Cuba's Raul Castro Commutes Most Death Sentences

[kskiska]

Source: NYT

HAVANA (Reuters) - New Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Monday that all death sentences had been commuted to prison terms of 30 years to life, with the exception of three people charged with terrorism.

"The Council of State decided to commute the death penalty imposed on a group of prisoners," Raul Castro announced at a Communist party Central Committee meeting, in a speech broadcast by state-run television.

Castro said two Central Americans charged with hotel bombings in the 1990s that took the life of an Italian tourist, and a Cuban American charged with murder during an attempt at armed infiltration of the island, were not included and their cases were still on appeal.

"This does not mean we have eliminated the death penalty from the penal code," Raul Castro said.

He blasted the United States for allowing Cuban Americans to use its soil to launch violent attacks on the country.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-cuba-sentences.html

[gateley]

1. He seems to be making moves

that, on the surface, are very positive and forward-moving. I assumed he'd be just like bro. Hope the citizens are benefitting from his being in power.

[jeff30997]

2. K&R

Interesting.Thanks for the infos kskiska.

[David__77]

3. Raul Castro = Deng Xiaoping.

With a few post-modernist bells and whistles. He is certainly no liberal like Gorbachev. He'll maintain Communist Party's leading role, but focus on economic development above all else.

[Diclotican]

4. kskiska

kskiska

It is a start. Hope it would be a backlash of sorts.. Raul Castro have always been more progressive then his older brother Fidel Castro... But he are not an Gorbatsjev - not yet and we have just to take it as it is. I doubt it would something like the opening of the Eastern Europe in the 1980s.. Not yet.. But as time goes, and the cuban people are learning what more freedom mean for them. Then it might be, if everyone else just keep their hand off Cuba. A fresh start for the cuban people. On their own time table... Already many tourist are coming to Cuba. And in many ways Cuba are on their way, a slow painfully way.. But on their way.. Cuba would never been as they once was..

But, that means that the exiles of Cuba, specially they who was running from Cuba in 1959 have to understand that they can't just demand their own property and so on... And the US government have to understand that Cuba have to do the road to democracy, in their own time. Yes US can help Cuba. But not PUSH Cuba..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[tekisui]

5. Commuting death sentences is always a good thing.

[Mika]

6. No commutation for terrorist murders harbored by the US.

Castro said two Central Americans charged with hotel bombings in the 1990s that took the life of an Italian tourist, and a Cuban American charged with murder during an attempt at armed infiltration of the island, were not included and their cases were still on appeal.

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He blasted the United States for allowing Cuban Americans to use its soil to launch violent attacks on the country.

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[jasmine621]

7. That Commie! How dare he show any humanity?

We must attact immediately!