Barack Obama: 'Change is going to happen in Cuba'
President Barack Obama is in Cuba for a historic three-day visit to the island and talks with its communist leader.
He is the first sitting US president to visit since the 1959 revolution, which heralded decades of hostility between the two countries.
Mr Obama said change would happen in Cuba and that Cuban President Raul Castro understood that.
The two leaders met to talk about trade and held a joint news conference.
Mr Castro denied that there are political prisoners in Cuba, telling journalists to "give him a list" and then they would be released "tonight".
He also defended Cuba's record on human rights and pointed to problems in the US.
"We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal," Mr Castro said.
"Actually we find it inconceivable that a government does not defend and ensure the right to healthcare, education, social security, food provision and development."
Mr Obama said the trade embargo would be fully lifted in Cuba, but he could not say exactly when.
"The reason is what we did for 50 years did not serve our interests or the interests of the Cuban people," he said.
For decades, the US and Cuba were engaged in a bitter stand-off, triggered by the overthrow of US-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista by Communist leader Fidel Castro in 1959.
The US broke off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo.
But President Obama undertook two years of secret talks which led to the announcement in December 2014 that the two countries would restore diplomatic relations.
Since then, there have been a series of symbolic moments, such as the first formal meeting of Presidents Obama and Castro at a regional summit in Panama and the opening of embassies in Havana and Washington DC.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35856126
Structure of the Lead：
who-President Barack Obama
what-visit to the island and talks with its communist leader.
where-in Cuba
why-for a historic three-day visit
How-not given
When-not given
Keywords:
communist 共產
heralded 先驅
indivisible 不可分割
inconceivable 不可思議
diplomatic 外交
Obama did such an important decision, which was a big step forward Cuba. He broke the ice and improved their relationship. Not only the USA and Cuba got profits but also the other countries did. That is more countries could import goods from or export goods to Cuba. In this way, all of them may enhance their economic prosperity.
回覆刪除I think Barack Obama is a good president.He broke the ice with Cuba and improved the relationship, so they both could get benefits. And the other countries are also glad to see that because it may let them transport goods more easily and get more profits.
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