Cuba visit: Obama and Castro spar over human rights

Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama sparred over human rights issues including the American prison at Guantanamo Bay and Cuba's political prisoners.

Mr Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attended a state dinner with Mr Castro in Havana

At a historic news conference, Mr Castro said if he was given a list of political prisoners, he would "release them tonight". The White House has said it has given Cuba lists of dissidents in the past.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was among White House officials at a dinner on Monday evening

Mr Castro does not view the prisoners as dissidents, US officials said. That disagreement is central to the conflict between US and Cuban officials. More needs to be done to lift the US embargo on trade with Cuba, Mr Castro said, adding that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp must close.

Guests enjoyed music by a Cuban band

Mr Obama, the first serving US president to visit Cuba since 1959, said the trade embargo would be fully lifted. "Cuba's destiny will not be decided by the United States or any other nation... The future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans not by anybody else," Mr Obama said.

Mr Castro and Mr Obama were congenial but had some disagreements about human rights

 Mr Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were later welcomed at a state dinner, along with some members of US Congress and senior White House staff. The Failde Youth Band entertained the guests, who dined on shrimp mousse, cream soup flavoured with rum, and traditional pork with rice and plantain chips. Waiters passed round Cuban cigars after dinner.


Earlier on Monday, Mr Castro defended Cuba's record on human rights and pointed to problems in the US. "We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal," Mr Castro said.

Mr Castro is not usually subject to any aggressive questioning from reporters and called the prisoners question "not polite", later ending the news conference by saying "I think this is enough".

"Actually we find it inconceivable that a government does not defend and ensure the right to healthcare, education, social security, food provision and development," he said.

Speaking to ABC News after the conference with Mr Castro, Mr Obama did not directly say he would be giving Mr Castro a list of political prisoners.

"We have given them a lists in the past and they have responded intermittently to our engagement," he said. "And this I think is an example of why it was my belief that this would be a more successful mechanism for us to advance the values that we care about than an embargo and silence and no communications."