it is not simply raul castro's demands. it is raul castro's actions that we have to take into account. >> yes, sir. you had a question? right there. >> thank you for being here. i'm cuban-american. i came when i was seven years old. i agree that the embargo has not worked. but are we naive enough to think that the cuban government will allow entrepreneur within the island to empower themselves? that is ridiculous. and sir, you said that people left property. i came when i was seven. my father was a doctor. they left everything, not by choice. so it is kind of sad to see that someone fought in the bay of pigs invasion may come and said people left their property there. [applause] >> if i can address the part about, again about the entrepreneurs. the cuban. >> quickly. >> the cubans fidel traveled to china, vietnam, malaysia and japan and came back and told the central committee of the communist party that he had seen tremendous economic development there. they were making mistake. if they kept allowing inequalities come from

cuba's president raul castro's message to america pay up. demanding cash for past damages and demanding we close up shop at guantanamo bay and pay up for the cleanup while we are at it, if we want any deal. we have our own messages. what do you make of this? >> i guess we've emboldened the guy, right? i don't understand this i'm a boxing fan. if i'm watching a fight and a guy sees another guy for nine rounds and the tenth guy the guy winning falls on the campus of course this guy raul thinks he is winning and making demands. i would, too. we turned this upside down. we beat them. why does president obama now back over backwards? i would keep asking for stuff castro. >> i have no idea about that analogy. are we on the ground? who is rocky and who is apollo creed. >> the guy's driving a 50-year-old car and we're on the canvas. >> cuba needs us more than we need them. i don't understand. >> you hear what he is saying. raul is saying you do this, this, this and all the embargoes or no deal what do we say? >> could you imagine ronald reagan being

>> hi./ with all the demands that raul castro has made on the united states, i am just wondering has anything been said or done to try to replace the assets that our original cubans left behind when they came to the united state. many people were left penniless. >> one of the things that will have to be discussed in the long and frustrating process of normalization if we ever get there will have to be the foreign claims settlement commission there are 1600 claims that total seven or -- seven billion dollars or $8 billion for american citizens whose property was taken. there are the people who left their goods on the island because they were not allowed to leave with rings. that will be a big discussion and has been a discussion with a lot of countries and normally you get $.10 on the dollar. that is one of the major issues to be discussed and what the hcubans will say is that you are was $100 billion because you have decided not to trade with us. we will never do that and they want guantanamo back. >> this is an interesting aspect that will affect all the cubans here. as far as the c

[speaking spanish] >> translator: what has raul castro given in exchange?[speaking spanish] >> translator: only when all political prisoners are released only when all independent political parties and labor unions are legalized. [speaking spanish] >> translator: only when free multiparty democratic elections are carried out. [speaking spanish] >> translator: only plan human rights are expect -- respected only then should be that the embargo. [speaking spanish] >> translator: i thank god for having been raised by a family which taught me truth. [speaking spanish] >> translator: for stating what was on my mind it was not able to finish my studies and neither were my sons. [speaking spanish] >> translator: my family and i have been repressed, beaten and thrown into cells. [speaking spanish] >> translator: my house was destroyed by those using sticks and stones. [speaking spanish] >> translator: who hurled all types of paints, tar waste. [speaking spanish] >> translator: excrement and chemical liquids. [speaking spanish] >> translator: attacks against my house

it is not seeking raul castro's demands, it's raul castro's actions we have to take into account. >>ank you for being here. i'm cuban american. i came when i was 7 years old. i agree the embargo has not work. are we ni ev enough to believe the government will allow the entrepreneur entrepreneurs on the island to empower themselves? that's ridiculous. sir, you said people left their properties. i came when i was 7. my father was a doctor. they left everything, not by choice. it's kind of sad to see someone that fought in the bay of pigs envation madeçó comments that people just left their property there. [ applause ] >> if i can address the part about -- again about the entrepreneurs. the cubans -- when i was there fidel traveled to china, vietnam, malaysia and japan and came back and told the communist party he had seen tremendous economic development there but they were making a mistake.já"ti q+entually if they kept allowing economic policies that come from economic growth they would lose political power. they would have demands for elections and internal elections from china. he ca

