New York Times lies, declares Cuba will remain communist - But what did Castro really say?

Most Americans are pleased with the decision of the Obama administration to normalize relations with Cuba. The move means that both countries will benefit economically as the U.S. ends a war that likely never should have been.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Raul Castro, Cuba's de-facto leader and brother of Fidel Castro, declared victory for Cuba over the United States. It's an expected line of commentary, despite the fact that our two nations never truly were at war.

Cuba has never been a true enemy of the United States. Despite American invasions and attempts at invasions, and other infringements on Cuban national sovereignty, Cuba has never been a threat to the USA. Vastly overwhelmed, the island nation was forced to survive under an American embargo, while the Soviet Union crumbled and stopped deliveries of goods and aid.

Light a candle for peace. May all nations live in harmony, no matter their differences.

Plunged into over two decades of artificial poverty, the nation became as reclusive as ever, and the rhetoric against the U.S. continued.

Cuba has long been regarded as a communist state, and on Saturday, the New York Times falsely claimed that Raul Castro declared Cuba would remain a communist state. However, these words were never spoken by Castro, making the claim contrary to what was actually said.

What Raul Castro actually declared was that, "Every country has the inalienable right to choose its own political systems," Mr. Castro said. "No one should believe that improving relations with the United States means Cuba renouncing its ideas."

What Raul Castro has affirmed is that Cuba will retain the right to self-determination, and they will choose their own political path.

While Castro thanked Obama for the normalization and pledged that the nation would take advantage of the new economic opportunities to improve its economy, they conceded nothing to the United States. Instead, Castro pledged that the nation would make internal improvements including an end to its dual currency system, improvements in worker wages, and take other normalization measures.

American leaders have been fond of criticizing Cuba, criticizing the Castro regime for its human rights record and for the killing of people who actively opposed the regime. However, the United States is not a paragon of human rights and virtue either. How many innocent people have been killed by Obama's drones?

Raul Castro is himself an elderly rule and he has no heir apparent. What happens to Cuba within the next decade or so will be up to the Cuban people, not the United States. And if the Cuban people want a communist economic system, how does that make them our enemy? It doesn't.

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All people deserve the right to self-determination. Cuba does not need Obama or the New York Times to declare their political intentions, the Cuban people can do that for themselves just fine.

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