HAVANA -- Fidel Castro met Tuesday with three members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the former Cuban president's first known meeting with American officials since he fell ill in July 2006.
Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, and two other lawmakers met with the ailing, 82-year-old Castro, according to a statement released by the communist leader.
Lee led a delegation of six Democratic representatives who left Havana Tuesday after a five-day trip designed to encourage dialogue between the United States and Cuba, amid much speculation long-chilly relations may improve.
The U.S. delegation -- all Democrats -- included Lee and Reps. Mel Watt of North Carolina, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Mike Honda and Laura Richardson of California and Bobby Rush of Illinois. All are also member of the Congressional Black Caucus except Honda.
Castro issued a statement saying that one member of the delegation, who he does not name, described American society as "racist" and said that former Secretary of State Colin Powell could have been president but his family rightly talked him out of it because of fear that he would be assassinated like Martin Luther King, Jr. was.
Castro said that one unnamed member of the delegation told him that Obama "can not go beyond liberalizing travel and allowing remittances by Cuban-Americans, because proclaiming the lifting of the blockade or the full normalization of bilateral relations could mean the impossibility for him to be re-elected. Besides, he reaffirmed that the anti-Cuban right wing still has enough power to corner him and prevent his re-election," Castro said. - FOX News
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