No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessBolivia’s Evo Morales: Obama should lift the embargo and return Guantánamo Naval...

Bolivia’s Evo Morales: Obama should lift the embargo and return Guantánamo Naval base to Cuba

U.S. President Barack Obama should take part in the next Summit of the Americas in Panama, he should work to lift the six-decade embargo against Cuba, and while at it, return the U.S. Naval base in Guantánamo to the Caribbean island nation, Bolivian President Evo Morales said Thursday.

Obama would thus make credible his announced will to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, Morales told a press conference on the sidelines of the Third Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which ended today in Costa Rica.

Morales said the diplomatic breakthrough between the two former Cold War foes should not be viewed as a concession from the U.S., but rather a development that stems from the United States’ need to not be left out of international investment taking place on the island.

“Let’s hope Obama goes to the next summit of the Americas in Panama and lifts the economic blockade,” he said. “Then we’ll believe if diplomatic relations will benefit both countries.”

However, lifting the U.S. embargo against Cuba requires action from the U.S. Congress, not the White House. Morales seemed to either ignore or brush off that crucial point in the U.S. political process. “When there’s political will, it is done,” he said.

“Other countries are in solidarity [with Cuba], and there’s investment. The United States is being left out of that investment, [and] it hurts them,” he said. “Restoring relations becomes a must.”

The South American leader noted that some political commentators have called the U.S.-Cuba announcement “a concession by Obama.”

“I don’t see it that way,” he said, instead attributing it to “the Cuban people’s conscientious struggle.”

And in a nod to Latin America’s swing to the left in recent years, Morales said: “Before it was just Cuba, Fidel and his people. Now we’re so many countries sharing the principle [of revolution].”

On the Organization of American States, Morales said Fidel Castro and Cuba were expelled because they “were communist reds.” “I, too, am a communist red,” he said. “Let’s see them expel me.”

Morales said Cuba would have become a “model state” if not for the U.S. embargo, and several U.N. resolutions backed by 180 member countries were against it.

In his address on Wednesday, Raúl Castro noted that the embargo is a key issue that has yet to be resolved before diplomacy moves forward.

The White House responded Thursday by saying it would not hand over control of Guantanamo Bay to Havana.

“The president does believe that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed down,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. “But the Naval base is not something that we wish to be closed.”

The base, on Cuba’s southeastern tip, is currently the site of a large Naval base as well as a deeply controversial prison used to detain terror suspects without trial.

The U.S. took control of Guantanamo following a treaty in 1903.

Obama has repeatedly stated that holding prisoners at Guantanamo is a recruiting tool for terror groups, but has failed to close down the facility.

 

Trending Now

Panama Canal Warns of Traffic Decline as Economic Uncertainty Grows

The Panama Canal will take in about $400 million less in the next fiscal year due to a drop in ship traffic caused by...

In Costa Rica, Rare White-Lipped Peccaries Still Survive

Today we meet the white-lipped peccary, a large animal that travels in large groups that has disappeared from a large part of its historical...

Costa Rica Marks National Parks Day with Free Entry This Sunday

As everyone knows by now, our country stands out for its strong focus on protecting the environment. It leads in conservation efforts, manages its...

Costa Rica’s Sibö Chocolate Wins Bronze at Int’l Awards

Chocolate Sibö once again stood out at the International Chocolate Awards, the largest fine chocolate competition based in New York. The Costa Rican brand...

Costa Rica Issues Green Weather Alert as Heavy Rains Expected

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has declared a green weather alert across Costa Rica due to the expected increase in rainfall over the coming...

El Salvador Schools Enforce Military-Style Uniform Inspections

El Salvador's public schools will start enforcing daily inspections for students' uniforms and haircuts from August 20, as ordered by the new education minister,...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica