Spain and Europe seek an improvement of Human Rights in Cuba.
Jorge Cruz Inclan
June 19, 2009
In the international arena the issue of human rights in Cuba remains at the highest level of care. It is a struggle among the world and an intransigent Fidel Castro, now regained the ability to maintain their willingness to excess. The new American administration has taken steps to normalize relations between the two countries and lifting the embargo, despite the human rights issue hampering treatment and make the negotiations are only for specific items.
The previous General Assembly of the OAS agreed to lift the sanctions against Cuba imposed in 1962 and has opened the possibility to return Cuban, however countries such as Canada and United States are opposed if there is no improvement in human rights. On the one hand the new UN resolution recognizes advances in Cuba, but with issues to resolve.
Current relations between Cuba and the European Union once again focus on the issue of human rights. The European Union, a bloc of 27 countries with a common foreign policy, announced that keeps the dialogue and cooperation with Cuba, keeps the lifting of economic sanctions agreed in 2008, but an urgent call to release political prisoners and to expand civil liberties on the island.
As we can see human rights in Cuba hinders relations with much of the world, nearly 50 countries. It is scandalous that in Cuba the government does not pay attention to this matter and on the contrary increases the control over the citizenry and the repression of opponents.
For weeks EU seeks consensus on an unified position relative to Cuba. As we remember this time in 2008 the EU finally decided to lift sanctions against Cuba, that were in effect since 2003 when the events of "Black Spring", this way the EU opposed the U.S. position. Ratifying the European position to open an unconditional political dialogue with Cuba and the effectiveness of the decision will be reviewed after one year.
The verification of human rights in 2009 begins with Cuban Foreign Minister's visit to the new report on Human Rights. The Cuban foreign minister has in the Czech position their main obstacle. This country now has the EU presidency. This country is against the lifting of economic sanctions, believing that Cuba does not make progress in the direction defendant. The position of the Czech Republic joins Sweden and Denmark have proposed an even tougher sanction.
Spain is the best partner of Cuba in Europe and like last year, has led to the current decision to maintain dialogue despite no progress on human rights in the country. The current European position was about to fail or break the consensus, since Cuba has been especially sharp relative to these issues. Spanish diplomacy had to be thoroughly used to achieve the new agreement, having also helped the recent UN resolution and the policy of "New Beginning" of President Obama in relation to Cuba.
The European challenge is to maintain a dialogue with Cuba, but under protest.
The European Union decided this week that is worth pursuing and deepening the political dialogue with Cuba, while the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-seven said to "feel seriously concerned about the lack of progress in human rights situation in Cuba."
The agreement to resume the dialogue with the island and lift economic sanctions. These measures were imposed after the harassment of Cuban dissidents, the arrest of 75 people, conducted by the government of Fidel Castro in 2003, and brought a freeze on high-level diplomatic relations.
The Spanish Foreign Minister Mr. Moratinos has said that this decision is good news for the objectives of diplomacy and Spanish, especially for relations between the EU and Cuba. "This was said at a press conference after having ratified the will to deepen its dialogue with Cuba with the rest of the foreign ministers of the European Union, who nevertheless noted the lack of progress in human rights.
The minister is preparing for the next term of Spain in the European Union. Spain wants agreements with Cuba and Latin America. Mr. Moratinos said that the desire of Spain is to substitute the sanctions as a form of relationship with the island, another treatment based on cooperation with "capacity obligation" and "responsibilities voluntarily subscribed by both sides."
From a firm position during the governments of José María Aznar, Spain becomes a conditional opening, which seeks to consolidate a position as a preferred partner of the Cuban regime, in exchange for ignoring the democratic opposition and not bother too much on the thorny issue of human rights.
The violation of human rights in Cuba has faced Spain with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Denmark, claiming tough. There has been an unitary European text but weak. Maintain a dialogue with the island, not economic sanctions, but harden the recommendations.
The 27 European countries urged Havana to release "unconditionally" to all political prisoners, including those who were convicted in 2003 and show its concern about the serious health conditions in prison and asks to be allowed access by international humanitarian organizations to prisons. He also noted the "importance" to undertake structural economic and social reforms that help improve the living conditions of Cubans.
In Havana the opposition groups are divided among those who accept the conditional dialogue of the European Union and those opposed to the regime to allow the repression of opponents. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Jan Fischer, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, urging them to take concrete measures to ensure that Cuba meets the conditions imposed by the European Union.
