Immediately after seeing Chretien off at the airport, a
buoyant Castro declared: "We are not going to change. We are
going to continue defending our cause and our socialism.''
The Cuban leader made it clear to reporters he would not
bend to pressure for reforms from either foes such as the United
States or friends such as Canada.
"The revolution is the biggest change there's been in
history and we're not going to renounce that,'' Castro said,
when asked about Chretien's call for change during two lengthy
meetings in Havana.
His use of the word "revolution'' refers both to his 1959
toppling of former Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista and the
island's ongoing one-party socialist system.
The Cuban leader, who stayed up until the early hours of
Tuesday talking with Chretien, showed no sign of agreeing to the
Canadian leader's personal appeal for the release of four
leading dissidents jailed on the island.
"We have not made any type of commitment in relation to
that,'' Castro said. He added that Cuba was not the only nation
with prisoners who have committed crimes against the state, and
said there were "hundreds'' of such inmates in Europe.
Chretien arrived in Cuba Sunday wanting to stress both
Ottawa's independence from Washington's policy of isolating Cuba
and its belief that "constructive engagement'' with the island
could bring change.
On the plane back to Ottawa Tuesday afternoon, reporters
repeatedly asked Chretien whether he thought his mission had
failed because there were few concrete results.
"I take one step at a time,'' Chretien said, adding that
there was a possibility the two leaders might have further talks
in Geneva next month on the side of celebrations marking
international organizations.
He said he would likely also brief President Clinton in
England next month during a Group of Seven (G7) summit. No other
G7 member has sent a head of government to Cuba.
Eager to emphasize his and Chretien's joint opposition to
Washington's sanctions, Castro added that the island's No. 1
priority was ending the U.S. economic embargo: "Let the
blockade cease! The United States has no right to ask for or
expect anything from us while they maintain the blockade.''
He described socialism as "the system of the future,''
adding that the current world situation was unsustainable
because of big differences between rich and poor. But he said
Cuba was always "open to dialogue and good experiences'' to
perfect its socialist system.
Castro, who was courteous to Chretien but notably more
formal than during Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's 1976
visit, was fulsome in his praise of the current premier. He
called him "a man of peace, talent and experience'' with a
''constructive position'' in international affairs.
Earlier Chretien suggested Washington might have a long wait
if it hopes the 71-year-old Cuban leader will soon lose power.
''Will the Americans await the departure of Mr. Castro? I don't
know. He appeared to me (to be) in top form physically.''
Asked on the plane whether real change in Cuba depended on
someone succeeding Castro, he said: "I don't know who will be
the successor. You talk with them, and they all have the same
speech.''
Chretien characterized Castro as "a very lively person,
very outgoing, very strong in his views, and (with) a good sense
of humor.'' He added: "People told me maybe he wasn't in good
health, but people who watch him find him in better shape than
he was maybe a few months ago.''
Chretien declared it was beneficial to sit down with
Castro. "I told him he has to change, and he was asking me
questions about what's going on,'' he said. "And my reading of
it is that he was trying to assess what will be the effect (of
change) on the society that he is running here.''
He also said his visit established some useful precedents
that included the live broadcast of his arrival speech, an open
meeting on Monday with the head of Cuba's Roman Catholic Church
and talks on Tuesday with private aid groups.
Before leaving Tuesday, he toured Havana's colonial center
and met Canadian businessmen involved in the two countries'
growing commercial links. But he declined to meet with Cuba's
leading human rights campaigner, Elizardo Sanchez. Other members
of his delegation were sent to that meeting.
By Andrew Cawthorne