U.S., Cuba Hold New Talks as Rights Groups Fear Crackdown

The United States and Cuba launched a fourth round of talks Thursday, seeking to overcome hurdles blocking the restoration of diplomatic ties, as Cuban exiles warned of a fresh crackdown on dissidents in Havana.

The delegations, led by top U.S. diplomat for Latin America Roberta Jacobson and Cuba's chief negotiator Josefina Vidal, met at the imposing State Department building in Washington, the hub of U.S. diplomacy.

The two countries are seeking to end a half century of enmity and reopen open embassies in each other's countries as part of moves to restore normal relations.

But Jacobson told U.S. lawmakers on the eve of the fresh talks that "significant differences remain between our two governments."

The communist authorities in Havana have been particularly angered by U.S. democracy programs and have so far not met demands that American diplomats be allowed to meet freely with dissidents.

"We continue to raise our concerns regarding democracy, human rights and freedom of expression," Jacobson told the Senate foreign relations committee.

Cuban exiles in Miami on Wednesday alleged that Havana's crackdown on dissident groups had increased "dramatically" since the rapprochement with the U.S. began, as it feels a sense of "impunity" due to the easing in tensions with the United States.

"In recent weeks, and in particular in the last few days, we have seen a toughening of repression in Cuba," said Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, national secretary of the pro-democracy Cuban Democratic Directorate.

He told reporters that on Sunday more than 100 people were arrested on the Caribbean island, while violence against opponents of the regime and their families had been stepped up.

"There is a direct link between the policy of normalizing ties with the Castro regime and an increase in repression. Why? Because the regime feels it has impunity," he said.

The United States has so far announced it plans to remove Cuba from a blacklist of state sponsors of terror, which should happen around May 29.

Meanwhile, Havana has also found a bank willing to handle its financial affairs on U.S. soil, something which had been a major sticking point in restoring ties.