By Jim Burns. CNS Senior Staff Writer.
CNS News. April 23, 2001
(CNSNews.com) - President Bush used this past weekend's Summit of the
Americas in Quebec City to tout the benefits of democracy and vowed in his
weekly radio address that "freedom will come" one day for Cuba. The
Canadian Foreign Minister also used the summit to attack the Castro government
and that government hit back with a vengeance.
Bush said, "Only one country in the western hemisphere was is not
represented, because that country, Cuba, is the only one that is not yet a
democracy." Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley called Cuba's one-party
system of government "anti-democratic."
Radio Havana reported Saturday that the Castro government accused Manley of "aligning
himself with Washington's anti-Cuba policy." They also said that "statements
by Manley concerning Cuba's political system barely differ from the arguments
used to justify the more-than-40-year (economic) blockade against the island."
The broadcast also quoted a Castro government official as saying that
Manley's "anti-Cuba language confirms his growing subordination to and
alignment with U.S. foreign policy, asking whether Canadian foreign policy is
now drawn in Washington instead of Ottawa."
On Friday, Castro sent a message to the protesters at the Quebec City
conference, accusing Canadian authorities of repressing "peaceful
demonstrations" against the conference.
"It is a shame. I want to express to you, in the name of the Cuban
people, our sympathy and admiration for the valiant and heroic actions of those
who struggle for such a just cause. This is the way they treat their own
citizens, these governments that try to fool the rest of the world -- calling
themselves the defenders of human rights. This is how they hope to clear their
consciousness of the millions of children, women, adults and elderly who rather
than being saved, die each year from sickness and hunger in the world,"
said Castro
Castro added, "They cannot sustain this unjust order imposed on
humanity. We send you our total solidarity. Cuba supports you. We embrace you
and send our fraternal
greetings."
The Summit of the Americas ended Sunday with 34 leaders agreeing to work
toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas zone that will stretch from Canada to
Chile. Democracy was touted as a condition of admission.
"Once the incurred difficulties are resolved, Crowley intends to
resume its service between the United States and Cuba," said Mark Miller of
Crowley Maritime Services of Jacksonville.
The cargo was believed to contain only humanitarian donations and did not
include commercial food or medical supplies now authorized under a new law
approved by Congress in 2000.
Miller would not say why the MV Orso was told Friday night to continue on
to Mexico instead of making a scheduled stop Saturday.
"Some further discussions with the Cuban government will be required
prior to scheduling the next regular sailing," he said. "Crowley fully
expects to have these open issues resolved in the near future."
A source close to the situation said indications were that President Fidel
Castro's regime objected to inclusion in the shipment of some supplies for the
U.S. Interest Section in Havana.
He said the Cubans thought it was unfair because it does not have the same
opportunity to supply its representatives in Washington.
Cuba has said before it will not accept any U.S. goods, but had okayed the
voyage before the Orso left Jacksonville Thursday. It had hoped to be the first
freighter to arrive in Cuba since the U.S. trade embargo was installed four
decades ago. Cargo planes have been delivering goods to Cuba for years.
The shipment was made possible by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export
Enhancement Act. Crowley hopes the visit to Cuba will be made every week as part
of its regular route to Mexico, but that depends on how much cargo there is
available to ship.
Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen, R-Fla., said there won't be much because
opponents of the act had been able to ban any trade financing that comes from
the Unites States. Most world trade is backed by trade financing.
"This is much ado about nothing. Nothing will come of this," said
Ros-Lehtinen, a prominent Castro foe.
Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights
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