Published Thursday, April 19, 2001in the
Miami Herald
U.N. panel condemns Cuba for rights abuses
Resolution a diplomatic victory for U.S.
By Pablo Alfonso . El Nuevo Herald
GENEVA -- The U.N. Commission on Human Rights voted 22-20 Wednesday in
support of a U.S.-backed resolution that condemned Havana's treatment of
dissidents and expressed strong concerns for the ongoing repression of members
of the opposition inside the country.
The U.S. victory in the diplomatic tussle with Cuba -- which has become a
nearly annual ritual -- was tempered by a failure to win international
condemnation of China's human rights record after the 53-nation body, in a 23-17
vote, passed a Chinese motion blocking consideration of the American proposal.
The commission also voted 50-1 to censure Israel for allowing Jewish
settlements in the Palestinian territories, with only the United States taking
Israel's side.
The Czech-sponsored resolution against Cuba marked the ninth time since 1991
that the human rights panel has criticized Fidel Castro's government for its
human rights abuses, with 1998 being the only year Cuba managed to thwart the
U.S.-led effort.
The condemnation conveys no penalty for Cuba, but the U.N. action is
considered an embarrassment.
Last year's vote denouncing Cuban rights abuses was 21-18, with 14
abstentions. This year 10 countries abstained.
The resolution expressed concern over "the continued violation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba'' and urged the Cuban government "to
fulfill its commitment to democracy and respect for human rights,'' which it
assumed in previous Ibero-American conferences.
At the same time, the resolution asked the Castro government "to
establish a dialogue with the political opposition, as several groups [on the
island] have requested.''
U.S. LED PUSH
In Washington, a senior administration official told The Herald that U.S.
officials, from ambassadors to the secretary of state and the president, lobbied
hard for the Cuba resolution "even though the deck was stacked against
us.''
He said that the addition of several new members to the commission with
anti-American positions -- Algeria, Libya and Vietnam -- made passage more
difficult.
"There was a real pressure strategy, from the president to the
embassies, in talking with other countries,'' said the official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
The resolution passed by a narrow margin because several African nations
voted for it, and a number of Latin American countries that deal with Cuba and
the United States abstained -- Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Colombia.
"Its a great relief that after so many years of this tyranny and so
many documented cases of human rights violations in Cuba, the international
community has acknowledged the reality of it,'' said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
the Miami Republican who had lobbied hard for the resolution in Geneva.
Joe Garcia, executive director for the Cuban American National Foundation,
also expressed satisfaction.
"It is wonderful to be quite honest. It was a victory for those who
suffer and a defeat of special interests that have helped enslave Cuba for 42
years.''
The sponsorship of the resolution by the Czech Republic for the second
consecutive year follows an earlier diplomatic incident this year in which two
prominent Czechs, including a parliamentarian, were held for several days in
Cuba for contacting members of the Cuban opposition.
CZECH SUPPORT
Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, Martin Palous, who headed the Czech
delegation, said his government does not seek "political achievements'' but
rather to demonstrate its "solidarity with the Cubans who struggle for
democracy.''
The Cuban delegate, Carlos Amat, accused the Czechs of being in the service
of the United States, which Amat described as the author of the anti-Cuba
resolution.
Amat described the resolution as "unjust, politicized and selective.''
The Cuban delegate said the U.S. government "and its allies in the
terrorist Miami Mafia work tirelessly to overthrow the Cuban revolution and, to
that end, try to activate [Cuba's] domestic opposition.''
CHINA'S SUPPORT
On China, it was the 10th time a Western government has tried -- and failed
-- to pass a resolution condemning Beijing at the annual meeting.
Each time, full debate has been blocked by a Chinese motion calling for "no
action.''
China amassed support among African countries for Wednesday's "no
action'' vote, which required only a simple majority of ballots cast to pass.
The vote came despite the entreaties of U.S. delegation head Shirin
Tahir-Kheli, who said "the essential principle of universal human rights is
that they apply to every country at every moment.''
Chinese Ambassador Qiao Zonghuai said the proposal had "slanderous
accusations.''
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CUBA VOTE BREAKDOWN
IN FAVOR: Argentina, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada,
Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan,
Latvia, Madagascar, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of [South]
Korea, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay.
AGAINST: Algeria, Burundi, China, Cuba, India,
Indonesia, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Swaziland, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Zambia.
ABSTAINING: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya,
Mauritius, Mexico, Niger, Peru, Senegal, Thailand.
ABSENT: Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Herald staff writer Frank Davies contributed to this report.
Cuban envoy looks to U.S. public to end embargo
zPublished Wednesday, April 18, 2001
WASHINGTON -- (AP) -- The Cuban government is looking past the Bush
administration to Congress, U.S. business and the public in its pursuit of an
end to America's four-decade-long embargo, Cuba's top diplomat in Washington
said Tuesday.
