Castro to U.S.: Let’s make a deal

Earlier today Cuban president Raul Castro offered to release political prisoners as a “gesture” to ease relations with the U.S. In remarks made during his visit to Brazil’s capital, Castro made his offer…with a catch:

"These prisoners you talk about -- they want us to let them go? They should tell us tomorrow. We'll send them with their families and everything. Give us back our five heroes. That is a gesture on both parts," he said, referring to five convicted Cuban spies in U.S. prison…

A U.S. court in June upheld the convictions of the so-called "Cuban Five," who are serving long prison sentences for spying and conspiracy to commit murder but opened the door to new and possibly lighter sentences for three of the men.

Castro’s stop in Brasilia comes in the aftermath of his attending the Rio Group summit; it was there that the Cuba officially became a member of the bloc and the Group emitted a declaration calling for the end of the U.S. embargo against the island.

Image- AP (“Cuba's President Raul Castro puts on the hat of Honduras's President Manuel Zelaya, unseen, during a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Costa do Sauipe, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008.”)
Sources- IOL, IHT, AFP