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| Raúl Castro and Barack Obama all smiles before US sanctions meeting | Raúl Castro and Barack Obama all smiles before US sanctions meeting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Barack Obama and Raúl Castro have made another public, and warm, show of shaking hands before a private meeting at the UN on Tuesday as the two leaders work to end the US trade embargo against Cuba over the objections of Republican leaders in the US Congress. | Barack Obama and Raúl Castro have made another public, and warm, show of shaking hands before a private meeting at the UN on Tuesday as the two leaders work to end the US trade embargo against Cuba over the objections of Republican leaders in the US Congress. |
| Related: A chilling handshake between Obama and Putin, while Syria disintegrates | Jonathan Jones | |
| The pair smiled broadly and appeared to be at ease, in sharp contrast with Obama’s tense public encounter with Vladimir Putin, president of what was once Cuba’s closest ally. | The pair smiled broadly and appeared to be at ease, in sharp contrast with Obama’s tense public encounter with Vladimir Putin, president of what was once Cuba’s closest ally. |
| It was the second meeting of the two leaders since they announced plans to restore full diplomatic relations last year. Both countries have taken steps to normalise contacts, including the recent easing of restrictions on Americans travelling to Cuba. | It was the second meeting of the two leaders since they announced plans to restore full diplomatic relations last year. Both countries have taken steps to normalise contacts, including the recent easing of restrictions on Americans travelling to Cuba. |
| But sanctions can only be removed entirely by Congress where Republican leaders are reported to be furious that the Obama administration is considering abstaining from a vote in the UN general assembly condemning the embargo against Cuba. | But sanctions can only be removed entirely by Congress where Republican leaders are reported to be furious that the Obama administration is considering abstaining from a vote in the UN general assembly condemning the embargo against Cuba. |
| Castro, in his first speech to the UN on Monday, spoke of the “heroic and selfless resistance” of the Cuban people in the face of the half-century US embargo against their country. | Castro, in his first speech to the UN on Monday, spoke of the “heroic and selfless resistance” of the Cuban people in the face of the half-century US embargo against their country. |
| “Now, a long and complex process begins toward the normalisation of relations that will only be achieved with the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba; the return to our country of the territory illegally occupied by Guantánamo naval base; the cessation of radio and TV broadcasts, and of subversion and destabilisation programmes against the island; and when our people are compensated for the human and economic damages they still endure,” he said. | “Now, a long and complex process begins toward the normalisation of relations that will only be achieved with the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba; the return to our country of the territory illegally occupied by Guantánamo naval base; the cessation of radio and TV broadcasts, and of subversion and destabilisation programmes against the island; and when our people are compensated for the human and economic damages they still endure,” he said. |
| Obama agrees that the embargo should be ended and propaganda against the communist government has already been toned down, but there is little prospect of the US withdrawing from Guantánamo Bay or paying compensation. | Obama agrees that the embargo should be ended and propaganda against the communist government has already been toned down, but there is little prospect of the US withdrawing from Guantánamo Bay or paying compensation. |
| “I’m confident that our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place any more,” Obama said in his own speech to the UN. | “I’m confident that our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place any more,” Obama said in his own speech to the UN. |
| The UN general assembly has voted 23 times to condemn the US embargo of Cuba with Washington. Last year only Israel supported the US in voting against the resolution. | The UN general assembly has voted 23 times to condemn the US embargo of Cuba with Washington. Last year only Israel supported the US in voting against the resolution. |
| But the White House is considering abstaining in this year’s vote, expected next month, to the anger of Republican leaders who have accused Obama of “appeasing” Castro. | But the White House is considering abstaining in this year’s vote, expected next month, to the anger of Republican leaders who have accused Obama of “appeasing” Castro. |
| The outgoing speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, said that the president should vote to “uphold US law”. | The outgoing speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, said that the president should vote to “uphold US law”. |
| Castro, who was greeted by loud applause by UN delegates, did press a point made by the leaders of other developing countries in accusing the west of selective concern for human rights as a means of imposing political policy. | Castro, who was greeted by loud applause by UN delegates, did press a point made by the leaders of other developing countries in accusing the west of selective concern for human rights as a means of imposing political policy. |
| He also called for Puerto Rico, which is a US dependency, to be granted independence “after more than a century of colonial domination”. | He also called for Puerto Rico, which is a US dependency, to be granted independence “after more than a century of colonial domination”. |
| But by comparison with the long denunciations of American policy in Latin America for which his brother, Fidel, was famed, Castro was restrained and considerably shorter, speaking for only about 15 minutes. | But by comparison with the long denunciations of American policy in Latin America for which his brother, Fidel, was famed, Castro was restrained and considerably shorter, speaking for only about 15 minutes. |
| Fidel Castro gave the longest continuous speech to the UN general assembly at more than four hours in 1960 in which he called the then US president John Kennedy “ignorant and illiterate”. | Fidel Castro gave the longest continuous speech to the UN general assembly at more than four hours in 1960 in which he called the then US president John Kennedy “ignorant and illiterate”. |