those “not more than 400” who were shot at the whim of Fidel Castro Ruz. If you regard those actions as humanitarian, just say so here and now!
    You live now in the western world with the protection that it offers. Cuba offers no such protection because the Castros who you so admire have no concern for the individual, their interest being power and control.

  • Gracias Mr President , thank you for mentioning Palestine and humanitarian crisis which is going on, I say this as a Palestinian who appreciate you taking time to mention us especially knowing that you have a full plate of issues in your own country ,
    Viva Raul Viva Fidel .

  • If it were not so sickening, it would be laughable to even think of Raul Castro Ruz a totalitarian communist dictator speaking of “human rights”.
    Where are the rights of 11.1 million Cubans over whom he has total power and control?

  • Remember to count the number of fingers on your hand after shaking hands with any politician!

  • Nothing new here. Same old whiny claptrap. Raul is smoking crack if he thinks the US will give him a dime. Socialists are all the same. Always hoping to spend somebody else’s money. Here’s the good news: He didn’t waste too much of anybody’s time with a long speech the way his brother used to.

  • So what is new Raul? Anti imperialist is jargon for pro communist. In addition to preventing the broadcasting of views not in accord with his own dictates in Cuba, he seeks to terminate those from outside Cuba. It is surprising that in listing allies including Syria, Russia, Equador and Argentina, he missed out North Korea.
    But I liked the smart suit and silk tie – they might even give an aura of respectability for those unaware of his history.

  • Interesting call for democratization of UN. Perhaps he means to lead by example back home.

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