Cuban state media called U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a cynic Monday for her assertion that Fidel and Raul Castro don't want Washington's 48-year embargo lifted because they would no longer be able to blame America for their country's problems.
Clinton's comment last week "mixed ignorance and falsehoods at an infinite level," state-run Radio Reloj said.
"If cynicism needed an expression that would immortalize it, the American secretary of state gave it," the station said in a report read over the air and posted on its Web site.
Clinton's remarks also appeared without further commentary on Cubadebate, the government Internet site where Fidel Castro publishes frequent opinion pieces. The elder Castro dropped out of public view after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006, and his brother Raul has since taken over the presidency.
Following a speech on nuclear terrorism at the University of Louisville on Friday, Clinton said, "it is my personal belief that the Castros do not want to see an end to the embargo and do not want to see normalization with the United States because they would lose all of their excuses for what hasn't happened in Cuba in the last 50 years."
During her remarks last week, Clinton said Cuba should be given an opportunity for a transition to full democracy, but that may not happen anytime soon under an "intransigent, entrenched regime."
Whenever it looks like normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations could be a possibility, she added, "the Castro regime does something to try to stymie it."
The Obama administration says it has worked to thaw nearly a half-century of ice-cold U.S. relations with Cuba in a number of ways, including easing limits on Cuban-Americans who want to travel or send money to the island that were imposed by George W. Bush. Top officials from both countries have also met to discuss resuming direct mail service and tackle immigration issues, as well as relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Obama says Washington has no intention of lifting the embargo unless Cuba embraces democratic and human rights reforms and frees its political prisoners, who independent human rights groups on the island say number around 200.
Cuba's government counters that it holds no political prisoners and protects human rights better than most countries since its communist system provides free health care and education through college to all Cubans.
Well that's a sure sign Hillary is doing a great job - she has pissed-off the Castros! lol.
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
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Hillarysworld -> All things Hillary -> Cuban state media calls Clinton cynical for saying Castros don't really want US embargo lifted (AP 4/12/10)