Chronicle on Cuba - November 2004

Foreign Affairs

November 1: Cuban mass media highlighted the victory of left-wing candidate by Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio-Nueva Mayoria (EP-FA-NM), Tabaré Vázquez, in Uruguay´s presidential elections. "Granma" newspaper lead the news in its front page, with some reports from foreign agencies supporting Vázquez and his partner Rodolfo Nin with more than 51 percent of votes. The daily also announced a special TV program on elections in Uruguay and Venezuela, which elected governors and mayors with victory of the sectors supporting President Hugo Chavez. (Prensa Latina, 1/11/04)

November 1: Our people will warmly welcome the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and Cuba, said Urugayan Senator Reinaldo Gargano. We bade farewell to the Cuban ambassador with a feeling of sorrow, but after relations between the two countries are reestablished, we will welcome him with joy, in accordance with the friendship and affection Cubans inspire in us, added Gargano. In his condition of president of the International Relations Commission of the Uruguayan Parliament, Gargano refuted statements by the Uruguayan foreign minister about the reasons that led to breaking relations with Cuba. (Prensa Latina, 1/11/04)

November 1: Bringing Cuba closer to the Latin American community through dialogue befits the rationale behind the Río Group (G-Río), said a ranking Brazilian diplomat. Marcelo da Silva Vasconcelos, a G-Río coordinator with the Pro Tempore Secretariat told the media that Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim’s proposal to allow Cuba to enter the mechanism, rejected for lack of quorum, was consistent with the Group’s principles. Da Silva Vasconcelos denied that the initiative was aimed at an immediate Cuban inclusion in the G-Río, but rather at establishing mechanisms for dialogue. (Notimex, 1/11/04)

November 2: The Belarusian minister met with the president of the People’s Power National Assembly (the parliament) Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada. The parties discussed the prospects of further intensification of the inter-parliamentary contacts between the two states and exchanged their views on the international situation. Within the framework of the visit, Sergei Martynov held negotiations with foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque. The chair of the Belarusian foreign ministry handed a message from the president of the Belarusian state, Alexander Lukashenko, to Fidel Castro. (Belta, 2/11/04)

November 2: A Russian Orthodox church will be built in the center of Havana and its groundbreaking ceremony should be held in mid November, the Foreign Church Relations Department (OVCS) of the Moscow Patriarchate said. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and Eusebio Leal, a deputy of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power (parliament) and a well-known historian, discussed the construction at St. Daniel's Monastery in Moscow. "On behalf of head of the Cuban state Fidel Castro, Professor Leal presented the Holiest Patriarch church project," the OVCS said. The project was developed at Mr. Leal's architecture office and is based on Moscow architect Vorontsov's drafts. The project includes housing for clergymen and areas for parish work. (Novosti, 2/11/04)

November 2: Jaime Canfux Gutiérrez, coordinator of the Adult Literacy and Education Chair at the Latin American and Caribbean Pedagogical Institute (IPLAC) informed Granma International that eight Cuban specialists are in New Zealand working as consultants to the Greenlight Learning for Life program. According to Canfux, Greenlight Learning for Life is an alternative Cuban literacy program via television and video classes entitled “Yo sí puedo” (“Yes, I Can”), suited to the conditions of this bilingual nation, where English, known as Kiwi English and with its very own pronunciation and structure, and Maori are the two official languages. (Granma International, 2/11/04)

November 2: It was reported that the American University Washington College of Law, Dean Claudio Grossman, Chief of Staff of the Center for a Free Cuba, Felipe Sixto, and a group of (WCL) students and alumni brought a case to the OAS’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The case is on behalf of three Cuban nationals, executed in 2003 without due process of law, and in violation of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948). “This case is an egregious violation of due process of law,” said Claudio Grossman. “It is important that the Commission hold Cuba accountable for violations of the American Declaration, to which it agreed more than 50 years ago. At WCL we will continue to take cases like this, in which we can offer our expertise to promote and protect human rights. We reject the notion that we should be silent spectators of such outrageous violations.” (Center for a Free Cuba, Press Release, 2/11/04)

November 2: The governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila, Enrique Martínez, has expressed interest in expanding relations with Cuba. The Mexican official is visiting the island and attending Havana's 22nd International Trade Fair that opened in the Cuban capital. (Radio Habana Cuba, 2/11/04)

November 2: Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Cuba from November 11 to 23. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue made the announcement in Beijing at a routine press briefing. (Xinhua, 3/11/04)

November 3: Eleven Cuban rafters, among them three doctors, arrived on Honduras' Caribbean coast, police said. National Police spokesman Leonel Sauceda told the press that the rafters, who were fleeing Cuba in a small boat, washed up on the beach at Trujillo. "All of them are men, but I don't know their identities," Sauceda said. (EFE, 3/11/04)

November 4: A group of EU lawmakers ended a two-day visit to Havana aimed at breaking the logjam in communist Cuba's relations with the European Union. It was a chance for a dialogue "with the main parties involved to try to move forward from a blocked situation that we see as very unfortunate," said Miguel Angel Martinez of Spain, who leads the group of Cuba "friends" in the European parliament. An EU delegation of Martinez, two Britons, a French lawmaker and a Belgian, met with Vice President Carlos Lage, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, National Assembly speaker Ricardo Alarcon, and Roman Catholic cardinal Jaime Ortega, NGO representatives and EU ambassadors in Havana. The EU lawmakers however did not meet with dissidents, representatives of the outlawed Cuban opposition. (AFP, 4/11/04)

November 4: Cuba and Laos have reconfirmed their bilateral relations during a workshop in the Cuban capital, organized by the Havana-based Center of Studies on Asia and Oceania. The gathering was attended by former Cuban ambassadors to Laos and Vietnam, members of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee, Foreign Ministry officials and representatives from several Cuban institutions. Also present at the workshop was a delegation headed by Chaleune Yiapaoheu, member of the Central Committee of the People's Revolutionary Party of Laos. (Radio Habana Cuba, 4/11/04)

November 4: Spanish executives doing business in Cuba are urging Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to "do what he can" to normalize political and economic relations between Spain and the Communist-ruled island. "The Spanish business community in Cuba has been completely deprived of political support," due to a lack of understanding between Madrid and Havana, Victor Moro, the president of the Association of Spanish Business Leaders in Cuba, said Wednesday night at the organization's annual dinner. Moro, one of the most influential Spanish business leaders on the island, had warned last year that the deterioration of ties between the government of Spain's then-premier, conservative Jose Maria Aznar, and the regime in Havana would have economic repercussions. (EFE, 4/11/04)

November 4: Canada World Youth celebrated the 10 year anniversary of its international educational programs with the Cuban Department of Education at Government House in Halifax. These programs have provided more than 500 young people from Canada and Cuba with the opportunity to live and work in a cross-cultural setting. (CWY E-News, 17/11/04)

November 5: Celso Amorim, the Brazilian foreign minister, has defended a greater rapprochement of the Rio Group with Cuba and increased dialogue with the island. "Cuba must be attracted to a higher level of dialogue within the region. Some people would like to previously define the terms of that dialogue, but we believe that Cuba would prefer to have an integral part in talks," he noted. According to the foreign minister "that is the objective that Brazil will continue to pursue, although it will do so at the most appropriate time." (Granma International, 5/11/04)

November 5: According to Kim Campbell, secretary-general and vice-president of the Club of Madrid, a forum in support of democratic transition that brings together 43 former Heads of State, that organization has not yet decided how it will respond to overtures for its participation in projects linked to Cuba and Afghanistan. She said that it would be interesting but the Club would rather avoid redundancy and its members only go where they are invited. In Cuba’s case, “it is still too soon,” she said and revealed that the only initiative in that sense had originated with former Czech President Vaclav Havel, who founded the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC) and invited Campbell herself to participate in its latest conclave in Prague. (Europa Press, 5/11/04)

November 7: Mexican President Vicente Fox expressed opposition to the creation of the so-called Group of Friends of Cuba, as his country already is a friend of the Caribbean nation. In a press conference, with regards to the Brazilian initiative to establish a Group of Friends of Cuba, Fox rejected the idea on the grounds that Mexico and Cuba are already long-time friends. He added, however, that “ democracy and human rights are essential to any society.” (NTX, 8/11/04)

November 8: Fidel Castro appears to be recovering well after shattering his left kneecap and breaking his right arm in a fall last month, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said after visiting the Cuban leader. Cuban television showed Chavez talking with a relaxed-looking Castro, who was in a wheelchair and had his right arm in a sling. His left leg was elevated and appeared to be resting on a pillow. "We've spent some time soul-sharing," Chavez said after the meeting, which began Sunday evening and lasted through the night. He praised the 78-year-old Castro's "extraordinary" strength, health and "clarity." The meeting with Castro also included Vice President Carlos Lage, Central Bank President Francisco Soberon and Foreign Investment Minister Marta Lomas, Cuba's Communist Party youth newspaper reported. (AP, 8/11/04)

November 8: During a press conference in Spain, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that current conditions in Cuba do not favor a warming of the semi-freeze European Union nations adopted regarding Cuba in the wake of the Communist regime's harsh 2003 crackdown on peaceful dissent. Schroeder made the comments at a joint press conference in León with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the EU's major proponent of expanding dialogue with the Castro government. Schroeder, on an official visit, said that given the right conditions, he would favor improving relations with Havana, but insisted that those conditions "had yet to be created." "But this doesn't mean we can't progress through patient negotiations and attempts to convince," the German chancellor added. (EFE, 8/11/04)

November 8: The First Bilateral Meeting Cuba-Britain on Nanotechnology got underway in Havana with the participation of prominent experts in the field. The meeting, organized by Cuba's Science, Technology and Environment Ministry (CITMA) and the British Council, includes nine British post doctorate scientists who will discuss recent advances in nanotechnology with their Cuban colleagues. (Radio Habana Cuba, 9/11/04)

November 8: Two Cuban opposition fronts, Asamblea para Promover la Sociedad Civil en Cuba and Todos Unidos, sent a letter to the Heads of State meeting at the 8 th Ibero American Summit in San José, Costa Rica. In the letter, the dissidents request the liberation of political prisoners in Cuba. [A los Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno] (MAR por Cuba, 18/11/04)

November 9: Cuba has denounced the growth of racism, discrimination and xenophobia in Europe and the United States. During a debate held at a special commission of the United Nations General Assembly that examined the agreements of the World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, Cuban representative Jorge Cumberbatch said that anti-Semitism and discrimination against Arabs is running rampant in Europe. (Radio Habana Cuba, 9/11/04)

November 9: Following the 4 th Session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission in Havana, Cuba and Guatemala announced the adoption of a bilateral agreement comprising 30 cooperation projects for the 2004-2006 two-year period. According to local media reports, sectors that will benefit the most from this accord will include agriculture, scientific research, health care, sports, etc. (Notimex, 9/11/04)

November 9: Lesotho Foreign Affairs Minister, Kenneth Mohlabi Tsekoa, wound up a three-day visit to Cuba, which was aimed at expanding bilateral links. Before traveling to his country, the African diplomat signed the protocol of the 3rd Session of the Inter-Government Joint Commission in health and education, as well as foster the technical support in engineering, information technology and tele-communications, sport sector and training the staff from that nation. (Prensa Latina, 9/11/04)

November 9: Twelve Cubans – eight men and four women --, fleeing Cuba aboard a small boat, reached the Atlantic shores of Honduras, said local authorities. (AP, 9/11/04)

