The State Department reacted with cautious optimism Tuesday to reports of Fidel Castro’s open letter expressing some hope for a peaceful end to the conflict between the U.S. and Cuba.
“We know there’s a lot of mistrust, but we’re trying to rebuild trust,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, noting that she could not confirm the veracity of the letter and whether it actually came from Castro himself.
Psaki also said U.S. officials were encouraged by the positive comments from Castro about the new détente between the two countries after the decades-long stand-off, although they too are taking a wait-and-see approach to engaging with the Castro regime.
“We’re not trying to overstate it here,” she said. “It’s more about actions, not words.”
Fidel Castro’s conspicuous absence after Obama’s Dec. 17 announcement about the unilateral action aimed at restoring relations with Cuba left many in Havana, Miami and Washington wondering whether he is still alive.
Some of those rumors died down with reports that Castro, 88, penned a letter to Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona.
But this new letter also has helped to quell some of the speculation. It was read to college students In Havana to observe the 70th anniversary of Castro’s graduation from the University of Havana, and then the Granma, the Communist Party’s official newspaper, printed it late Monday.
After suffering from serious illnesses, Castro handed control of running the government to his brother Raul officially in 2008.