the trial with raul castro as the judge is a great, great hero of cuba and then his ultimate execution by firing squad. the theory in cuba on the island was that this happened because because ka was trafficking drugs and they needed to use him as a scapegoat to void any possible repercussions. you get rid of this program. they had been subsidizing by participating in trafficking. it's horrible. so i think the book contributes to that debate at the very least until we can get greater amounts of information. >> another element with ochoa was he was the fall guy by the united states. >> for drug trafficking. >> for drug trafficking. and in the book sergio pen onexplains trafficking. >> for drug he and arturo cobow were very involved in the operation. >> the head of cuba's navy was also. >> carlos santa maria. they were all involved. but it was the state department didn't want to believe anything. and the f.b.i., what we found in the testimony in the book, it it describes the fact that the fbi brings sergio pen oninto court and says, how can you talk about this? did you talk about this to

it is not simply a all castro's -- raul castro's demands, it is raul castro's actions that we have to take into account. >> yes sir. you had a question? right there. >> thank you for being here. i'm cuban-american. i came when i was 7 years old and i agree that the embargo has not worked. but are we naive enough to think that the cuban government is going to allow -- [inaudible] to empower themselves? that's ridiculous. and, sir, you said people's regular property i came when i was 7. my tower was a doctor -- my father was a doctor. they left everything not by choice. so it's kind of sad to see that someone who fought in the bay of pigs invasion made comments that people just left their property there. [applause] >> let me, let me -- if i can address the part about, again, about the entrepreneurs. the i cuban -- >> quickly. >> the cubans when i was there, fidel traveled to china, vietnam, malaysia and japan and came back and told the central committee of the communist party he'd seen tremendous economic development there, but they were making a mistake. they were going to eventually,

. >> president barack obama's policy of opening up a relationship with cuba, cuba's president raul castro says he will not consider reestablishing ties until president obama withdraws from guantanamo. >>> the u.k. house of commons is considering whether babies can be born with genetic material from three people. the proposal still has to be approved by the house of lords before it becomes law. >>> five paintings from the painter claude monet are going under the auction hammer. >>> the winners of an international music competition for young people performed at new york'snew york's carnegie hall on monday. the most remarkable honor came from a young syrian musician. kristin saloomey has the story. >> 18 months since his first piano lesson. to be one of 50 children chosen to perform here. his family fled syria's civil war. >> there's been a lot of kids like me, maybe dying or because of cold, or because of bombs, i don't know. and i am not very happy for that. i'm sad for that. be i hope this will end soon. >> reporter: he knows he's lucky, not just to have so much talent. first playing acco

you can see how raul castro himself is setting conditions.ut which are the conditions being set by the cuban government? how can it be possible that so much violence is exerted against women simply because they are trying to practice this freedom? how can it be possible that you are peaceably walking on a sidewalk in your country, and the regime hurled pro-government thugs, paramilitary thugs against you? how can it be possible that the police take us to faraway parts of the city and fracture our wrists with their pistol butts? it is a suffering people. it is a people that need freedom. freedom depends on us cubans. but we need the support, we need the material and spiritual support of other governments. i want to go further back. in 1980 100,000 cubans left cuba. teachers engineers physicians. castro called them scum and said they were leaving for economic reasons. >> i am going to interrupt you for a second because i know you have a flight to catch. i want to say something before you leave. this is the news of today. "dissidents arrested fo