November 9: In Brussels, Cuban Rev. Raúl Suárez, minister of the Baptist Church of Marianao, in Havana, advocated resuming the dialogue between the European Union (EU) and Cuba on the basis of “mutual respect” and “without preconditions.” “We would wish for a process based on mutual respect and an international climate conducive to dialogue; for both parties to agree on an agenda without preconditions and for an improvement in relations between Cuba and the EU,” said the Baptist minister at a press conference. (EFE, 9/11/04)

November 10: Uruguay´s President-Elect, Tabaré Vázquez, announced that his administration will re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, which were severed by outgoing the chief of State, Jorge Batlle, in April 2002. The president-elect stated this decision after a meeting with main leftwing Broad Front (FA) leaders, saying that the re-establishment of relations with Cuba will be on March 1, 2005, the date he will take power. (Prensa Latina, 10/11/04)

November 11: Mexican undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Miguel Hakim, confirmed the replacement of Ambassador Roberta Lajous from the Mexican Embassy in Havana with Melba Pría, who is awaiting authorization from Fidel Castro’s government. (Notimex, 11/11/04)

November 11: Cuba said the death of Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat was a "cause for dismay in the international community." The communist island's newspapers featured photos of the deceased leader giving a "V" for victory sign, and hailed Arafat for his efforts to create a Palestinian state. The Cuban Council of State decreed an official mourning period of three days and announced that a book of condolences will be open to the public at the Palestinian Embassy in Havana. In 1973, Cuba broke diplomatic ties with Israel in a move of solidarity with the Palestinian people. A year later it established formal relations with the Palestinian Liberation Authority headed by Arafat. [Fidel Castro’s condolence message to Rauji Fatuh] (UPI, Radio Habana Cuba, 11/11/04)

November 11: Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewic said in Madrid that his government leans towards supporting “Cuban democrats” but understands the position of Spain. Cimoszewic reminded that, in the case of Poland, “the moral and political support” received from many European countries “was very important.” Therefore, he believed that “no effort should be spared to show respect for the Cuban democrats.” However, he felt that, with regards to sanctions, “caution should be exercised” since they sometimes “only make matters worse” for the general population. (AFP, 11/11/04)

November 12: Cuba honored the memory of the President of the Palestine National Authority, Yasser Arafat, with a ceremony on the Plaza de la Revolución attended by the Cuban Vice President Raúl Castro, the President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcón, the Palestinian Ambassador to Cuba, Imad Jada, Cuban ministers and members of the Central Committee and many of the diplomatic corps in Cuba. Fidel Castro was unable to attend due to his recent accident. The Cuban leader signed the book of condolences for Arafat, opened by the Palestinian Embassy in Havana. On the first page of the book Castro wished "honor and eternal glory to the unforgettable and heroic fighter, Yasser Arafat." "Nothing will be able to erase his name from the history of great fighters for people's liberation," he wrote. (Radio Habana Cuba, 12/11/04)

November 14: A group of Cuban dissidents urged the European Union to maintain current sanctions against Cuba's communist government, few days before a debate in Brussels to decide future policy toward the Caribbean island. "Our experience is that every time a foreign government gives in to the pressures of the totalitarian government in Havana, repression is intensified," dissidents including Martha Beatriz Roque and Vladimiro Roca said in a letter sent to the international press. "For us, a policy of any country saying it is in favor of democracy and human rights that at the same time accepts the demands of a government that systematically violates democratic principles would be incomprehensible," the letter said. [Carta abierta a los gobiernos de la UE] (AP, 14/11/04)

November 14: Fidel Castro met with Metropolitan Kiril, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s foreign relations, who laid the first stone for the construction of a Russian orthodox church in the island. During his stay in Cuba the metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad officiated a religious service at Saint Francis of Assisi’s Minor Basilica, in Old Havana, as well as met with Caridad Diego, chief of the Religious Affairs Office at the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, and Havana´s historian Eusebio Leal. (Prensa Latina, 15/11/04)

