as soon as that does happen we'll bring it to you live. richelle carey. thank you for your time. >> this is al jazeera. f. >> very good to have you along. you're watching the al jazeera newshour, with me david foster. in the course of the next 60 minutes right now, obama and castro hold a historic meeting at havana's palace of the revolution. former drc vice president jean pierre benba is found guilty of murder rape and pillage by the

be international contractual court. plus. >> i'm robyn adams. all the latest from sport coming up. apologizing, reopening the debate on equal pay in the sport. >> so the u.s. president barack obama has been having talks, indeed could still be having you tax, they are are expected to be done with the cube an be president castro, the nation's flags crisscrossing, palace de la revolution. we're awaiting a press

conference, or statements from the two men. we've asked, the press that is, whether or not they would in fact be taking questions. no word on that so far so we'll wait to see whether raul castro will answer questions from the press corps, et cetera, et cetera. so waiting for that, this is the first visit of a sitting american president in nearly 90 years, symbolic in terms of reconciliation between the two cubs. mr. obama was greeted by a military honor guard in havana's palace of the revolution where they were discussing cuba's human rights record. that will be contentious and the u.s. embargo. obama laying a wreath at the cuban hero, jose marti.

we'll ask her about the changes she's seen, lucia newman, live for us now in havana. it's symbolic, we can see that, it's fantastic to see, but behind the scenes in terms of substance, what is actually happening? >> reporter: hello david. you know this is unchartered territory for cuba and the united states at least their governments going from being cold warren miss to standing side by side and listening to each other's national anthems, quite symbolic indeed. but behind the scenes of course we know that president barack obama and president raul castro have been possibly locking horns for last hour or more about their different views on human rights, on civil liberties in cuba, both things that absolutely divide these two countries. still president obama says he

hopes by reaching out to the cuban people he will be able to promote change, not impose change. that's kind of change the cuban government says it does not want to see and will not accept. we also know that president obama is accompanied by a large number of american business people -- >> lucia, we are waiting to see the two men side by side and hear what they have to say. >> translator: good afternoon. distinguished president barack obama, we are pleased to receive you. in this first visit, by a president of the united states to our country after 88 years. we find that in the 15 months that have gone by, since we made

the decision to reestablish diplomatic relations, we have had specific results. if we add to that, direct mail service, and we sign an agreement to reestablish regular flights, we hav have expanded cooperation for our mutual benefit. we have signed memoranda on understanding for protection of environment and marine areas and another one to improve the security of pair time navigation. today one more will be -- of maritime navigation. today one more will be signed on cooperation in agriculture. at this time, another group of bilateral instruments is being

negotiated, so as to see how we address drug trafficking, security in commerce, travelers and health. on this last point we have agreed to further cooperation for the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases such as zika, and chronic noncommunicable diseases. including cancer. this cooperation is beneficial not only for cuba and the united states, but also for our hemisphere. based on the decisions made by president obama to change the implementation of some aspects of the blockade, cuban companies

and their u.s. counterparts are working to identify possible commercial operation that could be carried out in the still restrictive framework of the regulations still in place. some have been materialized especially in the area of telecommunications. an area in which our country has a program based on its development priorities and on the need for technological sovereignty that guarantees their appropriate use at the service of national interests. progress is also being made in negotiations for acquiring drugs, medical equipment, and equipment for generating energy and protecting the environment,

among others. much more could be done if the u.s. blockade were lifted. we recognize the position of president obama and his government, his administration, against the blockade and his reiterated appeals to congress to do away with it. the latest measures adopted by your government are positive. but not sufficient. i exchange views with the president on other measures that we believe could be adopted, is to do away with restrictions that are still in place and to make an important contribution to dismantling the blockade.

this is essential because the blockade continues in place and it has deterrent components, and intimidating effects that have an extra tear o territorial impo show him the negative consequences for cuba and for other states. the blockade is the biggest obstacle to our economic development and to the well-being of the cuban people. for this reason, doing away with it will be essential for normalizing bilateral negotiations. it will also be beneficial for cuban migrants who wish the best for their family's family members and their country. to move towards normalization,

it will also are necessary to have territory that has been illegally occupied, the naval base at guantanamo to be returned. both issues as they are the main obstacles, were taken up once again, in the editorial, published last march 9th in the official organ of the communist party of cuba. and just four days ago, at the press conference held by our foreign minister bruno rodriguez parea, which was widely disseminated by the press. in addition, other policies should be suppressed so that there can be normal relations between cuba and the united states. one should not seek to that end

