Fidel Castro, lawmakers talk

HAVANA — Fidel Castro met with three members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday, the former Cuban president’s first meeting with U.S. officials since he fell ill nearly three years ago.

Coming after lawmakers met with his brother Raul, the current president, the session appeared to underscore the Cuban government’s desire for improved relations with the United States under President Obama.

Greg Adams, a spokesman at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and two other lawmakers met with the 82-year-old Castro. He did not have the names of the other two Americans at the meeting.

Lee led a delegation of six Democratic representatives who left Havana after a five-day visit aimed at encouraging dialogue between the U.S. and Cuba. The legislators did not speak with journalists about meeting with Fidel Castro, and J. Jioni Palmer, a spokesman for the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, said he had not heard about the session.

Castro has not been seen in public since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006. He turned over his duties to his brother, five years his junior, then formally ceded power in February 2008.

Raul Castro met with the six American legislators for more than four hours Monday night, his first face-to-face discussions with U.S. leaders since he became Cuba’s president -- a sign that both countries may be serious about improving nearly 50 years of frigid relations.

After the delegation’s talks with the president, Lee said the meeting was constructive and the lawmakers would prepare a detailed look at everyday life in Cuba for the White House.

“I’m convinced Raul Castro wants a normal relationship with the United States,” Lee told the Associated Press. “He’s serious.”

Delegation members said they discussed topics such as increased U.S.-Cuba trade and better cooperation in combating drug and human trafficking.

But “we did not talk about specifics,” Lee said at a news conference.

She did not answer questions about why the delegation failed to meet with any Cuban dissidents. Some previous congressional trips to Cuba, though not all, have included meetings with opposition figures.