November 14: Rio de Janeiro Mayor Cesar Maia told the press that the goals of his first visit to Cuba "are being met" and that, so far, the trip had been a "positive surprise." Maia is one of the mayors invited to festivities celebrating the 485th anniversary of the Cuban capital's founding and the 12th annual Meeting for Cooperation and Solidarity of City Halls with Havana. Since his arrival in Havana, Maia has been meeting with island officials to discuss the possibilities for cooperating in several areas, including culture and physical education. (EFE, 14/11/04)

November 15: Over one hundred mayors and vice mayors from over 35 countries are attending the 12th Meeting of City Council Cooperation and Solidarity with Havana. Havana’s conference Center hosted friends of Cuba, including mayors of Quito (Ecuador), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Guadalajara (Mexico), Ankara (Turkey), New Delhi (India), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), among others, who also gathered as part of the celebration of the city of Havana foundation. Local governors visited collaboration projects in this capital, which are supported by mayor’s offices, city councils, provinces and non governmental organizations. Deputies, city councilors, mayors and aldermen visiting the Island also met with top government officials from the 15 Havana City municipalities, as well as People’s Power delegates and community members. (Prensa Latina, 15/11/04)

November 16: A display on advances within the Cuban educational system was opened in San José, Costa Rica, aspart of the 14th Ibero-American Summit. The display included the launching of a book by Cuban writer and poet, Roberto Fernandez Retamar. Fernández Retamar’s book "Cuba Defendida" (Cuba Defended) is a compilation of essays, articles and conferences that gives a general overview of the island´s history. (Prensa Latina, 16/11/04)

November 15: The President of Vietnam, Tran Duc Luong, paid a brief visit to Cuba to inquire about the health of Fidel Castro. The Vietnamese leader was on his way to Chile when he made a quick morning stop-over to meet with the Cuban leader. (Radio Habana Cuba, 15/11/04)

November 16: Representatives of the EU's 25 member states have reviewed the EU’s policy towards the Caribbean Communist island at the request of Spain's new Socialist government, keen to end the row with the island. No decision was taken on whether to continue inviting dissidents to official receptions, so the policy remains unchanged for the moment, a spokesman for the EU's Dutch presidency said. One suggestion to stop holding National Day receptions at all was quashed, diplomats said. "The concrete result this morning is that chiefs of mission in Havana have been asked to come up with proposals to make this dialogue with dissidents and civil society in Cuba more effective," the spokesman for the presidency said. Envoys will report back next month and the recommendations will have to go to EU foreign ministers for any policy change. One Brussels diplomat said the EU was divided between a group including Spain, France, Britain and Italy which wanted to take the initiative to improve ties with Havana, and others such as Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic which argued Fidel Castro should make the first move by releasing political prisoners. (Reuters, CNN, 16/11/04)

November 16: The European Union's indication that it might soften its diplomatic stance toward the Communist government produced varied reaction here among dissidents, with higher-profile opponents of the regime saying such a move would be a mistake. Dissident Elizardo Sanchez opined that "in no way is Castro thinking about changing the repressive mood that has characterized him these past several years." Sanchez told the press that the EU proposal "would be very positive if it produced some visible and practical fruit, but I very much doubt that the government will respond positively to these goodwill gestures." Marta Beatriz Roque of the Assembly to Promote a Civil Society, criticized the EU's stance because "it's an opportunity for the Cuban government, and they shouldn't be given the chance to win any fight." "The Cuban government is deaf to dialogue," noted Roque, who predicted that Brussels "will look bad if it gives in to pressure" by Havana. Vladimiro Roca of the All United Movement does not support the EU's strategy either, because "the Cuban government has not given any real signs of change," and the conditions that prompted the EU to adopt the political sanctions last year still continue. Some moderate dissidents, such as Manuel Cuesta Morua, of the Progressive Arch, or Cuban Change leader Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, say the present tension does not favor democratic Cubans, and they see in the EU's position an opportunity to resume a "critical dialogue." Oswaldo Paya, a 2002 laureate of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize, urged the EU not to change its common position. In a letter to the heads of Parliament and Commission Mr Paya said that the position of some governments would be understood, but that a change of EU policy is not in Cuba's interests. (EFE, EUObserver, 16/11/04)

