RABAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that it would be unwise for Washington to lift an embargo against Cuba, despite its pleas following Hurricane Gustav.
Cuba spurned an offer from the U.S. to send hurricanevictims $100,000 (56,552 pounds) in aid through relieforganisations and said on Saturday that the United Statesshould instead sell it relief supplies and allow food sales oncredit.
Rice said U.S. President George W. Bush had made clear thatWashington would be "responsive" to the Cuban regime if it wasprepared to free political prisoners and had a process for freeand fair elections, among other reforms.
"We see nothing that suggests that has come about. What wecan't do is to have the transfer of power from one dictatorialregime to another. That is not acceptable," she said during avisit to Morocco.
"I don't think that in the context of what we see now thatthe lifting of the embargo would be wise," she said.
The Bush administration permitted the sale of food to Cubafor cash in 2001 when Hurricane Michelle lashed thecommunist-run island nation.
The sales, allowed under an amendment to the decades-oldU.S. trade embargo, have continued since then. But proposals inCongress to permit banks and companies to supply credit for thegoods are opposed by the White House.
Gustav slammed into western Cuba damaging or destroying100,000 houses and dealing a blow to agriculture. Hurricane Ikeis now charging toward Cuba and was expected to arrive late onSunday, severely threatening sugar cane fields, the touristhotels of Varadero and the crumbling colonial buildings ofHavana.
(Reporting by Sue Pleming)
