What We’re Reading: Senators urge Castro to release American

The New York Times reported Friday on Senator Coons’ meeting in Havana with President Raúl Castro of Cuba. During an official visit to Cuba, Haiti and Colombia, Senator Coons - along with five other members of Congress - lobbied for the release of imprisoned American aid worker, Alan Gross.

The meeting with Mr. Castro was the first high-level contact since former President Jimmy Carter dined with him in April 2010. The imprisonment of Mr. Gross has chilled any thaw that might have happened in the wake of the resignation of the longtime Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, and the assumption of the presidency by his brother Raúl.

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Mr. Coons said he was firm that Mr. Gross’s release must come first. “My message back was before anything else can be discussed, we have to make progress on our humanitarian concerns, and that means releasing Alan Gross,” he said.

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Mr. Coons said the main goal of the talks was to assure Mr. Gross that his case remains the main impediment to diplomatic overtures.

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