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Cuba tests US bid to mend ties with Latin America

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-02 16:17

MEXICO CITY -- US relations with Cuba, like those with other Latin American countries, have witnessed moderate thaw under the administration of President Barack Obama, but remained strained.

The United States continues to demand a restructuring of the Cuban society despite the loosening of restrictions imposed by Obama's predecessor George W. Bush.

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Many Latin American observers believe that Obama is taking the region seriously while Bush was preoccupied with Iraq and Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

Obama's stance represents a break from the persistent policy on Cuba perused by 13 previous US administrations and has allowed relations between the two countries to thaw.

The two nations have agreed to have dialogues on a range of issues. The latest talks are about resuming direct mail between the two countries, a topic that has stagnated for decades, and migration, which was suspended in 2004 by Bush, who also set limited remittances to the island to 300 dollars a quarter and family visits of once every three years.

Since El Salvador formally normalized relations with Cuba on Monday, the United States is the only nation in the hemisphere that has no diplomats in Havana. The US-imposed embargo for five decades appears to be isolating the United States rather than Cuba, though Cuba said the ban had cost it around US$90 billion in trade.

The blockade was imposed as a short-term measure by the US government to seek compensation for US citizens who lost property in the 1959-1960 nationalization.

The United States was unhappy about Castro's offer to pay compensation in sugar and bonds, terms that had been accepted by many nations including Spain, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom.

US attempts to isolate Cuba has not brought a better offer to the table nor topple the Cuban government. Most members of the Organization of American States (OAS) are ready to welcome Cuba back to the body and a recent survey also showed that nearly 70 percent of US citizens believe the embargo should be scrapped.

The United States has also mended its ties with Mexico. Mexico became the first Latin American nation Obama visited since taking office in February. The visit sent a signal of support to Mexican President Felipe Calderon in his fight against the rising tide of cross-border drug violence and arms trafficking, White House officials said.

"His stay in Mexico sends a message... of admiration for the brave steps that President Calderon has taken," said Denis McDonough, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.

On trade -- a major concern for Brazil -- Obama's new Trade Representative Ron Kirk made conciliatory speeches, saying the United States has been a huge beneficiary of the current world trade talk mechanism and Washington must learn to listen.

The US government insists that developing countries open up their markets as the first step towards settling the trade issue in countries such as Brazil and Mexico.

The issue of Cuba's readmission into the 34-nation Organization of American States (OAS) is expected to dominate the agenda of the forthcoming OAS foreign ministerial meeting. It remains to be seen how serious the United States is in trying to repair its relations with Latin America.