President Barack Obama said Saturday his refusal to refight the battles of the Cold War, while Cuban President Raul Castro rallied to his defense, absolve fault Obama for the US blockade in a stunning reversal of over 50 years of animosity between the US and Cuba.
"In my opinion, Obama is an honest man," said Castro. - A remarkable vote of confidence of the Cuban leader, who praised the life of Obama and his "humble background"
Turn the page on US policy long isolation, Castro and Obama were to meet later Saturday at the Summit of the Americas - the first major meeting between an American and Cuban president in more than five decades.
The wave of diplomacy, which began Friday night with a historic handshake between Obama and Castro, was to inject new momentum into their month old plan to restore normal relations between the two countries.
"The Cold War is long over," Obama said. "And I'm not interested in having the fighting that started before I was born frankly."
Castro, in a bend near one-hour speech at the summit, ran through an exhaustive history of Cuban perceived grievances against the United States dating back more than a century - a striking display of raw passions remain on the way US attempts to undermine the Cuban government.
Then, in an abrupt about-face, he apologized for letting his emotions get the best of it. He said many US presidents were at fault for this turbulent history - but Obama is not one of them.
"I told President Obama that I get very emotional about the revolution," Castro said through a translator, noting that Obama was not even born when the United States began punishing the island nation. "I apologize to him because President Obama had no responsibility in this regard."
Speaking just before Castro, Obama acknowledged the profound differences between their countries persist. Still, he said he was indifferent to getting stuck in ideology, instead casting the thaw in relations as an opening to create "more opportunities and resources to the Cuban people."
"The United States will not be trapped in the past," said President Barack Obama. "We are looking to the future."
However, the optimistic tone of the president was not enough to offset the skepticism of some Latin American leaders about US intentions in the region, including those who have strongly criticized recent US sanctions against Venezuelan officials.
Even President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, whose country is a close partner of the United States, told the summit that such unilateral isolation policies are still against-productive and ineffective. "For this reason, we reject the adoption of sanctions against Venezuela," she said.
Climb even higher stakes for the two leaders was speculation that Obama would use the summit to be held in Panama to announce its decision to withdraw Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism assembly, a move that Cuba is both practical and symbolic value.
The United States has long ceased accusing Cuba to conduct terrorism, Obama said he is ready to take Cuba on the list. Earlier in the week, he suggested an announcement was imminent when he revealed that the State Department had completed its lengthy review of the designation.
Removal from the terror list is a top priority for Castro because he would not only serve a spot on the pride of Cuba, but also to facilitate its ability to perform simple financial transactions.
Yet the Obama of late radiation Cuba comes as the US seeks concessions of his own - namely, the relaxation of restrictions on freedom of movement of US diplomats in Havana and protection of human rights. Obama said the United States continue to press Cuba on human rights even as he called on Congress to lift the embargo on the island nation 90 miles south of Florida.
Obama was also to answer questions from reporters before returning to Washington.
A successful relaunch of US-Cuban relations form a cornerstone of the legacy of Obama's foreign policy. But it is an effort that he can not undertake alone: only Congress can fully lift the heavy sanctions regime the United States in Cuba, and there are deep pockets of opposition to the United States to take this measure.
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| "Blame because of Cuba Blockade Not Obama" said by Raul Castro |
"In my opinion, Obama is an honest man," said Castro. - A remarkable vote of confidence of the Cuban leader, who praised the life of Obama and his "humble background"
Turn the page on US policy long isolation, Castro and Obama were to meet later Saturday at the Summit of the Americas - the first major meeting between an American and Cuban president in more than five decades.
The wave of diplomacy, which began Friday night with a historic handshake between Obama and Castro, was to inject new momentum into their month old plan to restore normal relations between the two countries.
"The Cold War is long over," Obama said. "And I'm not interested in having the fighting that started before I was born frankly."
Castro, in a bend near one-hour speech at the summit, ran through an exhaustive history of Cuban perceived grievances against the United States dating back more than a century - a striking display of raw passions remain on the way US attempts to undermine the Cuban government.
Then, in an abrupt about-face, he apologized for letting his emotions get the best of it. He said many US presidents were at fault for this turbulent history - but Obama is not one of them.
"I told President Obama that I get very emotional about the revolution," Castro said through a translator, noting that Obama was not even born when the United States began punishing the island nation. "I apologize to him because President Obama had no responsibility in this regard."
Speaking just before Castro, Obama acknowledged the profound differences between their countries persist. Still, he said he was indifferent to getting stuck in ideology, instead casting the thaw in relations as an opening to create "more opportunities and resources to the Cuban people."
"The United States will not be trapped in the past," said President Barack Obama. "We are looking to the future."
However, the optimistic tone of the president was not enough to offset the skepticism of some Latin American leaders about US intentions in the region, including those who have strongly criticized recent US sanctions against Venezuelan officials.
Even President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, whose country is a close partner of the United States, told the summit that such unilateral isolation policies are still against-productive and ineffective. "For this reason, we reject the adoption of sanctions against Venezuela," she said.
Climb even higher stakes for the two leaders was speculation that Obama would use the summit to be held in Panama to announce its decision to withdraw Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism assembly, a move that Cuba is both practical and symbolic value.
The United States has long ceased accusing Cuba to conduct terrorism, Obama said he is ready to take Cuba on the list. Earlier in the week, he suggested an announcement was imminent when he revealed that the State Department had completed its lengthy review of the designation.
Removal from the terror list is a top priority for Castro because he would not only serve a spot on the pride of Cuba, but also to facilitate its ability to perform simple financial transactions.
Yet the Obama of late radiation Cuba comes as the US seeks concessions of his own - namely, the relaxation of restrictions on freedom of movement of US diplomats in Havana and protection of human rights. Obama said the United States continue to press Cuba on human rights even as he called on Congress to lift the embargo on the island nation 90 miles south of Florida.
Obama was also to answer questions from reporters before returning to Washington.
A successful relaunch of US-Cuban relations form a cornerstone of the legacy of Obama's foreign policy. But it is an effort that he can not undertake alone: only Congress can fully lift the heavy sanctions regime the United States in Cuba, and there are deep pockets of opposition to the United States to take this measure.
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