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Obama, Castro disagree on human rights issues

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Obama, Castro disagree on human rights issues
Barack Obama of the United States and Raul Castro of Cuba went toe-to-toe over human rights issues even as they both pledged to set aside their decades-long differences and move forward with normalising ties between both countries.
Both leaders prodded each other at an unprecedented joint press conference sparing on human rights and economic punishment.
At the historic conference,Obama welcomed what he called a “new day” in relations between the two countries, but repeatedly pushed Castro to take steps to address Cuba’s human rights record.
“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,” Obama said, standing alongside Castro after their meeting at Havana’s Palace of the Revolution.
On the other hand, Castro who took the rare step of taking questions from journalists, hit back at what he called US “double standards”, saying Cuba found it “inconceivable” for a government to fail to ensure healthcare, education, food and social security for its people – a clear reference to the US.
“We defend human rights,” Castro said. “In our view, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, interdependent and universal.”
When questioned about political prisoners political prisoners in Cuba, Castro thundered back at pressmen saying if they could provide names of anyone wrongly imprisoned, “they will be released before tonight ends”.
“Give me a list of the political prisoners and I will release them immediately. Just mention the list. What political prisoners?” said Castro.
 
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