By CNN Havana Bureau
Chief Lucia Newman. April 18, 2001. Web posted at: 5:42 PM EDT (2142 GMT)
HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- A motion to censure Cuba for human rights violations,
approved at the United Nations Human Rights Commission on Wednesday, was
nevertheless declared a "moral victory" by Cuba's foreign ministry.
The motion passed at the commission's meeting in Geneva with 22 votes in
favor, 20 against, and 10 abstentions.
As Wednesday's vote was taking place, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez
Roque spoke before members of the media and all the foreign ministry workers
here, saying the countries who supported the motion were pressured by
Washington.
Roque denounced what he called an unprecedented campaign of pressures and
psychological torture against the countries that have a vote on the commission
this year.
"They have been submitted to unconfessable pressures and blackmail,"
he said loudly. "From the highest levels of the United States government,
headed by President George W. Bush, to try to force them to change their mind
and vote against Cuba."
The motion to censure Cuba was sponsored by the Czech Republic but strongly
supported by the United States. Cuba's representative indicated Washington had a
larger hand.
"You don't need to have a DNA test," the representative said. "Everyone
knows who is the father of this creature."
Roque said Bush personally called every president in Latin America to try to
obtain the censure vote against Cuba, saying one country even received "10
phone calls in the middle of the night" to urge support.
Cuba also claimed some Latin American countries and many African nations on
the Human Rights Commission were threatened by Washington with the withdrawal of
vital U.S. economic aid, including support for AIDS programs, if they did not
vote against Cuba.
The moral victory, Roque said, came because the United States was forced to
threaten commission members in order to achieve the vote results.
Seconds after the vote was announced at the foreign ministry here, there
were claps and cheers of "Viva Cuba!" Foreign ministry workers then
sang the national anthem.
© 2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. |