This Week In Cuba
Summary of the Last Seven Days' Most Important Developments

May 9, 2003

a.. A survey in Spain indicated that 90 percent of Spaniards believe Fidel Castro should leave power. Seventy-eight percent rejected the recent executions in Havana, and seventy-two percent believe that Cuba can become a democracy. The poll was carried out by the radio station, Cadena Ser. (AFP, May 5)

b.. The Australian daily, The Age, in an editorial on the reelection of Cuba to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: "At the very least it should strive to make democracy and respect for human rights a precondition for membership of the body charged with upholding those rights," said the Melbourne daily. (The Age, May 5)

c.. Responding to singer Harry Belafonte, Secretary of State, Colin Powell said the U.S. was not mistreating Fidel Castro. "This is absolute nonsense," Powell said. "But we've gotten used to absolute nonsense coming from Mr. Belafonte. This isn't the first time that he has praised the Cuban regime, and it's outrageous." (The Washington Post, May 5)

d.. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) charged that Cuban authorities confiscated notes from Bernard Briançon, a French journalist visiting Cuba. "After censoring and jailing independent journalists, the [Cuban] government is now trying to censure their families, so as to make the world forget about those in jail," said RSF in a letter to the Interior Minister, Abelardo Colomé Ibarra." (RSF, May 5)

e.. The Bush Administration has several policy options under consideration in response to the recent crackdown in Cuba. According to Miami's El Nuevo Herald, among the measures under consideration, were the reduction of diplomatic personnel in both countries, the suspension of flights and sales licenses for agricultural products, new limits on the amounts allowed for remittances, and the strengthening of travel restrictions. An estimated 176,000 Americans visited Cuba in 2002. (El Nuevo Herald, May 5)

f.. Chile's Foreign Ministry formally informed Cuba's Ambassador, Alfonso Fraga, of Chile's disappointment with Havana's denial of visas to Chilean legislators planning to travel to the island to examine the human rights situation. Fraga declined to comment. (La Tercera, Chile, May 5)

g.. "The Cuban government vigorously rejects, once again, the infamous inclusion of our country in that unilateral and illegitimate listing," said the Cuban Foreign Ministry about the list of government sponsors of international terrorism released by Washington. In a long statement, critical of Washington's report, Havana acknowledges the presence in the island of members of ETA, the Basque terrorist group, but it says their stay in Cuba was due to an agreement with the government of former Spanish President, Felipe González. Concerning the presence in Cuba of fugitives of American justice, Havana says it is attributable to the breakdown of extradition treaties between the two countries, and to the presence in the United States of Cuban "terrorists and assassins." (Granma, May 5)

h.. Spain's President said his country will fight for the release of Raúl Rivero, and all imprisoned Cuban opposition members. Mr. José Aznar met in Washington with Cuban-American members of Congress. Raul Rivero is "one of the great poets of the Spanish language," he said. (El Nuevo Herald, May 9)

i.. Fidel Castro attended an international conference on Karl Marx in Havana. Ricardo Alarcón, President of Cuba's Parliament, said in the final session that the world would not allow the imposition of the United States' hegemonic project upon the rest of the world. (Granma, May 9)

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