Raul Castro: U.S. must return Guantanamo for normal relations

Nope....don't expect THAT.

Well I guess we won't be lifting the blockade then. They can have Guantanamo Bay, but losses due to their being on the wrong side of humanity, no.

and compensate his country for damages

Don't push it, Castro.

Don't hold your breath, Raul...

Despite where you fall on the political spectrum, it's pretty hard to deny America's heavy-handedness in dealing with Cuba. Not all but most of Castro's demands seem pretty feasible. Guantanamo for instance is a US military base on Cuba's sovereign territory. If Cuba doesn't want the base there, I America's refusal to remove it seems pretty unjustifiable.

I hope America takes this opportunity to pursue a path in line with her stated ideals which will show respect for Cuba's legal sovereignty as an independent nation. Not making reparations is fine, but the US could at least stop all the sanctions and restrictions which are in place just because of the way their government works.

Americans will never give up occupied land anywhere in the world and specially not the Guantanamo. Castros best bet is to play Russian influence against Americans. Only reason Americans even talk about the relation change is because Russians had been strengthening ties with Cuba lately. But while Russians are throwing around their money and business gifts all the Americans want is immediate government change and total submission to their ways of life and thinking. They are deadly scared of anything that is different and that they do not control. Cubans do live tight but why would they imitate a country that has one fifth of its population under poverty line.

@spbpb

the US could at least stop all the sanctions and restrictions which are in place just because of the way their government works.

The US has the right to determine who we do business with. Cuba is low man on the totem pole and they don't even realize their place in the world. It is one thing to have an evil ideology like Putin and be strong, but being evil and weak is just stupid.

@Zvonko

Cubans do live tight but why would they imitate a country that has one fifth of its population under poverty line.

Because they are currently like 90% under the poverty line in all likelyhood?

all the Americans want is immediate government change and total submission to their ways of life and thinking.

Because Russia has done so well embracing democracy and free speech and doesn't fear such things, right? And has never waged wars or tried to bully neighbors. Dat Kremlin logic.

"compensate his country for damages"

Heck, Cuba ought to compensate the U.S. for all the lost business U.S. companies could have been doing in Cuba all these years to the benefit of all.

Sure Castro, that's fine. While you're at it, Cuba should give back the private properties that were confiscated from the Cuban people too - or compensate them for the loss of property.

Americans will never give up occupied land anywhere in the world

For one, they gave up the Philippines, which they occupied after the Spanish-American War until WW2.

Guantanamo is mired in a Cuba-US agreement deal even before the Castros - the US leases the land and pays Cuba for the lease. But the current deal states that, in order to change the status quo regarding Guantanamo, both sides would have to agree on the new deal. So if the Castros want a new deal, then they would have to reach an agreement with the US. Otherwise, the Castros would be the ones breaking the international agreement and not honoring the deals its country has signed.

If the USA screws around with Cuba, forget about Russia trying to help them with $$$, maybe with military, but for $$$, it is the CHINESE that now have $$$ and yes, even the USA and Europe will be bending over for the Chinese in the near future.

Illegally occupied Guantanamo? Damages?! Was Raul drunk or stoned out of his mind when he made this little laundry list? Oh, well. So much for any sort of meaningful reconciliation. The U.S. may have to simply wait until the Castros die off before someone with a more reasonable mind comes along. Of course, that hasn't worked out so well with North Korea, but here's to hoping.

How about the Castros compensate Cuban-American for their ilkegal coup of the rightful Cuban government and subsequent expropriation of Cuban-American property. And acknowledge that Guantanamo Bay was leased to the United States in perpetuity, and as the "successor" state, is bound to any previously signed treaties.

Or maybe the U.S. will reissue the Roosevelt Corollary.

Both countries need to accept there's not going to be any compensations drop the cold war nonsense and move forward, I saw a fox article demanding that obama insist on Cuba paying the US several billion dollars in compensation for US property seized/destroyed during the Cuban revolution, what a joke. We'd be happy to give Cuba Guantanamo though