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Raul Castro pursues active foreign policy

Cuban leader Raul Castro (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Cuban leader Raul Castro (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov) | License Photo

HAVANA, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Raul Castro, who became president of Cuba a year ago Tuesday, has pursued an active foreign policy, building ties around the world, observers say.

Since he succeeded his ailing brother, Fidel Castro, Raul Castro has traveled to Russia and Algeria and welcomed key South and Central American leaders in Havana, The Miami Herald reports.

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Daniel P. Erikson, author of "The Cuba Wars: Fidel Castro, the United States, and the Next Revolution," said that many Latin American leaders build ties with Cuba to show independence from the United States.

''Raul Castro's foreign policy outreach has been truly impressive,'' Erikson said. "Cuba played host to close to every president of a major rising power and improved relations with Latin America. The Cubans are not expecting major changes from the United States, so they are focusing on building other alliances."

In the past year, many Latin American countries have shifted to the left. Russia has also been paying more attention to the region.

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