What did President Carter do on the trip to advance human rights in Cuba?
President Carter had full discussions with the Castro government on human rights issues, among others. He also met with some 30 dissidents and religious leaders-members of the opposition, independent journalists, independent librarians, and representatives from the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religions-during the trip. The dissidents included Vladimiro Roca, who just prior to President Carter’s arrival in Cuba was released early form a five-year prison term for publishing documents criticizing the Cuban government. He also met with Elizardo Sanchez, human rights leader, and Oswaldo Paya, coordinator of the Varela Project. International media coverage brought extensive visibility to their calls for changes in the system of government and to the retribution they have experienced for expressing their views. What did you learn from dissidents on the trip about U.S.-Cuban relations? First, they would like to have more opening with the United States, and they want the travel restrictions