that the cuban people renounce the disaidge destination that te freely and sovereignly chosen and for which they have made immense sacrifices. we also exchanged views on international issues, in particular those that could affect regional peace and stability. in particular, it was planned and there was not time to conclude it, that we take up our concern regarding the situation of destabilization that is sought to be fostered in venezuela, which is counterproductive for the environment in the hemisphere. but i do note it on this

occasion. in addition, we engaged in engan dialogue on the peace process in colombia in efforts to bring an end to this conflict. there are profound differences between our countries that are not going to disappear. for we have different views, different way of thinking about various issues. such as political models, democracy, the exercise of human rights, social justice, international relations, and world peace and stability. we defend human rights. we consider that civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible,

interdependent and universal. we cannot conceive of a government not defending and guaranteeing the right to health, education, social security, the rights to food and development equal pay for equal work, and the rights of the child. we oppose political manipulation and two-faced approaches to human rights. cuba has a lot to say on these subjects and for this reason i reiterated to the president our willingness to continue the dialogue that we have begun. on the 17th of december, 2014,

when we announced the decision to reestablish diplomatic relations, i said we must learn the art of living together in a civilized manner with our differences. on july 15th, 2015, speaking to our legislature, i said change everything that must be changed is a sovereign matter for the cubans. the revolutionary government is willing to go forward in normalizing relations, convinced that both of our countries can cooperate and coexist in a civilized fashion for a mutual benefit above and beyond any differences that we have, and which we no doubt will have, and

thereby contribute to peace, security, stability, development, and equity, in our hemisphere and around the world. today i rat fight phi that we must -- ratify that we must put to rest the living together in a civilized environment, that means accepting our differences and not placing them at the center of the, if we don't benefit ties that promote both people and celebrate those things that bring us together and not separate us. we agree that a long and complex

path lies ahead but the important thing is that we have begun to take steps to build a new kind of relationship such as has never existed between cuba and the united states. it's easy to destroy a bridge. and it takes a very short time. rebuilding it solidly is a much long are and more difficult task. after four failed attempts in a show of will and perseverance, on september 2nd,2013, u.s. swim are diana nyad succeeded in

crossing the florida strait, swimming, and without a cage for protection from sharks. for that feat of crossing the distance that separates our countries, on august 30, 2014, under the national signs of cuba and the united states, she was given the order of merit granted by the council of state of cuba. this feat sends a strong message. it should serve as an example for us in our bilateral relationship.

for she confirmed, if she can, then we, too, can. i reiterate to president obama, our gratitude for his visit. and the willingness of the cuban government to continue going forward in the months ahead, for the well-being of our peoples and our countries. thank you very much. >> buenos tardes, president castro to you the cuban government and the cuban people, thank you for the welcome you have extended to me, to my family and to my delegation. for more than half a century, the sight of a u.s. president here in havana would have been unimaginable. but this is a new day.

nueva dia between our two countries. with your indulgence, mr. president, i want to go just briefly off topic. because during this weekend, i received news that one of our outstanding united states armed service members marine staff sergeant louis f. cardon of tem temecula california was killed in iraq, dealing with i.s.i.l, the terrorist organization there. and i just wanted to give my thoughts and prayers to the family there and those who have been injured as a reminder this even as we embark on this historic visit, there are u.s. armed service members who are sacrificing each and every day on behalf of our freedom and our safety.

so i'm grateful to them. my wife michelle and i have brought our daughters. and by the way they don't always go with us. they're teenagers now. they have friends at home and things to do. but they wanted to come to cuba because they understood and we wanted to show them the beauty of cuba and it's people. we were moved by the cubans who received us yesterday, smiling and waving as we drove in from the airport. we were grateful for opportunity to experience old havana. and some excellent cuban food. our visit to the cathedral was a reminder of the values that we share, the deep faith that sustains so many cubans and americans and it also gave me an opportunity to express my gratitude to cardinal ortega, who along with his holiness pope

francis did so much to be pay honor, and this morning i was able to pay tribute to jose marti, not only in his role in cuban independence but the profound words he spoke in support of liberty and freedom everywhere. i bring with me the greetings and friendship of the american people. in fact i'm joined on this trip by 40 members of congress, it indicates the excitement and interest of america about the process that we've undertaken. these members of congress threak ourecognize that the new interet of the american people is of interest to both nations. and i'm joined by america's entrepreneurs and business leaders, we're ready to proceed