cuando raÚl castro puso como condiciÓn para las negociaciones entre ambas naciones que se suavizara elo de abandonar los programas de apoyo activistas pro democracia en la isla, asegurÓ el departamento estaba la primera audiencia del congreso despuÉs del anuncio del presidente obama de restablecer relaciones con la habana, tampoco dejarÁn de reunirse con los disidentes. siempre nos mantendremos firmes a nuestros principios conversaremos y promoveremos los dd.hh. en cuba dijo la subsecretaria encargada de las negociaciones. anunciÓ que habrÁ una segunda ronda de conversaciones este mes en washington un 187 fueron detenidos en cuba en enero del aÑo pasado hubo mÁs de 8000 detenciones. >> la naturaleza del rÉgimen cubano no ha cambiado, quien convocÓ la audiencia reiterÓ su oposiciÓn al convenio. >> mÁs dinero entrando a una economÍa que los controlan completamente. >> por quÉ no se usÓ toda la oportunidad que los ee.uu. tenÍan para lograr algo de beneficio para el pueblo cubano. >> su apoyo a la normalizaciÓn de las relaciones con cuba no incluye levantar el embargo, 3 de 4 disidentes qu

president barack obama and his cuban counterpartly raul castro announced the intention to restore ties after 50 years of enemyity. enmity. >> area is main base of operation for his began. john holman holman reports. >> today we've achieved the most important objective in the fight against organized crime. l gomez known as la tuta led one of the mexican be criminal organization technical knights templar. gomez always maintainhe was a man of the people. >> i proudly represent the knights templar core tell. our intention is to make this work. we want the people of michoacan to live in peace and move freely through state. >> over the past years the cartel was under threat, then from federal authorities in the state of michoacan. gomez had been hiding more than a year. his capture could give a boost to president enrique pena nieto. >> it is one more nail in the coffin of the templarios, but other groups are taking their place. >> for years security analysts have been saying that mexico's problem with violence hasn't been solved by im imprisoning the cartel are leaders. they go beyond jailin

raul castro said we will not change. and looks the other way. it undercuts the brave fighters in cuba who rightfully believe that the u.s. has turned its back on them. don't confuse the u.s. people with the administration. just like we don't confuse the castro regime with the people of cuba. who owns the hotels? the castro regime. what runs them? the castro military. the truth is it is a regime that severely punishes dissidents. even to this day. a yong rapper sentenced to prison just last week for a year. did he commit a crime? no his charge was dangerousness which could lead to a crime. the precogs of that movie. they predict you are going to commit a crime so they arrest you beforehand. this regime forbids reform and will do anything. forbids cubans from listening to independent private or foreign broadcasts and even sensors the signals of its own ally's televised propaganda. it is important we understand the kind of the murderous regime we're dealing and that president obama wants to normalize relations with. on november 4, 199 the house com

i think economic pragmatism that chris mentioned is probably the way that raul castro wants to set his legacy, because his legitimacy is based on whether or not he can bring home the bacon. he's tried economic reform. there are significant changes under him but the results have been marginal at best. the question is are they going to double down, go deeper and broader. this i think is a way for the united states to try to encourage that, but also to help the cuban people push for that. >> chris i want to ask you a question when we see change like this take place and the most recent example i can think of is liberia where you see a nation torn apart in liberia by war and 20 years later the people lieu fled, who had the economic resource to say flee came back and said good, now we are going to come back and reclaim our land, take charge of what we had to walk away from under duress, it's difficult when people say you left us behind. is that going to happen in cuba? >> i think there's very much that risk. it's also you overlay on that a race factor, as well. most people who left cuba were

now raul castro is demanding the return of guantanamo, a full u.s. list of concessions including limiting our democracy -- while the cuban people still struggle to make ends meet. that's why among many other reasons, mr. chairman, i think this is a bad deal and i ask my statements be included in the record. >> we move to our testimony and i recognize secretary jake con send. your full statement is in the record. we ask you keep your statement to five minutes or so so we can get to the questioning. thank you for being here today. >> thank you mr. chairman and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify today on newt approach to u.s.-cuban policy. i appreciate your engagement on issues related to cuba and western hemisphere and know your struck in itment to values, human rights and expanding economic opportunities in the americas. i want to thank this committee for assistance in welcoming the long overdo return of alan gross to his family. his five long years of detention during that time, the administration worked closely with men members

