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Yahoo! March
10, 2003.
EU official travels to Cuba to open European Union
office
HAVANA, 10 (AP) - EU Development Commissioner Poul Nielson was meeting early
Monday with Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque during a trip to open a
new European Union office here.
The EU office, to be inaugurated Monday afternoon, is part of the European
community's efforts to increase contacts with President Fidel Castro's
government.
The EU's Havana office will be staffed by one EU official with three local
assistants. It will administer the up to 15 million euros ($16.4 million) the EU
gives Cuba in aid each year. The EU had previously managed its relations with
Cuba through its mission in Mexico City.
During his four-day visit, Nielson is meeting with other Cuban government
officials, as well as dissidents including Oswaldo Paya, who was awarded the
EU's top human rights prize last year.
The EU is Cuba's largest trade, aid and investment partner. EU exports to
the island have doubled over the past 10 years and stood at 1.43 billion euros
($1.57 billion) in 2001, representing 80 percent of Cuba's imports.
Nielson said in Brussels, Belgium, last week that the European Commission
would ask the EU's 15 national governments to accept Cuba's request to join the
bloc's trade and aid pact with African, Caribbean and Pacific nations.
Cuba has applied to join the EU's Cotonou Agreement, which offers trade
advantages and economic help to 78 developing nations.
EU officials have said it is unclear if the governments would approve the
deal. Britain, Sweden and others are expected to press Havana on human rights
before approving Cuba's membership.
Largest delegation ever of U.S. lawmakers arrives in
Cuba
HAVANA, 7 (AP) - The largest single delegation of American lawmakers to ever
visit communist Cuba arrived Friday on the Caribbean island, Cuban officials
said.
The eight lawmakers are members of the Cuba Working Group, which is pushing
for changes in American policy toward Cuba, including an end to travel
restrictions for U.S. citizens and an easing of four decades of trade sanctions.
Both organizers and Cuban officials described the group as the largest
single delegation of American lawmakers to ever visit the communist nation.
During their five-day stay, the lawmakers are expected to meet with both
Cuban officials and dissidents. They are returning to the United States on
Tuesday.
The group includes Republican U.S. Reps. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Jo Ann
Emerson of Missouri, Denny Rehberg of Montana and C.L. Otter of Idaho.
Also in the delegation are Democratic U.S. Reps. John Tanner of Tennessee,
Nita Lowey of New York, Dennis Moore, of Kansas and William Delahunt of
Massachusetts.
The Lexington Institute, a policy group in Arlington, Va., organized the
trip.
Fidel Castro makes unusual appearance at blessing of
religious convent
By Anita Snow, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 8, 8:50 PM
ET
HAVANA , 8 (AP) - Reaching out to the Roman Catholic Church five years after
Pope John Paul II visited this communist-run nation, Fidel Castro made an
unprecedented appearance at the blessing of a convent.
Dressed in black suit and tie, the bearded revolutionary leader joined two
cardinals - one from Mexico and one from the Vatican - on Saturday at the
blessing of the recently renovated building in Old Havana that will be home to
eight nuns from the Order of the Most Holy Saviour of St. Brigid.
Noticeably absent was Cuba's top Catholic churchman, Cardinal Jaime Ortega,
who released a pastoral letter less than two weeks ago calling on the government
to be more compassionate with its citizens.
"We are here today to dedicate not a school, a polyclinic, a factory, a
hotel or any other of the thousands of social or economic works carried out by
the Revolution, but rather the new home of a noble, symbolic and prestigious
religious institution," Castro said in the chapel of the two-story
structure of cream-colored brick.
In an unusual move, the entire ceremony was broadcast live across the island
on state-run television and radio.
"I would like to express our recognition for the humanitarian efforts
carried out by the mothers and sisters of numerous orders of various religious
denominations who devote their lives to alleviating the pain and suffering of
many people in need," Castro added.
The Cuban leader went on to praise the pope's efforts to prevent a war in
the Middle East, which he said "could have disastrous human, political and
economic consequences in the whole world."
Although Castro attended the pope's Mass at Havana's Plaza of the Revolution
during his visit here in January 1998, it was the first time in recent memory
that the communist leader was seen inside a religious institution.
No official reason was given for the absence of Ortega, whose pastoral
letter last month exhorted the government to soften its traditionally heavy hand
with its citizens.
