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Cuba's Regional Relations
Wednesday, March 09, 2005   By: Juan Paxety

U.S. may be losing influence

The Bush administration will be asking the U.N. Geneva Human Rights Commission (HRC) to condemn the abuse of human rights by fidel.  Leftist British newspaper The Guardian has an interesting opinion piece on the issue, and goes on to point out how fidel is improving relations with other Latin American countries:

Recently installed leaders in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Venezuela were raised in the left wing, activist tradition of the 1970s and 1980s. For them, Che Guevara is more than a romantic character in a motorcycle road movie, and Cuba's revolution is deserving of their protection.

Cuba's trade with Brazil has doubled since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected. President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Washington's bete noire, is investing in Cuba's nascent oil industry and supplying discounted fuel.

And Uruguay's new socialist leader, Tabare Vazquez, has restored full diplomatic relations. He revealed that Cuba was being considered for associate membership of the regional trade bloc, Mercosur. If agreed, this could further upset US plans for a "Free Trade Area of the Americas".

The article ends with the chilling observation that while the Bush administration may be remaking the Middle East, it may be losing Latin America.

The Merco-Press reports that Cuba hopes no Latin American country will support the coming U.S. sponsored resolution condemning the lack of human rights.

Addressing the foreign press in Havana, Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque said "Cuba hopes this year no Latinamerican country will play the role of Cain in HRC and present, co-sponsor or vote in favour of any resolution drafted by the United States which only serves Washington to justify its blockade and aggression policies against our people".

"We know Washington has begun soundings, very discreet, we have the information they are working secretly to have a resolution sponsor", revealed Mr. Perez Roque who added that United States was having great difficulties in finding a co sponsor in Latinamerica and now “is pointing its radar towards East Europe".

Perez Roque, speaking for Mexico, says the Fox administration has no reason to vote for the resolution and accuses the U.S. of fabricating the human rights issue. 

The Cubans say the issue is a pretext for further Bush administration moves to get rid of fidel - including possible military moves. 

Secretory of State Condoleezza Rice called Cuba one of the outposts of tyranny earlier in the year.  fidel and his underlings have commented on that wording many times since.  It seems to really bother them - I can only hope for good reason.

  



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