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Cuba denies money contribution
to Lula's campaign
MercoPress,
Uruguay, 31 October, 2005.
Cuba categorically denied Sunday having
contributed three million US dollars to
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva's electoral campaign in 2002 as was
attributed by the latest edition of Veja
magazine.
"The Government of Cuba categorically
rejects the slander, confirms it has never
interfered in the internal affairs of a
sister nation and attributes full responsibility
for this propaganda scheme on the aggressive
plans of imperialism against Cuba and Lula",
said an official statement from the Cuban
embassy in Brasilia.
According to Veja, the leading Brazilian
weekly, Cuba contributed with three million
US dollars to the Workers Party 2002 campaign.
Brazilian law specifically bans and severely
punishes outside financial contributions
and oppositions sectors are now demanding
the impeachment of President Lula da Silva.
The embassy insisted the Veja report was
insulting and blamed it on efforts to scuttle
plans for broader cooperation between Brazil
and Cuba. On Saturday, the president of
Brazil's ruling Workers Party (PT), Ricardo
Berzoini, denied that Cuba contributed funds
to Lula's 2002 campaign adding that Veja
"lacked credibility" and had become
a vehicle for opposition to the Socialist
government.
Mr. Berzoini said Veja had no evidence
of the allegations, but the magazine published
that money from Cuba was received between
August and September 2002, based on statements
from attorney Rogerio Buratti, indicted
on corruption charges, and economist Vladimir
Poleto. Both were close advisors to current
Finance Minister Antonio Palocci.
"The dollars, packed inside cases
of liquor, went through Brasilia and Campinas
before reaching Lula's election committee
in Sao Paulo" reported Veja.
Apparently the middle man in the operation
was a Cuban diplomat Sergio Cervantes, a
close friend of Fidel Castro and of President
Lula. The magazine published a picture showing
Lula da Silva and Mr. Cervantes embracing.
However Mr. Cervantes flatly denied any
financial dealing, "Cuba is short of
hard currency. How can it afford to send
it elsewhere? That is not true" Cervantes
told Veja.
The Cuban government described the whole
operation as a plot to deviate attention
from the ever more complex situation United
States President George Bush is facing.
Mr. Bush is scheduled to visit Brazil next
November 5 following the Americas summit
in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
"These fabrications must be seen in
the context of the coming visit of the United
States president to Brazil", said the
Cuban government adding that it's a deliberate
attempt to deviate attention from the complex
situation Mr. Bush is facing with "corruption
investigations involving important leaders
of his own party and his inner circle of
advisors".
Furthermore the claims pretend to overshadow
the growing rejection of the peoples of
the hemisphere to the "aggressive,
hegemonic and interfering policies of the
current US administration and the complete
failure of the Americas Free Trade Association
project of regional domination".
Veja is not only a leading political affairs
magazine but recently uncovered a whole
operation of money for votes in Brazilian
Congress with illegal funds orchestrated
by the Workers Party and which so far has
forced the resignation of President Lula
da Silva' main advisor and the executive
council of the party, plus impeachment procedures
against at least 18 federal legislators.
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