with ties by americans and cubans alike. and i'm especially glad to be joined by so many cuban americans. for them and the more than 2 million cuban americans across the united states this is a moment filled with great emotion. ever since we have made it easier to travel between the countries, more cubans are coming home and this is a time for new hope in the future. president castro i want to thank you for the courtesy and the spirit of openness that you have shown during our talks and our meeting in panama last year you said you we were willing to discuss every issue and everything is on the table. with your understanding, my statement will be a little longer than usual. president castro always jokes with me about how long castro brother speeches can be. but i'm going to actually go a little longer than you probably today. with your indulgence. we have a half a century of work

to catch up on. our growing engagement with cuba is guided by one overarching goal, advancing the interests of our two countries and improving the lives of both cubans and americans. i've said after five difficult decades the relationships between our governments will not be trmple transformed overnight. president castro and i have had frank and can dead conversations on these subjects. the united states recognizes progress cuba has made as a nation, its enormous achievements in education and he health care, and perhaps most importantly i have affirmed that cuba's destiny will not be

decided by united states or any other nation. cuba is sovereign and rightly has great pride. and the future of cuba will be decided by cubans not by anybody else. at the same time, as we do wherever we go an the world, i paid it clear that the united states will continue to speak up on behalf of democracy, including the right of the cuban people to decide their own future. we'll speak out on behalf of universal human rights including freedom of speech and assembly and religion. indeed i look forward to hearing from and meeting with cuban individuals tomorrow, and as president castro invitation b ct

believes with an attitude of mutual respect that we can both learn. and make the lives of our people better. a part of normalizing relation means that we discuss these differences directly. so i'm very pleased that we've agreed to hold our next u.s.-cuba human rights dialogue here in havana, this year, and both of our countries will welcome visits by independent united nations experts as we combat human trafficking which we agree is a profound violation of human rights. even as we discuss these differences, we share a belief that we can continue to make progress in those areas that we have in common. president castro, you've said in

panama that we might disagree on something today, in which we might agree on tomorrow. that has been true in the past 15 months in the days that lead up to this visit. we continue to move forward on many fronts when it comes to normalizing relations. we're moving ahead with many opportunities for americans to travel to cuba and interact with the cuban people. over the past year the number of americans coming here have searched. last week we gave approval for individual americans to come here for educational travel. u.s. airlines will begin direct commercial flights this year, with last week's port security announcement weeive remove we've last major hurmd fo hurdle for s to visit, we are moving ahead with more trade, with only 90 miles between us we're natural

trading partners. other steps we took last week allowing the u.s. dollar to be used more widely with cuba, giving cubans more access to the dollar in international transactions and allowing cubans in the u.s. to earn salaries, these things will do more to create opportunities for trade and joint ventures. we welcome cuba's intention to end the 10% penalty on currency transaction. with this visits we agree to deepen our cooperation in agriculture to support our farmers and our ranchers. this afternoon i'll highlight some of the big commercial deals being announced by major u.s. companies and just as i continue to ask congress to lift the trade embargo, steps to show

that it's allowing more be joint ventures and more foreign companies to hire cubans directly. we're moving ahead with our efforts to help connect more cubans to the internet and the global economy. under president castro cuba has set a goal to bring more of the country online, and additional steps we are taking to help cubans learn innovate and do business online, because in the 21st century, success comes from citizens having an access to the internet. we are moving ahead with more educational exchanges, thanks to the generous support of the cuban community, america's initiative will offer more opportunity for university students study abroad, more americans at cuban schools and more cubans at u.s. schools. going forward educational grants

and scholarships will be available to cuban students and in pattern with the cuban government, we'll offer more training for teachers in cuba and online. eeeven as cubans await the arril of the reeling stones, we all look forward to the matchup between the tampa bay rays and the national team, moving ahead with partnerships in health, science and the environment. just as cubans and americans have worked together in haiti against col rah an cholera and t africa against ebola, in partnership with us and other nations we very much appreciate the work that they did. our medical professionals will

now collaborate in new areas, preventing the spread of viruses like zika and cancer vaccines. our governments will work together to protect the beautiful waters of this region that we share and as two countries threatened by climate change, i believe we can work together to protect comoourchtss in our low lying coasts, and our partners at this spring's regional energy summit in washington. and finally we're moving ahead with our closer cooperation on regional security. we're working to deep ben our lw enforcement commitment, especially narco-trafficking. , and between the colombian government and the farc, and we remain confident that colombians