raul castro said we will not change. and looks the other way. it undercuts the brave fighters in cuba who rightfully believe that the u.s. has turned its back on them. don't confuse the u.s. people with the administration. just like we don't confuse the castro regime with the people of cuba. and for what are these negotiations? so that more americans can travel to cuba and see what the regime wants them to see? all the while while the regime fills its coughffer. who owns the hotels? the castro regime. what runs them? the castro military. the truth is it is a regime that severely punishes dissidents. even to this day. a young rapper sentenced to prison just last week for a year. did he commit a crime? no, his charge was dangerousness which could lead to a crime. the precogs of that movie. they predict you are going to commit a crime so they arrest you beforehand. this regime forbids reform and will do anything. to main table -- maintain its grip on power. it forbids cubans from listening to independent private or foreign broadcasts and even censo

under raul castro forming reforms, a tax structure and shrinking state pay rolls allowed privately owned small businesses to crop up across the island. this is one of the top private restaurants in havana and it's amazing that you can see it like this. it was just a brick wall a couple of years ago, shrouding the restaurant so if you walked by, you wouldn't know it existed. it's a secret enclave. now you can see them showcasing what they have. it's emblem attic of a change this cuba in which some are getting richer. >> inside a fresh prepares a japanese style dish costing $22, the equivalent of an average salary. it's a scope of luxury off limits to most cubans for generations. but the island's emerging private sector which will get a major boost, has left customers and restaurants with a little more cash to spend. >> when we started the restaurant, a plate of food cost $2 to $3. nothing costs that today. we are trying to make a profit that is more sophisticated and competitive. >> private enterprise existed in cuba during the special period in which soviet subsidies dried up cuba tried

cuba's president raul castro's message to america pay up. damages and demanding we close up shop at guantanamo bay and pay up for the cleanup while we are at it, if we want any deal. we have our own messages. what do you make of this? >> i guess we've emboldened the

raul castro has reportedly said -- touted the fact that he gave up nothing. essentially we made all the concessions. how do you answer that? >> i appreciate the question congressman. i really do, because i think it's important -- there's nothing in what we decided on the 17th that we believe is a concession to the cuban government. it is true that we have begun to talk about diplomatic relations. it is also true that we are going to try and move forward with embassies in each other's countries. we strongly believe that having an embassy in havana will enable us to do more things that help us more effectively empower the cuban people, not high, necessarily, on the cuban government's list of desires. we also believe that by allowing american companies to engage in telecommunications sales and acting to get greater information into cuba to work with the entrepreneurs who i sat down with while i was there, we can begin to increase the pace at which people separate themselves from the state. also not something that the cuban government has on its list of prioritie

back in december president obama and his cuban counter part raul castro, have decided to restore ties after 50 years of animosity. >>> people were arrested in the moldives after clashes broke out in demonstrations. thousands on the streets demanding the resignation of the president. and asking for the former president to be released from police detention. he has been he would under the country's terrorism law. his supporters deny those charges. >>> in afghanistan more than 200 people have died in the worst avalanches to hit the country in decades. the death tolls are expected to rise as rescue teams try to reach remote villages. nicole johnston reports from panjshir. >> it has seen snow before. but this is something different. meters and meters of it. turning jagged mountains into smooth, white slopes, and valleys into silent gorges. in the provincial capitol, it was anything but quiet. helicopters buzzed over head. hundreds of troops trudged uphill to security the peaks. and the convoy of military vehicles blocked the only road through the valley. while the commotion president ashraf

