U.S. Stays Away From Speculation On The Death Of Fidel Castro
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The United States remains reserved on speculation that Cuban President Fidel Castro may be on his deathbed. U.S. Department of State spokesman, Sean McCormack explains, "I can't comment on the nature of the illness or the extent of it... clearly Fidel Castro's incapacitation or death would be a significant event for the Cuban people." "For our part, we have for quite some time had a Commission for a Transition to a Free Cuba that, in the event that Cuba does make a transition, start to make a transition to a democracy, the United States and the American people will do everything that we can to stand by the Cuban people in their aspirations for democracy. But at this point I don't have really much more to add." As for contacts with pro-Castro nations like Venezuela, McCormack says, "I'm not aware of any contacts with the Venezuelan Government," adding "we have made clear our policy with respect to Cuba... We fully support a democratic, free, prosperous Cuba in which the Cuban people have the opportunity to, through the ballot box, choose who to lead them, not have their leaders imposed upon them." As for the Cuban Interests section, the closest thing the United States has to an embassy in Havana, McCormack says "as usual, they are monitoring events," adding "we don't have a [special] task force up and running at this point."
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