can achieve a lasting peace. i believe the whole region has an interest in a country that's addressing its economic challenges, is responsive to the aspirations of its people and the stability of the region. that is i believe an interest that we should all share. so again president castro i want to thank you for welcoming me. i think it's fair to say that the united states and cuba are now engaged across more areas than in any time during my lifetime and with every passing day more americans are coming to cube, more u.s. businesses schools and faith groups are working to forge new partnerships with the cuban people, more cubans are benefiting from the opportunities that this travel and trade bring. as you indicated the road ahead will not be easy. fortunately we don't have to swim with sharks in order to achieve the goals you and i have set forth. as you say here in cuba, despite

the difficulties, we will continue to move forward. we're focused on the future and i'm absolutely confident that if we stay on this course we can deliver a better and brighter future for both the cuban people and the american people. so muchas gracias, thank you very much. >> and you have been listening to president barack obama speaking from havana, cuba. the gentleman you see to the president's left is raul castro, the president of cuba. kind of giving an update of some of what they talked about for the last hour, hour and a half or so about the normalizing of relations between the two countries. the first time an american president has stepped foot there in almost 90 years. so let's talk to our senior washington correspondent, mike viqueria who is in havana. and has been listening. guys, as you can see they

actually are taking some questions. are we going to listening in? let's listen in as the press is asking some questions. >> translator: my father is cuban. he left for united states when he was very young. this is a new democratic direction for your country. and please, sir. why do you have political, cuban political prisoners? why do you have -- and why don't you release them? and another last question, who do you prefer, hillary clinton or donald trump? thank you.

>> well -- as i think we both indicated, we had a very frank conversation around issues of democracy and human rights. our starting point is that we have two different systems, two different systems of government. go differen -- two different ecs and we have decades of profound differences. both bilaterally and international. internationally. what i have said to president cast trocastro is that we are mg forward and not moving backwards, that we don't view cuba as a threat to the united states. i hope that my visit here indicates the degree to which we're setting a new chapter in cuban-american relation he. but as is true with countries tarnld world -- around the world where we have noirmsed relations

we will drntion -- normalize he relations, we will continue to stand up for be freedoms, freedom of speech and assembly and religion are not just american values but are universal values. they may not express themselves in every way in every country, they may not be enshrined in the founding documents of every country or protected legally in exactly the same ways but the impulse towards freedom, the freedom that jose marti talked about we think is a universal longing. president castro i think has pointed out that in his view, making sure that everybody's getting a decent education or health care, has basic security

in old age, that those things are human rights as well. i personally would not disagree with that. but it doesn't detract from some of these other concerns. and the goal of the human rights dialogue is not for the united states to dictate to cuba how they should govern themselves, but to make sure that we are having a frank and candid conversation around this issue. and hopefully, that we can learn from each other. it does not mean that it has to be the only issue we talk about. economics, health, scientific exchanges, international cooperation on issues of regional as well as global import are also important. but this is something that we are going to stay on.

and i actually welcome president castro commenting on some of the areas that he feels that we're falling short, because i think we should not be immune or afraid of criticism or discussion as well. here's the one thing i do know: is that when i talked to cuban americans, and jim, you're second generation, and so i think i speak thought for you directly but for many that i talked to around the united states, i think there's enormous hope that there can be reconciliation and the bridge that president castro discussed can be built between the cuban american community and cubans here.

their family ties and cultural ties that are so strong. and i think everyone would benefit from those ties being reestablished. one of the impediments to strengthening those ties is these disagreements around human rights and democracy. and to the extent that we can have a good conversation about that, and to actually make progress, that i think will allow us to see the full flowering of a relationship that is possible. in the absence of that, i think it will continue to be a very powerful irritant. and this is not unique to u.s.-cuban relations. it is one that as you know i have conversations with when we go to bilateral meetings with some of our very close allies,

as well as countries that we don't have as close of a relationship to. but i think it is something that matters. and i've met with people who have been subject to arbitrary detention and that is something that i generally have to speak out on because i hear from them directly. because i know what it means for them. consume. excuse me. >> yeah? >> yeah yeah, what -- >> translator: i was asking if he was -- if his question was directed to me, or to president obama. you talked about, no, you talked about political prisoners.

>> and trump and hilary. hill hillary. >> for him or for me? for. >> for you, president castro, can you repeat that we about political prisoners? did you ask if we had political prisoners? did you ask if we had political prisoners? >> i wanted to know if you have cuban political prisoners. and why you don't release them. >> well give me the list of the political prisoners and i will release them immediately. give me a name or flames. or when, after this meeting is over you can give me a list of public utility prisoners. and if we have political prisoners they will be released before tonight ends.

