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Cuba refuses to apologise
for deportation
Expatica
News, Netherlands, 19 October 2004 .
AMSTERDAM - The Cuban ambassador to the
Netherlands has refused to apologise after
Havana ejected two Dutch MPs and a Spanish
politician last week on grounds they intended
to meet with opponents of Fidel Castro's
regime.
Called to account for the incident by the
Foreign Affairs Ministry, Cuban ambassador
Elio Rodríguez Perdomo rejected Dutch
criticism of the incident on Monday evening.
He pointed out that the three politicians
had entered Cuba on a tourist visa and were
planning to meet with Cuban dissidents.
Democrat D66 leader Boris Dittrich, Christian
Democrat CDA MP Kathleen Ferrier and Jorge
Moragas, a representative of the Spanish
Popular Party, were detained at Havana Airport
on Friday night and were then put on an
Air France flight back to Europe.
A representative of the Dutch embassy was
refused permission to contact the MPs, Dutch
public news service NOS reported. A spokesman
for Foreign Minister Ben Bot said the refusal
was "unusual and unacceptable".
The spokesman also said that the ambassador's
explanation - that the two Dutch politicians
were being detained in a transit zone between
two airplanes where no one is permitted
to enter - was insufficient.
Furthermore, the Dutch government impressed
upon the ambassador again that it was concerned
about the human rights situation in Cuba.
The Netherlands is now considering what
further action can be taken.
Bilateral measures are a possibility, but
the ministry spokesman said the government
needed to carefully consider the most effective
method to improve the position of political
dissidents in Cuba.
He said discussions around the issue will
be staged within the European Union in coming
weeks.
The Dutch government's position differs
from that of Spain, despite the fact that
it also demanded answers from the Cuban
ambassador in Spain, Isabel Allende, about
the incident.
Spain said it will continue with its campaign
urging the EU to strengthen ties with Havana.
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
said the EU policy which has isolated Cuba
has not proven very effective.
He said improved ties with Cuba will have
a better chance of success in terms of human
rights. Moratinos said efforts have not
yet secured the release of all detained
dissidents, despite a few successes.
Dutch, Spanish politicians detained in
Cuba
Expatica News 18 October 2004.
AMSTERDAM - A diplomatic row with Cuba
erupted after two Dutch MPs and a Spanish
politician were arrested at Havana Airport
on Friday night and deported a short time
later.
Democrat D66 leader Boris Dittrich, Christian
Democrat CDA MP Kathleen Ferrier and Jorge
Moragas, a representative of the Spanish
Popular Party, were detained by Cuban soldiers
for two hours. They were then sent on an
Air France flight back to Europe.
The trio had travelled to Cuba to examine
the human rights situation on the island
and were held immediately upon arrival,
Dutch public news service NOS reported.
The Cuban authorities said the politicians
were planning to hold talks with dissidents.
They subsequently declared that on the basis
of their visa - a tourist visa entry - that
the Dutch
and Spanish politicians did not have authority
to enter into such discussions.
Dittrich's spokeswoman said the MP had
kept her informed of his situation via SMS
text messages from his detention cell. "I
am furious. I have never experienced anything
like this," Dittrich said.
Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot was also
outraged by the incident and said he would
summon the Cuban ambassador on Monday to
demand an explanation. The Dutch ambassador
in Cuba was also demanding an explanation
from the Cuban government.
The Spanish government meanwhile said the
deportation of Moragas was "unacceptable".
The Cuban ambassador in Spain was also called
to account for the actions of Cuban authorities.
The three politicians had been due to meet
with opposition figure Oswaldo Paya. Cuban
dissident leaders condemned the arrests,
saying that it illustrated the ruthlessness
of Fidel Castro's regime, French news agency
AFP reported.
Dittrich previously visited Cuba last summer,
travelling for three weeks across the island
and wrote a report about the trip for his
personal web page, in which he claimed "the
communist regime of Fidel Castro oppresses
the population".
He said the most "perverse" form
of oppression was the fact that people were
urged to spy on others and report any anti-communist
activity.
Children are told at school they should
watch for whether their parents' behaviour
conflicted with the values of the Castro
revolution. If children observed their parents
behaving in an anti-communist way, they
were urged to report this to the school,
Dittrich said.
The same applied in suburbs, where residents
could report unbefitting behaviour to the
neighbourhood chief, resulting in fear and
mistrust of each other. Dittrich said people
are always scared of being arrested and
thrown in jail.
After his return to the Netherlands, Dittrich
was forced to meet with the Cuban ambassador
after Cuba took offence to his critical
remarks about the island and the fact that
he met with dissidents.
The Netherlands currently holds the rotating
European Union Presidency and in reaction
to the latest incident, Dittrich - who returned
home on Saturday - said he would press Minister
Bot to cut the EU's diplomatic relations
with Cuba to a strict minimum.
The EU imposed diplomatic sanctions on
Havana last year when three Cubans were
sentenced to death for attempting to flee
to the US by hijacking a plane. Cuban courts
also handed down heavy jail sentences to
75 dissidents.
© Copyright
Expatica News 2004
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