US President George W Bush Wednesday said Americans would be allowed to send cellular phones to Cuba in the near future as a way of testing reforms under the new government, dpa reported.
But he said the reforms under Cuban leader Raul Castro to allow greater access to technology must be accompanied by real democratic and economic change to improve life on the communist island.
Bush was marking a "day of solidarity" with the Cuban people on the week of the 106th anniversary of the island's independence, and said the approval of cell phones would test whether Cuban leader Raul Castro was serious about the reforms.
"Since Raul is allowing Cubans to own mobile phones for the first time, we're going to change our regulations to allow Americans to send mobile phones to family members in Cuba," Bush said.
"If Raul's serious about his so-called reforms, he will allow these phones to reach the Cuban people," Bush said.
Since formally taking power in February from his ailing brother Fidel, Raul Castro has lifted restrictions on access to technologies like computers and cell phones, as well as foreign household appliances.
But with the 120-dollar-cost of a new cell phone in Cuba, plus the 120 dollars to activate a line and more than 10 dollars for a prepaid phone card, having a cellphone is beyond the reach of most Cubans, whose average monthly salary is below 20 dollars.
Despite the high costs, Cubans in Havana rushed out on the first day of sale in mid April to stand in long lines to buy a phone.
Dan Fisk, a National Security Council official, indicated that the White House expects a multiplier effect on free speech with US-supplied cell phones and supporting accounts.
"Roughly one in 10 Cubans lives in the United States," Fisk said. "That's a pretty good base to start from."
The move will allow Cubans to "speak amongst themselves," Fisk said. "If they can speak privately ... then they should be allowed to speak publicly."
The Bush administration has dismissed the measures under Raul Castro as token gestures that are unaffordable for must Cubans and do little to end decades of repression by the near half-century regime of his brother Fidel.
"Its recent gestures appear to be nothing more than a cruel joke perpetuated on a long-suffering people," Bush said.
Cuba's state-run economy must be pushed aside and replaced by a free market that allows enterprise and growth to reverse decades of neglect under the Castros, Bush said.
"Only when Cubans have an economy that makes prosperity possible will these announcements lead to any real improvements in their daily lives," Bush said.
Bush demanded the regime allow Cubans to freely express themselves and free more than 200 political prisoners serving long sentences in "Castro's tropical gulag" for voicing their political views.
Bush has insisted the United States will not lift sanctions that have been in place on Cuba since the 1960s until steps are undertaken to enact democratic reforms leading to free elections.
"The world is watching the Cuban regime," Bush said. "If it follows its recent public gestures by opening up access to information, and implementing meaningful economic reform, respecting political freedom and human rights, then it can credibly say it has delivered the beginnings of change."
"But experience tells us this regime has no intention of taking these steps," he added.
Raul, 76, has been running Cuba since July 2006 after Fidel, 81, transferred power to undergo emergency intestinal surgery. Fidel has been largely out of the public since and formally ceded power to his brother on February 24.
The Bush administration has pledged to not hold dialogue with the regime unless meaningful reforms are introduced, a policy endorsed by presumptive Republican candidate John McCain.
McCain on Tuesday criticized the leading Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, for his willingness to hold unconditional talks with Cuba's leadership to encourage reforms.