November 16: The wife of Cuban dissident author and journalist Raúl Rivero, serving out a 20-year prison sentence, asked the heads of states participating in the 14 th Ibero-American Summit to demand that the Cuban government release all political prisoners. Oswaldo Payá, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), also made public a declaration regarding the Latin American conclave. However, in his case, it was a denunciation of the lack of Summit support for the Cuban opposition. [Carta de Blanca Reyes] (EFE, 16/11/04)

November 16: Dozens of Costa Ricans blocked what the Cuban government has called “an anti-Cuban maneuver” in the legislative assembly, by preventing the celebration of a meeting organized by the International Forum for Democracy on Cuba. Convened by organizations and former Latin American leaders to denounce Cuba’s violations of human rights, the forum was suspended minutes after it began as a result of its repudiation by members of groups of solidarity and friendship with the Cuban government. Barely two speakers had finished when a large group began to shout slogans of support for Cuba and to demand an end to the forum, organized in the context of the 15th Ibero-American Summit. Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rafael Daussá, called the organization of the forum an “insult” to his country. “I am convinced that all the participants have received money from the US government”, he said to the press [Declaración oficial del MINREX] (AFP, Granma International, 16/11/04)

November 17: Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco decried the demonstrations for or against the Cuban government and asked all Costa Ricans concerned “not to interfere with the development of the Ibero-American Summit. However, he said that his country was a “democratic” state and that “it comes as no surprise” that this type of controversy should arise, since Costa Ricans – he admitted – have the right to express support for, or disagreement with, the Cuban government.” (ANSA, 17/11/04)

November 17: Cuba Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque said that Cuba's high morale will assist the Caribbean island in its defense of the Revolution's achievements at the 14th Ibero American Summit in Costa Rica. Pérez Roque told the press that Cuba has the right to participate in the summit despite pressures and maneuvers as the farce and pathetic action financed by Washington in its frustrated attempt to organize a so-called "Forum for Democracy". The diplomat recalled that the representatives of “the Miami mafia”, “the Czech satellites” and “Costa Rican bootlickers” had to leave the Costa Rican legislative assembly. (Prensa Latina, 17/11/04)

November 17: The European Parliament responded to indications from the EU's executive that Brussels might pursue a rapprochement with Cuba's Communist regime by passing overwhelmingly a resolution opposing such a move. The European Union should maintain its firmer posture toward Cuba until the government of Fidel Castro frees all political prisoners and respects human rights, said the text lawmakers approved by a vote of 376-281 with 26 abstentions. The conservative European Popular Group authored the resolution, which garnered support from most of the centrist legislators, while the chamber's left wing - comprising Socialists, Communists and Greens - introduced an alternative proposal, which was rejected. Voting on the resolution followed a heated debate that carried on until almost midnight, with 18 Euro-lawmakers - an unusually high number - taking the floor. Passage of the resolution came one day after the EU took a first step toward reviewing the tough stance, including diplomatic and political sanctions, that the bloc took against the 45-year-old one-party state last year. [European Parliament Resolution on Cuba] (EFE, 17/11/04)

November 18: Cuban Vice President, Carlos Lage, is leading this country´s delegation to the 14th Ibero-American Summit, to be held in San Jose, Costa Rica. The main topic of Ibero-American countries will be "Education for Progress," and participants will analyze the critical situation of this geographic area in this sphere, as well as different ways to overcome the crisis. The Cuban delegation is composed by, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, Deputy Foreign Minister and Ibero-American National Coordinator for Cuba Rafael Daussa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration Raul Taladrid, and other officials from the island Chancellery. (Prensa Latina, 18/11/04)