it was back in december barack obama and his cuban counter part raul castro would restore ties. >> the u.s. homeland security has received seven days of funding. congress now has seven days to find a permanent solution for homeland as funding problem. >> they have now agreed on a stop-gap measure to fund the department of homeland security for seven days. that means that members of the border patrol, cost guard and the secret service security detail will be going to work as they used to, but now they'll be getting a paycheck. there will be continued debate on capitol hill of how to fund this department beyond the seven days. that is where the real controversy comes in. there are many on capitol hill that feel that this funding should be tied to an issue on immigration, that is deeply controversial in this country. that is the executive order put in place by president obama late last year that would allow a pathway. citizenship for those who entered the united states illegally. many of the americans elected members of congress, they say this is unconstitutional, the president did not ha

raul castro said he will no formalise ties until obama reconsiders the trade embargo. u.s. congress is not likely to support the move and is expected to hold a hearing later on stage. >> the u.k. house of commence is set to vote in a medical posterior, allowing a baby to be born. the procedure is to stop mothers passing on a faulty gene which can cause a range of bebill tating disease. it has to be approved before it becomes law >>> five monet paintings are going under the ladder in london for $5 million. the most coveted is "ley grand canal" which monet declared was. >> beautiful to be pointed >>> a winner of international music competition to be performed at carnegie hall. the winner from a young syrian refugee. >> reporter: carnegie hall. most spend years practicing before getting a chance to may at this store. for tomb yrk, it's 18 months since his first piano lessons. to be one of 50 children chosen to perform here. it was not easy for a young man whose family fled the civil war. there's a lot of kids like me of my age maybe dying because of the cold or bombs, i don't

they also say they are very concerned by the statements that have been made by raul castro, as of late, they are also concerned about some of the actions of his government. family the fact that in this deal to bring about the first normalization of relations that in fact, 53 prisoners that were released these senators say in fact, some of those prisoners have now been rearrested. so they are concerned about that. they also say there is no concerns about compensation, who their as sets seized and are still waiting for compensation there's a lot of concern pass are outstanding. this is a first in a series of talks it will take a long time before these talks will continue but the fact that they are zillion is a very prominent economic embargo in place, and it will take congress to not only convince but they will have to vote to lift it. >> live in washington, thank you and u.n. has criticized both the ukrainian government and pro russian separatists for turning schools and hospitals into battlegrounds. an ex-collation in the fighting has killed at least 224 civilians. in the past three we

. -- raul castro. >> the two largest protest in cuba were actually protests by entrepreneurs who were protesting -- that is the truth. >> there was one with 500 people in the streets. >> i know you do not want to recognize entrepreneurs. if i may, it is my turn. amnesty has called for a lifting of the embargo and so as human rights watch. -- has human rights watch. it goes down to whether we want to micromanage a transition and just hope that by demanding we will do everything -- they will do everything we want and empowering civil society. civil society is not just a handful of dissidents that it really a particular policy here, it is everybody that is opposed to the government, the entire opposition movement. entrepreneurs, academics artists, anybody seeking to increase autonomy from the state. they are the folks we should be helping and that is what this policy does. i would point out that in the end what the obama administration is hoping is that business people like you will be a will to directly invest with more help entrepreneurs -- or help entrepreneurs. >> we really should op

of course four years ago raul castro promised to release all political prisoners. yet in a recent freedom house report we read that systemic use of short-term preventable detentions with beatings are used to intimidate the opposition and isolate and maintain control. advocates put the number of political arrests in cuba last year at over 8,000 arrests. the assistant secretary, i appreciate your meeting while you were in havana last month. i am very concerned that your cuban counter parts are attempting to link your discussions to a commitment that the u.s. sees all democracy programs. indeed castro is making more demands. they called for the return of the naval station and end to u.s. broadcast and just compensation in his words. there is little debate over the experience of this facility for the u.s. navy to conduct counter narcotics, intelligence and humanitarian missions. our broadcasts are vital until a free meeting is allowed to operate. i hope the state department is here to assure us that none of castro's demands are being considered. in defending this polic

