• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 03 / 31 / 2011

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At a press conference in Havana on Wednesday, Jimmy Carter advocated an end to the trade embargo the U.S. imposed on Cuba and the removal of Cuba from the list of countries that, according to the U.S. State Department, sponsor terrorism.

Carter also advocated the elimination of the restriction of travel by Americans to the island and defended the unrestricted ability of Cubans to travel abroad.

According to the official news agency Prensa Latina, Carter "advocated the elimination of the Helms-Burton Law, which codifies Washington's economic, trade and financial blockade of the island."

Carter met with relatives of the five Cuban agents imprisoned 12 years ago in the U.S. and said he favored their release, Prensa Latina said. He said he also met with imprisoned American Alan Gross and opined the subcontractor should be released.

However, Carter said he does not envision a prisoner trade, because "they are separate and distinct cases, unrelated to each other."

"I had a very good meeting with Alan Gross. He professes his innocence [...] There's an appeal process and he hopes the judges will declare him innocent," Carter reportedly said. Gross "has lost several pounds but seems to be in good spirits."

According to The Associated Press, Carter said Gross's lawyer plans to appeal his conviction. If that fails, "perhaps in the future an executive order might be issued to grant him a pardon, a release, on humanitarian grounds." Gross's 26-year-old daughter and elderly mother are both suffering from cancer.

Carter said that, before hosting the press conference, he met with Fidel Castro. He did not say where.

"We welcomed each other as old friends," Carter said of the meeting with the 84-year-old former Cuban leader. He said Castro "seems to be in good health."

Source://miamiherald.typepad.com/cuban_colada/2011/03/