November 17: Reporters Without Borders appealed to heads of government attending the Ibero-American Summit meeting in San José, Costa Rica, to press Fidel Castro to release 26 journalists he has imprisoned. "The summit must uphold the principles it swears by," the worldwide press freedom organisation said. The 21 government heads at the last summit, in Santa Cruz (Bolivia) last November, said they would encourage the promotion and protection of human rights. Since then, 11 journalists have been killed in the 21 participant countries, 24 arrested and 336 threatened or physically attacked. Twenty-six journalists are in prison, all of them in Cuba, where Castro's regime has a monopoly of all news. [Cuba and Colombia: A nightmare for journalists] (RWB Press Release, 17/11/04)

November 18: Cuba has won approval of a broad anti-terror draft resolution at the 21-nation Ibero-American Summit that condemned a Panamanian pardon for men accused of trying to kill Fidel Castro. Foreign ministers or ranking diplomats from Spain, Portugal and 19 Latin American nations polished a declaration for their leaders to endorse when the summit itself gets underway after a morning filled with side meetings. The biggest sticking point came over a Cuban call to criticize former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso for the pardon in August of four Cuban exiles who had been accused of plotting to assassinate Fidel Castro at the 2000 Ibero-American Summit in Panama. It also criticized the United States for taking in three of the men. The measure was approved unanimously, but only after extensive editing of the harsh original language, said Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar, the meeting's host and spokesman. Tovar said the text presented to the presidents said the pardons were incompatible with the fight against terrorism. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque called it "an important result" and said "Cuba feels satisfied." (AP, 18/11/04)

November 18: The president of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, said that Fidel Castro's regime must make immediate and firm changes to bring democracy to the island. "Spain has an important commitment of economic investment in Cuba," he said in an interview with the press. "What we want to do is help the changes, encourage them and demand them if necessary from a political standpoint and from the conviction we have that Cuban regime has to change thoroughly," he added. " I believe Fidel Castro should listen to us, knowing that we only want the best for Cuba." (EFE, Herald Tribune, 18/11/04)

November 18: Cuban dissidents hailed Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's statements regarding the need for change in Cuba, but say they are skeptical Madrid's strategy will bear fruit. Elizardo Sanchez, who heads a human rights group banned by Cuban authorities, said Cuba must offer "some sign" in response to "the Spanish government's multiple efforts." "Let's hope that at some time that sign will come, but I doubt it, because the Cuban government, instead of opening its doors, or at least opening its windows, seems to be hunkering down even more in its own ruinous bunker," said Sanchez. Vladimiro Roca, of the opposition group All United, praised Zapatero's remarks, but said "they are not congruent with the policy he's promoting for Cuba." Marta Beatriz Roque of the Assembly to Promote a Civil Society also agreed it is necessary to request changes from the Cuban regime, but she criticized the Spanish administration's efforts to rely on "dialogue" while removing even symbolic sanctions. (EFE, 18/11/04)

November 18: The Foreign Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Pastor Micha Ondó Bile, has begun an official visit to the island at the invitation of his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Pérez Roque. Relations between Havana and Malabo were established in December 1972. Since then, bilateral cooperation has grown and relations between the two countries are excellent. (Radio Habana Cuba, 18/11/04)

November 18: The foreign minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, criticised the steps taken by the European Union to redefine its policy regarding dialogue with the government of Fidel Castro and the political opposition. Pérez Roque said the EU was sending out 'timid signals' of intent. Pérez Roque said that only if the EU recognized its error in inviting “paid mercenaries of the US government” to official receptions would the new policy be well received by the government. (Latin News, 18/11/04)

November 19: Agenda Cuba and Net for Cuba International denounced to the international community the abuses and and human rights violations committed against Cuban refugees retained at the Carmichael Detention Center in Nassau, Bahamas. "The group of 48 Cubans, among them 7 members a of the Democratic Party November 30 "Frank País", a group of the Cuban internal opposition, and 2 children and 6 women, are extremely pale, thin and extremely anxious", Mayra Enriquez, a member of Agenda Cuba who visited the detention center, said. (Netfor Cuba, 19/11/04)

