The top U.S. diplomat in Cuba told VOA Tuesday the Castro government has “taken some steps” to improve relations with the United States, but there is a “long way to go” before the U.S. trade embargo can be lifted.
In his comments on Cuba, Farrar called the continued detention of 62 year-old U.S. aid worker Alan Gross, “an obstacle for increased dialogue between both countries." Asked about the possibility of lifting the U.S. embargo, Farrar said, “as President Obama has stated, that would require profound changes in the conditions that are present in Cuba today." The Farrar interview is available online at http://www.voanews.com/spanish/news.
Also at VOA Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten, discussed the ongoing electoral crisis that has gripped that country since the disputed November vote. Ambassador Merten told VOA’s Creole Service, “The United States would like to see a process that would reflect the will of the people. We are not supporting any candidates, only the process is important to us.”
Ambassador Merten also said the United States would continue to work with Haiti in the fight against cholera, which he said is yielding results. His full interview with the Creole Service is available online at http://www.voanews.com/creole/news.
Tuesday’s visit included the top U.S. diplomats in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Grenada, Guyana, Curacao, Surinam and Trinidad and Tobago.