President Bush on Monday will rule out easing the US trade embargo against Cuba but will offer private humanitarian aid, scholarships and a US-Cuban mail service to its people.
Bush stuck to his hard-line isolationist policy toward the Cuban government in excerpts of a speech obtained by Reuters, saying the 40-year embargo will stay unless Cuba holds free and fair National Assembly elections next year, releases political prisoners, allows a free opposition and reforms its economy.
In the speech, scheduled to be delivered at the White House at 10:15 a.m. EDT Monday, Bush brands Cuban President Fidel Castro a dictator and argues that Cuba must effectively abandon its current political system, something the bearded former guerrilla appears to have no intention of doing.
The speech aims to blunt rising U.S. political momentum to relax the trade and travel restrictions that critics, including members of Congress from both parties, view as ineffective and hurting the Cuban people without undermining Castro's regime.
"Without major steps by Cuba to open up its political system and its economic system, trade with Cuba will not help the Cuban people -- it will merely enrich Castro and his cronies and prop up their dictatorship," Bush said.
"Full normalization of relations with Cuba -- diplomatic recognition, open trade and a robust aid program -- will only be possible when Cuba has a new government that is fully democratic, when the rule of law is respected and when the human rights of all Cubans are fully protected."
Bush's speech will follow last week's six-day visit to Cuba by former US President Jimmy Carter, who called for an end to the embargo but said he did not expect Castro to allow change.
"The revolution is stronger than ever," Castro told reporters last week.
(China Daily May 21, 2002)
