Islamic Republic News Agency, Feb. 27, 2001
HAVANA, Feb 27, IRNA-PL -- A celebrated Cuban attorney affirmed in this
capital that her country has not given up the idea of recovering its territory
occupied by the US naval base in the eastern province of Guantanamo.
In an interview published by the Trabajadores (laborers)
newspaper, Dr Olga Miranda stressed that as long as the US naval base stays
in her country the colonial Platt Amendment would remain. The amendment
made "legal" the military occupation in Cuba in the last century.
She stated that the base is Platt Amendment's last stronghold,
although the U.S. insists on the fact that this legal measure was revoked in
1934 with a Relations Treaty establishing bilateral links of friendship between
the two countries from that moment on.
Nevertheless, she added, other forms of aggression also exist,
such as the blockade and the Cuban Adjustment Act which was approved in 1966
and which encourages illegal emigration regardless of the means used to reach
U.S. territory.
The renowned lady specialist in international law stated that all the
articles of the Platt Amendment are disadvantageous to Cuba because they
favor a colonial strategy, but the most significant article was that on the
U.S.' right of intervention in Cuba.
The scope of this legislation was not recognized until the moment of its
presentation, when it was announced that if it was disapproved U.S. occupation
troops could not be forced to leave Cuban territory. Among its items, the
amendment omitted the Isle of
Pines from Cuban territory, limited the signing of treaties with otherstates
and restrained the right to have public debts. All these measures were
inserted in a Permanent Treaty between the two nations.
Miranda mentioned that the deadline for the U.S. troops' stay in
Guantanamo Bay is in the hands of the U.S. since the lease contract does not
set a term. On the contrary, it was established so that it would be used for
as long as Washington "needed."
For them to maintain the base is an act of aggression on the
sovereignty and dignity of our people. Moreover, the base has been used for
committing aggressions and violating agreements although it was intended to be
used for supplies and not for training, attacking or establishing refugee camps
for Haitians.
"They are using the base in quite a different way than what was
agreed," the noted. She added that the lease was a violation of the
principle of freedom of consent because if it was disapproved the troops
occupying the country could not be forced to leave. YS/LS/KS..End
::irna 13:58
Cuban parliamentary speaker to visit Tehran
Tehran, Feb 27, IRNA -- Speaker of Cuba's National Assembly of
Peoples' Power Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, at the head of a high ranking
parliamentary delegation, will pay an official visit to the Islamic Republic
of Iran from March 1-3 at the official invitation of his Iranian counterpart.
The Cultural Bureau and Public Relation Department of the Majlis
announced that during his visit, de Quesada will hold talks with Majlis
Speaker Mehdi Karoubi, President Mohammad Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi on issues of mutual interests. MM/AH/RR. End ::irna 18:35
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