can be achieved before president obama and president raul castro meet in april. >>> president obama last night signed a last-minute stopgap bill to extend funding for a week. lawmakers will square off again next week as republicans push to repeal president obama's executive action on immigration. democrats want a stand-alone full year funding bill. >>> and a few miles down the potomac. conservative republicans out in force, presidential hopefuls eyeing next year's race for the white house lined up in what is considered the starting gun of the republican primary campaign. abc's david wright is there. >> reporter: the favorite son at this annual gathering of conservative activists is a senator promising the largest tax cut in u.s. history. >> my tax plan will keep the irs out of your life and out the way of every job creator in america. >> reporter: rand paul gets bragging rights for winning the straw poll. but that's it. the first primaries are still about a year away. no one has officially announced. but judging from the turnout plenty of people thinking of throwing their hats in the rin

of cuba -- [speaking spanish] >> translator: the resources that are meant for the cuban people raul castroke to strengthened the oppression apparatus. thank you. >> thank you so much, mr. smith. thank you for calling this important hearing. thank you to our witnesses who are victims of the castro regime for being here today. [speaking spanish] i'm humbled to be in your presence. some of you live in cuba, others are here now but have family in cuba so i know that you are very brave for being here today. this is sort of an insurance policy that you have offered of them, mr. smith. because by being here today or have still have some degree of protection that those are the figures, as brave as you are will not have. so i know you worry about them. thank you for holding up their photos. thank you for describing the current dismal human rights situation in my native homeland of cuba. and i wanted to just give this statement and ask you some questions. how has the regime's treatment of its critics changed since december 17? do you think this announcement will force changes? i will ask you to resp

and that is last week raul castro stated that normalizing bilateral relations with the u.s. would not be possible until the u.s. returns the naval station at guantanamo bay to cuba. is the administration considering transferring this military asset back to the cuban people? i'll remind you, when we talked with the state department before i negotiations on another subject, the state department spokesman said unequivocally that the united states is not considering the release of any member of the cuban five. one of who was convicted for his part in killing four americans for alan gross. we have got a little history of hearing one thing and then finding out another after-the-fact. on the issue of guantanamo. >> the issue of montano is not on the table and these issues. i want to be clear what we are talking about is the reestablishment of diplomatic relations which is only one first step in normalizations. obviously, the cuban government has raised guantanamo. we are not interested in discussing that. we are not discussing that issue or return of guantanamo. we also, i want to

if you have to read the to your knowledge an speeches of fidel and raul castro and that's what your literacyyou, if you want to go to a library in central havana and get a copy of 1984. good luck. when the communist party took over, they overthrew a vicious group. the starting point in cuba. literacy was already fairly high. (?) they didn't have too far to go. this is always what is said. they have health care. and they have literacy. who cares about free press. >> this hugely popular travel guide. cuba remains a refreshing reserved quality. it's a space that serves as a beacon for the future. universal health care, housing are rights. people the world over want. >> a beacon for the future. it's a museum of the past is what it is. not a beacon for the future. the reason there are cute little cars there is because the country is bankrupt. internet access, is that quaint. we're not polluted to twitter. they have government control. >> communism is popular in hollywood. cameron diaz carried a bag with a mao slogan. they killed 70,000 people. >> yeah, the shining path. i'll cut cameron diaz in a

. >> radio host, a cuban exile living in miami speaks out against fidel and raul castro. >> for the last # 4 years when you look back you are still seeing the same crimes that were committed at the beginning of the revolution. >> her show is 2 hours long but ever are i minute is filled with stories about the daily abuse and violence cubans endure at the hand of the castro regime. >> itch reported on everything from six months old children dead on a tug boat because they didn't want them to leave cuba drown in the bay to american citizens pulverized in international airspace you name it there is no crime that regime has not committed. >> perez only 8 when his family hit cuba months after he came to power. half a century later the horrific memories remain fresh in her mind. >> people were before a firing squad in a horrific trial. you could see people taken to the firing squad right before your eyes. >> i remember going to a prison where they had taken my uncle the firing skwauz waut there a lot of people fainted because they would have to walk by that place and you would see that it had b