"As Cubans, we're optimistic,'' Fernando Remirez, chief of the Cuban
Interests Section, said on the 40th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion.
When asked what he expects from President George Bush's administration, he
paused, then said: "Not much.''
"Our expectations are from the other sectors of the American people . .
. with a growing number of institutions, private companies who really express
their interest in Cuba,'' he told a Federal City Club luncheon. "There's a
growing number of Americans who are traveling down there. We think that it is a
good signal.''
Cuba's 11.2 million people stand ready to buy everything they can from the
United States, Remirez said. The country would save millions of dollars if they
could buy rice from U.S. growers instead of having it shipped from Asia through
the Panama Canal.
Rep. George Nethercutt, a Republican, sponsored legislation last year aimed
at easing the U.S. embargo by allowing the sale of American food to Cuba for the
first time in 40 years. The legislation, altered somewhat to achieve a passable
compromise with hard-line opponents of Cuba, was approved by Congress and signed
by President Clinton.
Supporters hailed the measure as a victory for American farmers, but Cuban
authorities said they would buy no American food under the law because its
amendments bar the U.S. government and U.S. banks from financing sales. Since
Cuba belongs to no international financial institutions, Remirez said, "All
payments must be in cash, which is very difficult.''
The law also tightened restrictions on Americans' travel to Cuba.
The trade measure, approved by the House 340-75 last October, was wrapped
into the fiscal 2001 spending bill for the Agriculture Department and the Food
and Drug Administration.
Farm groups see Cuba as a huge potential market for their crops and
livestock. Archer Daniels Midland Co., one of the nation's biggest grain
processors, was host last September to officials from the Cuban agency that
handles food imports. Cargill, another major U.S. exporter, also is interested
in the Cuban market.
U.S. farm groups want the law's financing restrictions eased, but
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said in February the Bush administration
probably won't support further relaxation of the trade embargo.
The administration is working on rules to implement the legislation, which
allows the government to subsidize food and medicine sales to Iran, Libya, North
Korea and Sudan.
Colonel: Cuba has no need to spy on S. Fla. sites
A U.S. raid is not likely to come from Boca Chica, the officer
testified.
By Rui Ferreira . El Nuevo Herald Published Wednesday,
April 18, 2001.
Cuba doesn't need to spy on U.S. military installations in South Florida
because a U.S. attack on the island would not be launched from this area, a
high-ranking Cuban officer said Tuesday while testifying in the Miami trial of
five accused Cuban spies.
For a raid to originate at the Boca Chica Naval Air Station "wouldn't
make any sense,'' said Col. Amel Escalante in a deposition videotaped in October
in Havana. The tape was shown in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Joan
Lenard.
Two of the defendants, Antonio Guerrero and Ramón Labañino,
have been accused of informing Cuban military authorities about activities at
the Boca Chica station near Key West and MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
According to Escalante, Boca Chica "is an open base, visible from the
street, so nothing could be done there in stealth. It wouldn't make any sense
for [the Americans] to invade us from there. The most logical thing would be a
surprise attack with cruise missiles from a ship or an aircraft carrier.''
Escalante, 65, a 43-year army veteran who heads Cuba's Center for Strategic
Studies, said he was unaware of any Cuban intelligence activities in the United
States but acknowledged he regularly receives information about military
movements in this country. However, he said, that information does not come from
the Cuban armed forces' counterintelligence service.
"I receive the processed data, and my job is to plan a response,'' he
said in response to a question from Labañino's attorney, William Norris.
When assistant prosecutor Dave Buckner asked Escalante if Cuba could use an
agent in Boca Chica, the officer scoffed.
"I don't know who in the Cuban government might need him, because if I
-- who participate in planning operations -- don't need him, who would?'' he
replied.
Buckner then asked if the Cuban government might like to have a spy in the
Southern Command's West Miami-Dade County headquarters, where, according to
prosecutors, Havana attempted to have two agents infiltrate.
"I wish we had one,'' Escalante answered. "If it were the Southern
Command's commander in chief, of course I would. But if it's anyone else, we're
not interested.''
"Not even someone who steals a paper from a desktop?'' Buckner
inquired.
"I would hate to think that the chief of the Southern Command is
irresponsible enough to allow someone to steal plans from his desktop,''
Escalante replied.
The Cuban officer also said the Cuban planners don't need spies to report on
U.S. military movements because that information is easily accessible through TV
and the Internet.
"Not even the number of soldiers, officers, equipment and armament in
Fort Bragg, for instance?'' Buckner asked.
"I already have that; I don't need it. Would you like to see it? I have
it all written down,'' Escalante said
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 