"The hour has come to pass from being a legalistic state that demands
sacrifices and settles accounts to a merciful state willing to offer a
compassionate hand before imposing controls and punishing infractions," the
letter said.
Ortega did participate earlier in the day at a Mass celebrated in Havana's
cathedral in honor of the new convent. During the Mass, a letter from John Paul
to Cuban Catholics was read aloud, encouraging them to "keep sailing a
steady course."
The other concelebrants — all of whom attended the ceremony at the new
convent — were Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, Archbishop of Guadalajara,
Mexico; Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, head of the Vatican's worldwide missionary
network; and Msgr. Luis Robles, the Papal Nuncio in Cuba.
At the late afternoon ceremony at the convent, Mother Tekla Famiglietti,
abbess general of the worldwide religious order, profusely thanked Castro for
approving the establishment of the new convent in Cuba. "This is your
house, too," she told him.
A group of Mexican Catholics — including Cardinal Sandoval — had
campaigned for establishment of the order in Cuba.
The opening of the new convent brings to 53 the number of religious orders
now operating on the island — 20 of them opened in the past decade since
the government declared it was no longer officially atheist.
St. Brigid, a Swedish mystic who died 700 years ago last year, is a
co-patron of Europe. The order she founded is contemplative, with its members
focusing on prayer and meditation rather than social works.
Note: AP Corrects Cuba Church Story
HAVANA, 11 - In a
March 8 story about
the blessing of a renovated convent, The Associated Press erroneously
reported that Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega of Cuba did not attend a Mass
in honor of the event. Ortega participated in the service at Havana's cathedral.
He wasn't present at the blessing of the convent in Old Havana later Saturday.
U.S. Protests Castro's Diplomat Criticism
By George Gedda, Associated Press Writer. Fri Mar 7, 3:37
PM ET
WASHINGTON - The United States on Friday protested derogatory remarks by
Cuban President Fidel Castro about the presence of a U.S. diplomat at a recent
meeting of dissidents in Havana.
"Anyone can see that this is a shameless and defiant provocation,"
Castro said Thursday during a speech following his election by Cuba's parliament
to a sixth term as head of state.
On Feb. 24, James Cason, who heads the U.S. diplomatic mission in Cuba,
showed up at the meeting of dissidents and spoke to a group of international
reporters.
Castro seemed to take special exception to Cason's declaration that "the
Cuban government is afraid, afraid of freedom of conscience, afraid of freedom
of expression, afraid of human rights."
In rebuttal, Castro said Thursday, "Actually, Cuba is so afraid that it
will calmly take all the time needed to decide on its course of action regarding
this bizarre official."
State Department spokesman Philip Reeker replied that Castro's "defamatory
language and criticism of Mr. Cason's comments in support of democracy and
freedom underscore yet again that Castro abhors freedom of expression and fears
any measure of support for human rights in Cuba."
Reeker said the United States supports Cason's work in Havana and reaffirmed
U.S. support for a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba.
The word "protest" appears in Reeker's statement, but a U.S.
official said it was not clear whether a protest note will be delivered to Cuban
authorities.
In his remarks Thursday, Castro hinted — as he has several times before
— that he may shut down the U.S. office in Cuba, formally known as the U.S.
Interests Section.
"Perhaps the numerous U.S. intelligence agents working at the Interests
Section could explain to him (Cason) that Cuba can easily do without this office
— a breeding ground for counterrevolutionaries and a command post for the
most offensive subversive actions against our country," Castro said.
The comments recalled the circumstances 42 years ago when Castro said the
U.S. Embassy in Havana was filled with spies and demanded that the embassy staff
be reduced from 87 to 11. President Dwight Eisenhower broke diplomatic relations
the next day.
Diplomatic relations have never been restored, but each country opened an
interests section in each other's capital in 1977. These offices have a lower
diplomatic standing than embassies.
On Wednesday, the United States protested a Cuban decision not to allow the
Interests Section to import literature and text books from the United States for
distribution to Cuban citizens.
The State Department had tried to ship 5,101 books late last month, but they
were confiscated on arrival by the Cuban government. The shipment included works
by Martin Luther King Jr., John Steinbeck and Groucho Marx.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher called the decision unfortunate
and noted that Cuban representatives in the United States distribute books and
other published materials regularly to U.S. citizens.
The United States had hoped to distribute 25,000 books this year in Cuba,
mostly for use by children. One goal was to encourage respect for the opinions
of others. | 