president barack obama and his cuban counterpart raul castro endedry started relation offers 50 years. >> in lesotho elections come two years early. people were here in 2012 to vote for the country's first political government. they thought it would be the end of their political problems. it wasn't, now people are back here again. the they want a government that will look out for the needs of the people, 9 roads education and economic stability. the people of lesotho wants jobs and healthcare. this is a country recognized by the u.n. as one of the least developed in the world. it has high levels of hiv and one of the world's highest level of maternal and child mortality. people want stability. they want a government that finally looks out for them. >> in the news ahead united against the common enemy how the fight against boko haram is bringing people together in cameroon. >>> in myanmar forces myanmar,ify convenience forces violence forces thousands to seek shelter. and the world cup news in the coming hour. he's out there. there's a guy out there whose making a name for himself in a

pain, a lot of blood, a lot of death, a lot of prisoners, and that's why we can't allow that -- by raul castro can result in an understanding with the u.s. government that may contribute to oxygen being provided and therefore to the continuity. i assure you -- i assure you that the performance and regime of power i assure you that neocastroism can be worse, i assure you that neocastroism can be worse than all these years we suffered. i want to thank you for this opportunity and especially chairman smith. and the cuban resistance in spite of this agreement, which we consider to be immoral,. in spite of the imprisonment, in spite of the cuban resistance will continue its struggle. we're not going to -- to surrender our country to anyone. because we are convinced that the principles and the destiny of a country should not be decided on a negotiating table. the destiny and the freedom of a country should not be decide the at a negotiating table where the people have been excluded from. i thank you, u.s. congress, i thank those in cuba who are listening to us. and i'll return to cuba for this exper

cuando raÚl castro puso como condiciÓn para las negociaciones entre ambas naciones que se suavizara elnda ronda de conversaciones este mes en washington un 187 fueron detenidos en cuba en enero del aÑo pasado hubo mÁs de 8000 detenciones. >> la naturaleza del rÉgimen cubano no ha cambiado, quien convocÓ la audiencia reiterÓ su oposiciÓn al convenio. >> mÁs dinero entrando a una economÍa que los controlan completamente. >> por quÉ no se usÓ toda la oportunidad que los ee.uu. tenÍan para lograr algo de beneficio para el pueblo cubano. >> su apoyo a la normalizaciÓn de las relaciones con cuba no incluye levantar el embargo, 3 de 4 disidentes que testificaron viven en la habana. >> primera mente respetar los derechos humanos. >> el senador rubio dijo que mensaje importantes que me importa cuÁl sea la posiciÓn de los senadores a favor o en contra de la decisiÓn del presidente obama de acercarse a cuba. todos estÁn de acuerdo en que la meta debe ser democracia para la isla. en el capitolio, lourdes. >> hacemos una pausa, regresar un aviÓn con 58 personas a bordo se estrellÓ en un rÍo de la c

when you look at what they do what raul castro has been doing over the last few years, what are the positiveyou see in what they're doing? >> well i travel to cuba regularly. i was just back from cuba monday. i can just state absolutely emphatically that there suspect a person in cuba i've met, and i eave talked to all kinds of people in cuba, that are not enthuzen enthusiastic about obama's approach to the policy with cuba. there's been enormous changes in economic reforms in cuba. look at all the people that are now in private industries in cuba, the taxi drivers, the bed and breakfasts. every time i go more and more people are involved in private entrepreneurship. i think 40% of the cuban economy is driven by private enterprise. so i think we deaf tatly are seeing a change on the ground in cuba towards a more less government run economic model, and more driven by private enterprise. give it time. it will get bigger and bigger. >> that will have to be the last word on it tonight. thank you all very much for joining me tonight. >> thank you. >>> we'll be right back. >>> the democratic party

