Source: Caribbeanworldnews.com
Not even hurricane Ike can force the U.S. to lift its economic embargo, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.
Rice made the reiteration in Morroco as she continued her visit to Africa. `What we cannot do is to have the transfer of power from one dictatorial regime to another. That is not acceptable in a Western hemisphere that is democratic, and it is not acceptable for the Cuban people. And so, I don’t think that, in the context that we see now, that a lifting of the embargo would be wise,` she said in response to a reporter`s question on whether the Bush administration would consider a call from Havana to lift the embargo.
The Foreign Ministry in Havana said the U.S. should end its economic embargo against the island if it really wants to help Cuba and not merely offer aid through non-governmental organizations.
But Rice added that President Bush has made it clear that the United States would be responsive to a Cuban regime that was prepared to release political prisoners and have a process to get to free and fair elections.
Hurricane Hannah slammed into Cuba last week while Hurricane Ike made land fall last night and is forecasted to cause tremendous flooding and damage. The United States Embargo Against Cuba was imposed on the Castro government on February 7, 1962.
