Obama Asks Spain to Deliver Message to Cuba

Oct. 29: President Obama traveled several times to New Jersey, where he campaigned for Gov. Jon Corzine, and to Virginia, for Creigh Deeds. (AP)

President Obama recently asked Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Mortatinos to tell Cuba's President Raul Castro that for relations between the countries to improve Cuba has to do its part to help reform and improve human rights, Fox News has learned.

"Have (Moratinos) tell the Cuban authorities we understand that change can't happen overnight, but down the road, when we look back at this time, it should be clear that now is when those changes began," Obama told Zapatero, according to sources.

Obama asked Moratinos to deliver the message during their meeting on Oct. 13.

"When (Obama) learned that Foreign Minister Moratinos was about to go to Havana, he suggested that Moratinos urge the Castro regime to take steps to reform and improve human rights," a U.S. official said on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Obama reportedly said the U.S. is taking steps to improve relations between the two countries, but, "if they don't take steps too, it's going to be very hard for us to continue," Reuters reported.

Click to read more from Reuters