BRASILIA - Cuban President Raul Castro on Thursday proposed releasing jailed political dissidents in Cuba in exchange for five Cubans convicted of spying in the United States.
Castro, speaking in the Brazilian capital, said that improved ties with the United States would not happen only through "unilateral gestures."
Then responding to a question about Cuban political dissidents, said: "Those prisoners that you talk about -- they (the United States) want them released? Let them tell us, we'll send them over there with families and all. Let them return our five heroes. It is gesture from both sides."
The five Cubans were convicted of espionage conspiracy against the United States and sentenced in a Miami, Florida federal court to long prison terms in June 2001.
The men had argued that they were monitoring Florida-based anti-Castro groups to prevent terrorist attacks on Cuba, and that their work was not directed against the US government.
Castro spoke after a meeting with leftist Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Castro said that Cuban officials were prepared to speak with Barack Obama, the incoming US president, "wherever and whenever he decides ... in conditions of absolute equality."
US officials imposed an economic embargo on Cuba's communist government in 1960 and broke diplomatic ties in 1961. The two countries are represented by interest sections in each capital.