Obama waits for Cuba signals to move forward

By Jeff Franks

HAVANA (Reuters) - President Barack Obama opened the door on Thursday to more changes in U.S.-Cuba policy, but based them on Cuban reciprocation that analysts said may be difficult to get.

He told CNN that after lifting restrictions on Cuban American travel to the communist-led island this week, he was looking for "some signal that there are going to be changes in how Cuba operates" with regard to such things as political prisoners and freedom of speech.

While he stopped in Mexico on his way to the Summit of the Americas starting on Friday in Trinidad and Tobago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in Haiti that "we stand ready to discuss with Cuba additional steps that could be taken."

"We would like to see Cuba open up its society, release political prisoners, open up to outside opinion and media and have the kind of society that we all know would improve the opportunities for the Cuban people and for their nation," she said.

There was no immediate response from Cuba, where leaders have spoken well of Obama and expressed openness to dialogue, but eschewed the idea of U.S.-mandated pre-conditions on what they consider domestic issues.

Cuba is said to have about 200 political prisoners, whom it considers mercenaries for the United States.

President Raul Castro has said any U.S. talks must be held "without even the slightest shadow over our sovereignty."

"We are not in any hurry, we are not desperate," he said in a January interview on Cuban television. "We will not talk with the stick and the carrot. That time is over."