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Obama: I had blunt discussion with Raul Castro

David Jackson
USA TODAY
President Raul Castro addresses the country Dec. 17  in Havana.

President Obama, holding the first conversation between U.S. and Cuban leaders in more than a half-century, says he had a blunt talk with President Raúl Castro about promoting freedom.

"I was very insistent with him that we would continue to promote democracy and human rights and speak out forcefully on behalf of the freedom of the people of Cuba," Obama told ABC's World News Tonight in an interview conducted Wednesday.

Obama, who announced Wednesday that the United States would seek to normalize relations with Cuba after more than 50 years of tensions, said he and Castro delivered "lengthy" opening statements before having a dialogue during their Tuesday phone call.

"I think there's the possibility, by engaging, by making sure that the American people are able to travel to Cuba, that the Cuban people are able to see, firsthand, what American values are," Obama said. "That is going to spur change among the people of Cuba. And that's our main objective here."

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