>> and what about your preference for -- >> my greetings for president obama. i cannot vote in the united states. >> my question is for president raul castro. president castro you have repeatedly stated and today once again, that we must learn to coexist in a civilized manner with our differences, could you broaden this concept, at this historical moment that we are living? and then i have a brief question for president obama. president obama, could you as government give more space to

eliminate u.s. blockade during your mandate so that another generation of cubans would not have to suffer this economic and commercial blockade against cuba? >> the first question was for me. please repeat your question because i couldn't layer well. >> you have said repeatedly that we must learn to coexist in a civilized manner with our differences. >> well, president obama himself has referred to that. we have given the first steps. many. for being the first steps. and we must continue giving these steps. and i'm sure that we will be

able to coexist peacefully in an environment of mutual cooperation as we are doing already in many fields. for benefit of both countries. and for the benefit of other countries as we already have done. in haiti when the cholera and in africa with the ebola. that is the future of ma mankinf we want to save the human species if the level of water grows and the land may become smaller. you are making too much questions, too many questions i think to me. questions should be directed to president obama.

>> we have missile already made a number of changes to the embargo. i referred the them in my opening statement and we have actually been fairly aggressive in exercising as much flexibility as we can given that the law, putting the embargo in place, has not been repealed by congress. there may be some technical aspects of the embargo that we can still make adjustment on depending on problems as they arise. so for example, the issue around the dollar, and the need to make modificationest in terms of how the embargo was implemented to encourage, rather than discourage, reforms that the cuban government itself is willing to engage in and to

facilitate greater trade and commerce, that is something that grew out of the dialogue between our governments, and we have made appropriate adjustments to it. it will take some time for commercial banks to understand the new rules. but we actually think that this is an area where we can improve current circumstances. but i'll be honest with you that the list of things that we can do missil administratively is gg shorter and the bulk of changes that have to be made with respect to the embargo are now going to rely on congress make changes. i've been very clear about the interest in getting that done before i leave. frankly, congress is thought as productive as i would like during a presidential election year.

but the fact that we have such a large congressional delegation with democrats and republicans with us is an indication that there's growing interest inside of congress for lifting the embargo. as i just indicated in my earlier answer: how quickly that happens will, in part, depend on whether we can bridge some of our differences around human rights issues. and that's why the dialogue i think is so important. it sends a signal that at least there's engagement between the two countries on these matters, okay? now i promised the president i would take one more question. andrea mitchell of nbc. andrea, if you can get the mic. >> thank you, mr. president. do you feel after your meeting today that you have made enough progress to even accelerate the pace and that the cuban government is able to move

quickly enough so that the changes that you have made to these technical adjustments to the embargo will be permanent, cannot be reversed by the next president, and what advice have you given to president castro about the ability of having the blockade, the embargo, lifted? because he has said again today, this is a continuous issue which is blocking progress from their standpoint. and you said the conversations about human rights were frank and candid. and that you want to move forward. but even as you were arriving, there were dramatic arrests of peaceful protests of ladies in white. what signal does that send? can you have civilized co-existence at the same time you have such profound disagreements about the very definitions of what human rights

means as president castro said today? and for president castro, for many of us it's remarkable to hear you speak about all of these subjects. could you tell us what you see in the future? president obama has nine months remaining. you have said you would be stepping down in 2018. what is the future of our two countries given the different definitions and the different interpretations of profound issues like democracy and human rights? thank you. >> well, andrea, the embargo is going to end. when, i can't be entirely sure. but i believe it will end. and the path that we're on will continue beyond my administration. the reason is be logical.

the -- the reason is logical abou.the reason is what we did 0 years did not serve our interests or the interest of the cuban people. the reason i said about normalization, if you keep doing something over and over again for 50 years and it doesn't work, it may make sense to try something new. that's what we've done. and the fact that there has been strong support not just inside of congress, not just among the american people but also among the cuban people, indicates that this is a process that should and will continue. having said that, lifting the embargo requires the votes of a majority in congress, and maybe even more than the majority, in the senate. and as i indicated to president castro, two things i think will

help accelerate the pace of bringing the embargo to an end. the first is to the degree that we can take advantage of the existing changes that we've already made and we see progress, that will help to validate this change in policy. so for example, we have said that it is no longer a restriction on u.s. companies to invest in helping to build internet and broadband infrastructure inside of cuba. it is not -- it is not against u.s. law. as it's been interpreted by the administration. if we start seeing those kinds of commercial deals taking place, and cubans are benefiting from greater access to the internet, and when i go to the

entrepreneurship meeting later this afternoon, i understand that we're going to meet some young cubans who are already getting trained and are if a fae in using the internet, that builds on the work that we're doing in agriculture and you start seeing more u.s. farmers interacting with cuban farmers and there's more exports and imports, that builds a constituency and the possibility of ending the embargo increases. so hopefully taking advantage of what we have already done will help. the second area which we have already discussed be extensively, is human rights. now keep in mind i've got fierce disagreements with the chinese over human rights, i'll be going to vietnam later this year.

