Obama presses Cuba's Castro on human rights during historic visit
US President Barack Obama pushed Cuba to improve human rights during his historic visit to the Communist-led island on March 21, publicly sparring with President Raul Castro who showed flashes of anger and hit back at U.S. "double standards".
In a joint news conference that began with jokes but was tense at times, Obama praised Castro for openly discussing their differences but he said a "full flowering" of the relationship would happen only with progress on the issue of rights.
"In the absence of that, I think it will continue to be a very powerful irritant," Obama said after talks with Castro, in remarks broadcast live on Cuban state television.
"America believes in democracy. We believe that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and freedom of religion are not just American values but are universal values."
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US President Barack Obama and Cuba's President Raul Castro hold their first meeting on the second day of Obama's visit to Cuba, in Havana March 21, 2016
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Obama, the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years, agreed in 2014 to improve relations with the former Cold War foe but he is under pressure at home to push Castro's government to allow political dissent and to further open its Soviet-style economy.
Opponents say he has given away too much as he improves ties, with too little from Castro in return, although leading Republican candidate for the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump, said on March 21 he would likely continue to normalize ties with Cuba if elected.
