|
Edited on Thu Sep-15-11 07:16 PM by flamingdem
** Could it be bad communication. Goes to show he's out of his element. In Cuba one faction will say yes and the other no so nothing is straightforward
*** On second thought it might have been the "hostage" comment that probably sealed it..
Richardson aide answers Cuban criticism
American remains jailed
Updated: Thursday, 15 Sep 2011, 3:48 PM MDT Published : Thursday, 15 Sep 2011, 3:48 PM MDT
HAVANA (AP) - A top aide to Bill Richardson says the former New Mexico governor held a series of meetings with Cuban officials in Havana, New York and Washington before a trip to the island to discuss jailed American subcontractor Alan Gross.
Gilbert Gallegos accompanied Richardson on a failed trip last week to Havana to try to win Gross' release. He tells The Associated Press that the Cubans suggested they come. And he says they knew the subject was Gross.
Gallegos details multiple meetings over the course of a year between Richardson and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, as well as Cuba's top diplomat in Washington. He said Thursday they left no doubt the Cubans were ready to at least talk about freeing Gross, but their tone changed once Richardson arrived last week.
On Wednesday a Cuban foreign ministry official accused Richardson of trying to blackmail the country and denied the former governor was invited to Cuba to negotiate Gross' release.
|