i have deep disagreements with them, as well. when we first visited people questioned whether we should be traveling there. because of long standing human rights violations in our view. and the approach that i've taken has been that if i engage, frankly, clearly, stating what our beliefs are but also, being clear that we can't force change on any particular country, ultimately it has to come from within, then that is going to be a more useful strategy than the same kinds of rigid disengagement that for 50 years did nothing. i guess ultimately what this comes down to andrea is, i have faith in people. i believe if you meet cubans here and cubans meet americans

and they are talking and interacting and going to school together and learning from each other then they'll recognize that people are people. and in that context i believe that change will occur. >> president castro. >> now i'm done but senior presidente, andrea had a question for you about your vision. it's up to you. he did say he was only going to take one question and i was going to take two. but i leave it up to you if you want to address that question. >> por favor. >> andrea -- she is one of our most esteemedde esteemedden joun america. >> en ab >> be. >> andrea. the other day i asked a question to our foreign minister, andrea.

but there is a program here to be fulfilled. i know if i stay here you will make 500 questions. i said i would answer one. i will answer one and a half. president obama has already helped me out with the answer here, andrea. well andrea. i was reading here something i think about human rights. but i'm going to make the question to you now. there are 40 -- there are 61 international instruments recognized. how many countries in the world

comply with all the human rights and civil rights that have been included in these 61 instruments? what country complies with them all? do you know how many? i do. none. none, whatsoever. some countries comply, some right, comply others comply others, we are among these countries. out of these 61 instruments cuba has complied with 47 of these human rights instruments. there are countries that may comply with more. those that comply with less. i think human rights issues should not be politized. that is not crekd. if tha -- correct.if that is the will stay the same way. like cuba, does not fulfill all the rights. do you think there is any

other -- more sacred right than the right to help so that bells -- health so that billions of children don't die because of the lack of a drug or vaccine or a medicament? for example, do you agree with the right to free education for all those born anywhere in the world or in any country? i think many countries don't think this is a human right. in cuba, all children are born in a hospital, and they are registered that day. and when mothers are in advance pregnancy they go to hospitals. days before. fumany days before delivery so that all children are born in

hospitals. it doesn't matter if they live in far away places or in mountains or hills. we have many other rights. a right to health, the right to education. and this is my last example that i will mention. do you think that for equal workmen get better paid than women just for the fact of being women. well, in cuba, women get same pay for same work. i can give you mean, many examples, so i don't think we

cannot use the argument of human rights for political confrontation. it's not fair, it's not correct. i'm not saying it's not honest, but let us work so we can all comply with all human rights. it's like talking about prizes. i'm going to end here, because there's a commitment we should end in time. it's not correct to ask me about split equal prisoners in general. please give me the name of political prisoners. this is enough. we have concluded, thank you for your participation. mike viqueira, are you

there? >> yes, i am. that was an extraordinary press conference, absolutely, no question about it. you know, first of all there was a negotiation beforehand between the u.s. and the cuban side, whether there would be any questions at all. the last we heard, there would be no questions arrived. someone yielded and the men reporter that first questioned, i happened to know that reporter, his own family history. his family emigrated from cuba to the united states, a pointed question about human rights in cuba, a little confusion at the outset, but raul castro rejecting political prisoners, he said give me a list, give me the names and i'll release them. an awkward moment in what is intended to be reconciliation, almost an historic visit with obama.

obama taking more questions, and putting castro on the spot to get him to answer that second question where he talked about health care as a right. clearly implying that those things do not happen in the united states we'll bring in the ambassador into this conversation, a chev of mission, from 1999 to 2000. her resume is impressive. that is the highlight i'll give you. what is your take away from what you just heard? it was fascinating. >> it was really fascinating. up know what my immediate takeaway was? obama, president obama and raul castro agree on one thing, it's not going to be easy. president obama said okay, it's going to be a process. raul castro gave the examplf