Open to talks with U.S.: Cuba

Talks aimed at a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations seem to be a real possibility after the new Presidents of both countries reached out to each other with surprisingly straightforward language about their desire to revive a relationship frozen by 50 years of cold war.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that it was up to Havana to take the next step after his “good faith” gesture of removing some of the restrictions that lock Americans and their money out of Cuba.

Raul Castro responded within hours, saying: “We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything — human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything.” “We could be talking about many other things,” Mr. Castro replied from a summit in Venezuela. “We could be wrong, we admit it. We’re human beings.”

Mr. Castro spoke at a meeting in the seaside Venezuelan city of Cumana, in advance of the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, where Mr. Obama and most leaders of the Americas will meet beginning on Friday. Mr. Castro is not invited because his country is not democratic. (AP)