“The Cuban people are demanding their freedom from an authoritarian regime,” says Biden.
Pool was in the room for about six minutes. At the start of the meeting, POTUS addressed ongoing situations in Cuba and Haiti.
“The Cuban people are demanding their freedom from an authoritarian regime. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like these protests in a long long time if, quite frankly ever,” he said. “The US stands firmly with the people of Cuba as they assert their universal rights. And we call on the government of Cuba to refrain from violence in their attempt to silence the voices of the people of Cuba.”
He also said he was following the Haiti crisis. “The people of Haiti deserve peace and security and Haiti’s political leaders need to come together for the good of their country,” he said. He added that he sent a high-level delegation over the weekend to determine whether the US has a role in support, but he didn’t offer any conclusion to that. “The United States stands ready to continue to provide assistance, and I’ll have more for you as we move on.”
He then remarked on the day’s meeting (MORE TK on that). As pool was escorted out, he declined to respond to questions about changes in policy toward Cuba or sending military assistance to Haiti. “We are going to have more to say on Cuba and Haiti,” he said. “Stay tuned.”