panama, which will be the first time that obama or any american president will be shaking hands with raul castroent. so everybody is kind of frantically playing their part to try to move this along. and there's a lot of pieces that have to happen before that april summit. >> and the dynamics seem to be very much two way, when i watch senator claire mccaskill go down there, the video was, she's trying to charm that island into buying everything missouri makes. it's all about agriculture, but there's already an agricultural opening to cuba. so when you see nancy pelosi, i don't see someone who needs to be sold on opening up our relations with cuba. she's already there. those democrats are going down there are already there. they do have some republican counterparts. but how will this line up politically in the house and senate? >> well, you've got to remember there is a cuban-american contingent in the u.s. congress. there are eight of them. the three senators, the only three -- >> marco rubio, bon menendez -- >> and ted cruz. and they are not on board with this. then five cuban-americans in the h

raul castro said they're not changing. he said this is a victory for the cuban revolution and we're not going to clang. so i don't see where you get that the people of cuba are somehow going to benefit more than the regime. i think the regime will benefit from this, but until there's a change, i think the benefits are going to be bottled up at the top. >> but remittances also go directly to kooushen encuban people. we raise the remittance amounts in addition. one of the reasons that they haven't rushed to us to implement the telecommunications provisions or the internet provisions, they've been very, very wary of all of this, is because they know full well that they probably won't be able to control it and that the benefits may well reach the cuban people. >> so they're probably not likely to do -- let me ask you this. when you took your trip were you given access to any of the places where political prisoners are being held, to view that? >> i was not. >> is there any discussion -- has the administration tried to get prop

he's expected to take power at president raul castro leaves office in 2018. cuban economic reforms and u.s. cuba relations were mortgage the topics -- among the topics. >>> got a fourth good dayer? your -- fourth grader? your family can visit for free with that fourth grader, president obama has announced the every kid in the park initiative. usually a year long parks pass costs about $80, the program will start with the next school year to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the national park service in 2016. that much. >>> good morning and welcome to wusa9. it's 6:00 a.m. can you tell how cold it is? do you know how cold it feels? the temperatures have led to a number of school closures and delays this morning. the largest school system in our region fairfax county is closed today. >> looks like a little steam passing by the tower camera there. d.c. public schools at this point are the only school system we know that's opening on time. the whole list is at the bottom of the screen also right now on also on the wusa9 app. larry is going to have traffic in

did get a comment from fidel castro getting his tentative approval to the deal that his brother, raul castro, struck with the u.s. to restore diplomatic relations. that wasn't enough. now we'll see -- more than 20 images that appear to have been taken in recent weeks. looking at the photos you see newspapers and television programs. kind of give a sense of when they were taken. we'll see if the new images do silence some of the doubters. >> reporting from havana cuba. fidel castro's last public photo was in august. >>> now this story -- another al jazeera journalist could be freed. it's believed the release of mohammad fahmy could happen in days. two journalists were arrested more than 13 months ago and convicted of aiding the banned muslim brotherhood. this after australian reporter peter greste of relieved. he had a mix of emotions and had no expectation of being freed. >> i can't tell you how relieve i am at being tree. i really didn't expect it. we were settling in for a period of months behind prison for the retrial. to be out today with just a few minutes minutes' notice is extraordina

last week, cuba's communist president raul castro said the return of guantanamo is a main objective ofring ties with the u.s. but assistant secretary of state roberta jacobson told a house committee today, it's a non- starter. >> the issue of guantanamo is not on the table in these conversations. i want to be clear that what we're talking about right now is the reestablishment of diplomatic relations which is only one first step in normalization. obviously, the cuban government has raised guantanamo. we are not interested in discussing that. >> woodruff: the u.s. has controlled guantanamo since the spanish-american war, and formally established a naval base there in 1903. >> ifill: another mass sentencing in egypt today. a court ordered 230 people to serve life in prison for their involvement in violent protests in 2011. all were tried in absentia except secular activist ahmed douma. he helped lead the uprising that ousted president hosni mubarak. >> woodruff: china has clamped new curbs on internet users, in a growing censorship campaign. as of march, the nation's nearly 650 million w