Castro Says Obama Didn’t Go Far Enough in Lifting Sanctions

President Barack Obama and his administration recently softened sanctions against long-time communist foe Cuba, but aging Cuban leader Fidel Castro has said that the U.S. has not gone far enough and specifically criticized Obama for leaving in place a decades-long embargo of Cuban goods. On Monday, the White House announced that Americans will be permitted to make unlimited money transfers to Cuba and also be allowed to visit relatives there, somewhat softening the absolute travel ban that has long been in place, as well as the Bush administration restrictions, which only allowed Cuban-Americans to visit their homeland once every three years and further called for a limit of $300 in transfers to the small island country.

Castro, former president of Cuba, noted in an online column last night that several "hateful" restrictions had been lifted, but "Of the blockade, which is the cruelest of measures, not a word was uttered. The conditions are in place for Obama to use his talent in a constructive policy that ends something that has failed for nearly half a century." There have been mixed reactions to the recent news in Cuba, with one Cuban woman noting, "I’m not hoping for much more from Obama. I don’t know that he can do much more since to him, the important thing is what the Americans in his country do."

Others, however, were happy for the loosening of restrictions, and were also happy to be able to visit with relatives more often, but note that problems in Cuba must be solved from within. Said Jose Ramos, a Cuban looking for work in the Old Havana tourist district, "Obama can do what he wants, but the problem is here. People don’t want to work for $4 a week, even if they get more money from family members over there."