The economist Oscar Espinosa believes that the statement of Luxembourg is "stronger than previous ones" and agrees with the dissent that has not fulfilled the promised reforms by Cuban President Raúl Castro. Instead, he was very disappointed Elizardo Sanchez of the Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, unrecognized by the authorities of the island.
The previous General Assembly of the OAS agreed to lift the sanctions against Cuba imposed in 1962 and has opened the possibility to return Cuban, however countries such as Canada and United States are opposed if there is no improvement in human rights. On the one hand the new UN resolution recognizes advances in Cuba, but with issues to resolve.
Current relations between Cuba and the European Union once again focus on the issue of human rights. The European Union, a bloc of 27 countries with a common foreign policy, announced that keeps the dialogue and cooperation with Cuba, keeps the lifting of economic sanctions agreed in 2008, but an urgent call to release political prisoners and to expand civil liberties on the island.
As we can see human rights in Cuba hinders relations with much of the world, nearly 50 countries. It is scandalous that in Cuba the government does not pay attention to this matter and on the contrary increases the control over the citizenry and the repression of opponents.
For weeks EU seeks consensus on an unified position relative to Cuba. As we remember this time in 2008 the EU finally decided to lift sanctions against Cuba, that were in effect since 2003 when the events of "Black Spring", this way the EU opposed the U.S. position. Ratifying the European position to open an unconditional political dialogue with Cuba and the effectiveness of the decision will be reviewed after one year.
The verification of human rights in 2009 begins with Cuban Foreign Minister's visit to the new report on Human Rights. The Cuban foreign minister has in the Czech position their main obstacle. This country now has the EU presidency. This country is against the lifting of economic sanctions, believing that Cuba does not make progress in the direction defendant. The position of the Czech Republic joins Sweden and Denmark have proposed an even tougher sanction.
Spain is the best partner of Cuba in Europe and like last year, has led to the current decision to maintain dialogue despite no progress on human rights in the country. The current European position was about to fail or break the consensus, since Cuba has been especially sharp relative to these issues. Spanish diplomacy had to be thoroughly used to achieve the new agreement, having also helped the recent UN resolution and the policy of "New Beginning" of President Obama in relation to Cuba.
The European challenge is to maintain a dialogue with Cuba, but under protest.
The European Union decided this week that is worth pursuing and deepening the political dialogue with Cuba, while the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-seven said to "feel seriously concerned about the lack of progress in human rights situation in Cuba."
The agreement to resume the dialogue with the island and lift economic sanctions. These measures were imposed after the harassment of Cuban dissidents, the arrest of 75 people, conducted by the government of Fidel Castro in 2003, and brought a freeze on high-level diplomatic relations.
The Spanish Foreign Minister Mr. Moratinos has said that this decision is good news for the objectives of diplomacy and Spanish, especially for relations between the EU and Cuba. "This was said at a press conference after having ratified the will to deepen its dialogue with Cuba with the rest of the foreign ministers of the European Union, who nevertheless noted the lack of progress in human rights.
The minister is preparing for the next term of Spain in the European Union. Spain wants agreements with Cuba and Latin America. Mr. Moratinos said that the desire of Spain is to substitute the sanctions as a form of relationship with the island, another treatment based on cooperation with "capacity obligation" and "responsibilities voluntarily subscribed by both sides."
From a firm position during the governments of José María Aznar, Spain becomes a conditional opening, which seeks to consolidate a position as a preferred partner of the Cuban regime, in exchange for ignoring the democratic opposition and not bother too much on the thorny issue of human rights.
The violation of human rights in Cuba has faced Spain with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Denmark, claiming tough. There has been an unitary European text but weak. Maintain a dialogue with the island, not economic sanctions, but harden the recommendations.
The 27 European countries urged Havana to release "unconditionally" to all political prisoners, including those who were convicted in 2003 and show its concern about the serious health conditions in prison and asks to be allowed access by international humanitarian organizations to prisons. He also noted the "importance" to undertake structural economic and social reforms that help improve the living conditions of Cubans.
In Havana the opposition groups are divided among those who accept the conditional dialogue of the European Union and those opposed to the regime to allow the repression of opponents. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Jan Fischer, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, urging them to take concrete measures to ensure that Cuba meets the conditions imposed by the European Union.
The economist Oscar Espinosa believes that the statement of Luxembourg is "stronger than previous ones" and agrees with the dissent that has not fulfilled the promised reforms by Cuban President Raúl Castro. Instead, he was very disappointed Elizardo Sanchez of the Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, unrecognized by the authorities of the island.
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