HAVANA, July 26 (UPI) -- Interim Cuban President Raul Castro said Thursday in a national address his administration will open up to more foreign investment.
Castro said, however, that while seeking more investment from abroad, the communist island would not repeat "mistakes of the past" -- a reference to the period in Cuban history prior to the 1959 Cuban revolution in that brought Fidel Castro into power.
Thursday marked both the 54th anniversary of the beginning of the Cuban revolution and the 1-year anniversary of Fidel Castro's most recent public appearance. Fidel Castro handed over authority to his younger brother, Raul, after announcing he was suffering from a gastrointestinal illness that required surgery.
Since then, Fidel Castro has made occasional appearances on state-run television and met with world leaders during the past year, but Raul Castro is believed to be in charge of day-to-day decision making in the Cuban government.
In his address Thursday, Raul Castro said Cuba must overcome its shortfalls in food production and rely less on imports.
