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08. 09. 10. - 12:00

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08. 09. 10. - 12:00

Cuban troubles are fault of USA, Raul Castro's daughter claims

The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro has claimed the United States is responsible for her country’s economic difficulties.

Mariela Castro said today (Weds): "The Americans and their criminal trade embargo are to blame for a vast part of our economic problems."

Speaking to Austrian daily Die Presse, the 48-year-old activist for the rights of homosexuals added: "But it’s true that the (Cuban) Revolution made mistakes. Me and my father want an open debate about these mistakes and further reforms to improve Cuban Socialism."

Asked what she would chance in her home country, Castro said: "I’d wish more opportunities for critical but fair journalism and the abolishment of all travel restrictions."

Castro stressed she was convinced Cuba will manage to correct the mistakes made during the current leaderships’ achievements " to save the Revolution".

She admitted that the failure of the Revolution and the demise of Cuban Socialism "cannot be ruled out completely" and said: "In that case, I’ll spend my twilight years by deploring the downfall of the Cuban Revolution."

Castro claimed Cuba was "sick" of other states telling it what to do. She said: "Why should we change our laws only because foreign countries demand us to do so? (…) Cuba is not a dictatorship. The people can elect a parliamentary delegate or not."

Castro further accused international media of "spreading many clichés which have nothing to do with the real Cuba."

"We’ve got freedom of opinion. We can say what we think. We can support or oppose a government without going to jail," she said.

Castro said she had not seen her uncle Fidel Castro since he fell sick some years ago.

She revealed: "I wonder like every other Cuban how he’s doing. My father never spoke about it with me. He only promised to tell me one day how badly he suffered during Fidel’s illness."

Austrian Times

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