From Herald Wire Services. Published Tuesday, April 3, 2001Miami Herald
HAVANA -- Members of the European Parliament, in town for an annual
gathering of lawmakers from around the world, met Monday with opponents of Fidel
Castro's government to talk about political prisoners, the death penalty and
other human rights issues.
"It was a very useful meeting for us to learn about the opposition's
position,'' said Renzo Imbeni, vice president of the European Parliament.
Nevertheless, Imbeni said he did not think a proposal to condemn Cuba for
its human rights record in a U.N. vote later this month "would be useful to
democracy.'' The U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva will vote on the issue
in the third week of April.
The lawmakers are in Havana for the annual meeting of the Interparliamentary
Union, which began Sunday and wraps up Saturday.
In a 10-minute speech on the opening day, Castro warned that a new Cold War
and arms race loomed "on the horizon.''
Speaking before about 1,400 parliamentarians, including U.N. Under-Secretary
General Kieran Prendergast, Castro warned that "renewed possibilities of a
Cold War and the start of a desperate arms race are on the horizon.''
Castro slammed the "disdain and arrogance with which the superpower
breaks accords and treaties that are vital not only to the peace and security of
people throughout the world, but also for . . . preserving ecological
equilibrium and the natural resources that make life on our planet possible.'' | 