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CNN Live Today

Carter in Cuba, Following Bush Accusations

Aired May 13, 2002 - 12:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A packed agenda for the former President Jimmy Carter in Cuba. One stop there, a biotech lab on the outskirts of Havana significant, because the Bush administration last week accusing Cuba's Fidel Castro of working toward developing biological weapons.

Kate Snow back with us, live in Havana, for President Carter's trip there.

Kate, hello. Good afternoon.

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello -- good afternoon, Bill.

President Carter, as you just mentioned, still at the biological center right now. And it's also a genetic engineering center. He was invited there as part of his larger tour that he's taking over the next basically five days until Friday.

He came here yesterday; a lot of fanfare at his arrival. They played the national anthem of the U.S., which they haven't done here, by the way, since the beginning of the revolution, except for a couple of sporting events, like the Pan American games.

President Carter this morning spending some time at this biological center and looking at and talking with some of the scientists who work there. Now we're not sure how much he's been able to see. Most of the video that we've gotten in so far after his arrival has shown him sitting at a table talking with some scientists. He spoke asking questions to some of the scientists. Speaking in English for part of the time, anyway, although he does speak very good Spanish.

And he was saying -- talking about AIDS in Africa, particularly in Central Africa and the Central African Republic, and in South America, the problems over there. That's the portion, anyway, that we heard with our cameras. Whether or not he has asked any other questions, perhaps more delicate questions about whether or not Cuba is moving towards producing biological weapons, we just simply don't know at this point.

But as you mentioned, Castro has allowed him access not just to the this facility, but yesterday President Castro saying anywhere Carter wants to go, anyone he wants to meet with, is just fine with them. If he wants to meet with other scientists, they say they will not stop him.

Now earlier this morning, President Carter had another very significant meeting at breakfast. He invited two Cuban dissidents to sit down with him. This is interesting, because this wasn't on his schedule to begin with. We understand he called one of them last night at around midnight, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Sanchez (ph), who is the head of a Cuban human rights group known very well outside of this country. The other man, Ozvalda Paya (ph), is the head of a group called the Projecto Varella (ph), the Varella (ph) Project.

This is a group that's been gathering signatures on a petition. They turned in that petition on Friday, just a few days ago, today the Cuban general assembly -- to the government. The petition says that they want a referendum, and it's signed by 11,000 Cubans. It says we want a referendum on human rights and the state of our government.

Bill, that's a very significant thing to happen here. And if they had that referendum, of course it would be extremely historic for this country.

Just quickly, we wanted to show you where we are, since we don't get down here to Cuba that often. We're on the Malecon. You can see over here people swimming. A lot of kids out here this morning swimming and fishing.

This water is perhaps not the best water in the world; they do have a pollution problem here. But these folks don't seem to mind. The heat is pretty great today, so they're taking a dip.

And you can see the sea wall there is not very high. A lot of times, if the water gets high and the tide is high, we're told that the water will rush right over the street, right over the Malecone, which runs about four miles up and down the sea here. It's a place where people come to stroll at night. They come here -- couples come here very often.

And just a couple more things to show you. The street out here -- and there's not too many people there right now. But take a look over here. On the center of the median there have been people all morning standing in the middle of traffic. You can see a 1950s car going by there. People standing in the middle of traffic waiting for rides.

Of course, the minute I say that, there's not too many people out there right now. But there were earlier a group of about 10 people waiting, and that's because transportation is a real issue, Bill. They don't have -- they have public transportation but not enough of it.

So people will often stand for hours on the side of a road waiting -- basically hitchhiking -- and waiting for rides. And people gives rides here very freely. Anyone who owns a car -- cars are also very hard to come by, which is why you see some of the 1950s models still rolling around the streets of Havana -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right. Kate, quickly here, back to the visit with President Carter, what's the motivation for Fidel Castro to bring him down and essentially give him a platform to meet with other people? Have you been able to talk with those who say what indeed the true intent of Fidel Castro is right now?

SNOW: Well, Castro addressed that yesterday. He said, "I didn't invite you here as a political maneuver." He said, rather, "I wanted you to come because you're a friend of Cuba." He said, "You have a good record with Cuba, you worked to try to open up relations between the U.S. and Cuba during your tenure as president."

He has a lot of respect for Jimmy Carter; he's made that very clear. Fidel Castro thinks of Carter as an honorable man. He says he has a strong record with his center working on international relations and human rights, in particular.

And Castro, I think, really just likes Jimmy Carter personally and wanted to invite him here. It's been a few years ago that he started mentioning this to Carter, the prospect of him coming here. He sees him as an ally. He sees him as someone who wants to lift the embargo that the U.S. has imposed. Carter wants to lift the embargo, and Castro thinks that perhaps there's an opening there. Perhaps he can use Carter as someone to send a message back to the U.S.

Of course, the U.S. government has said they want Carter to send a message to Castro that it's time for democracy in this country -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kate, thanks. We'll talk later today. Kate Snow live in Havana, north shore there.

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