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Yahoo!
October 29, 2002.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - El Salvador lashed out against Cuba on Monday
for its decision to not participate in next month's Central American and
Caribbean Games because of security concerns.
"Cuba turned its back on us" and "Cuba boycott" topped
national newspapers Monday while Salvadoran President Francisco Flores said "there
is no reason" for the cancellation.
"It's strange," Flores
was
quoted as saying the newspaper, El Diario de Hoy. "A week ago
everything was fine and now this has come out."
Flores said sporting events are like art or culture — something which
leaders "are obligated not to politicize."
A communique Saturday from Cuban sport officials said intelligence officials
discovered anti-communist groups from Miami were planning violent attacks on the
Cuban delegation, including the assassination of Vice President Jose Ramon
Fernandez, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee.
Cuban authorities asked Salvadoran officials if they could take measures to
protect the Cuban athletes during their time there, but "no response has
been received," the bulletin said.
Salvadoran officials said they never received such a request.
Cuba, known internationally for its highly developed sports program, is sure
to be missed at the event which brings together the best amateur athletes from
the region.
Monday's headlines in the San Salvador newspaper, La Prensa Grafica, said
the games will be like "a wedding without a bride," and asked "where
will the medals go now?" Cuba won 71 percent of the medals in the last
games in 1998.
Cuba plans to hold its own sports event, the first Olympics of Cuban Sports,
Nov. 28-Dec. 8 — the same dates as the Central American and Caribbean
Games. The island-wide event will include 1,548 athletes from 33 disciplines and
will be divided into three divisions: eastern, central and western.
The organizing committee for the Central American games issued a statement
saying organizers were "surprised and let down by this attitude because we
understand that decisions of this nature are not taken from one day to the next,
but are largely discussed and thought out."
Joaquin Puello, of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization,
said "the games won't be the same" but the criticism is unlikely to
reverse Cuba's decision. | 