November 21: John Paul II said the Church's social doctrine could serve as a guide for Cuba's future. The Pope made that suggestion in a message sent on the occasion of the country's 9th Catholic Social Week, held in Camaguey. John Paul II's message, sent on his behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, appealed to "all the sons and daughters of the Church in Cuba for a renewed and profound commitment to study, assume and put into practice" the "social Gospel." In light of Cuba's four decades of Communist government, the Holy Father suggested "fostering the presentation of Christian social thought in keeping with the fundamental features of the Cuban people's identity, which can be communicated in language that is comprehensible to its fellow citizens, and thus illuminate human life and the social reality." "Without a doubt, this will foster a conversion and style of social relations based on respect, and the defense and promotion of the dignity and inherent rights of every human person," the papal message stated. (Zenit, 21/11/04)

November 22: Nearly 100 representatives of regional universities are attending the 4th Latin American Health Research Conference in the Cuban capital. The meeting, which got underway in Havana, brings together researchers to discuss joint work with health officials. The secretary general of the University Programs of Health Research in Latin America (PUISAL), Rolando Callado of Mexico, told reporters that the regional conference was very important. In addition to issues concerning health care, delegates at the two-day conference will also discuss financing and university management. (Radio Habana Cuba, 22/11/04)

November 22: China's President Hu Jintao arrived in Cuba on his first visit as Chinese leader to offer the Western Hemisphere's only communist state closer political and economic ties. Hu praised the "heroic Cuban people" and urged them to continue building socialism under the leadership of Fidel Castro, 16 years his senior and in power since 1959. “We sincerely wish the Cuban people do not let up in their advance on the road of socialist construction," Hu said in a written greeting on his arrival from an Asia-Pacific summit in Chile. He was met by Castro's younger brother and designated successor, Raul. Castro, who broke his knee in a fall in October, received his visitor sitting in a wheel-chair as they met for talks at the government headquarters, the Palace of the Revolution. The visit is being seen in the Cuban media as a display of solidarity from a faithful ally, years after the collapse of Cuba's former benefactor, the USSR. But, despite both being officially communist the two states are moving in opposite directions. President Hu is pushing privatisation, while Cuba is seeing recentralisation. It is not expected that differences in style or ideology will be stressed by either side in the coming days. (BBC, Reuters, 22/11/04)

November 22: A recent bilateral diplomatic spat now a thing of the past, Mexican President Vicente Fox declared that relations with Cuba are back to normal and that Cuban President Fidel Castro has been a leader of “great importance.” Fox told the media that, “with Cuba, our relations are good. The ambassadors are back at their posts.” (AP, 22/11/04)

November 23: Chinese president Hu Jintao and Cuban First Vice President Raul Castro held a friendly meeting in Havana, discussing the results already achieved in Hu’s visit to Cuba. Cuban Communist Party Political Bureau member Jose R. Machado Ventura, Vice President Carlos Lage, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, as well as ambassadors from both countries and some members of the Chinese delegation also attended the meeting. (Prensa Latina, 23/11/04)

November 23: Chinese President Hu Jintao left Cuba after signing a raft of deals in a 29-hour trip that gave a big political and economic boost to the island's leader, Fidel Castro. “We have a solid base on which to deepen our relations, thanks to our many shared common politics. We both choose a socialist path to our development," Hu said earlier in the day. Castro heaped praise on China's progress but made it clear, with Hu looking on, that Cuba would not adopt China's capitalist path to economic growth. "Socialism will remain in the end the only real hope for peace and the survival of our species," said Castro, at the Palace of the Revolution. Castro said Cuba and China share "the ideals of socialism," and that China "objectively speaking has become the most promising hope and the best example for all developing countries." "I do not hesitate to say that it is now the main engine of world economic growth," Castro added. Yet the Cubanleader, whose government has backtracked on the few concessions to capitalism with which it has experimented, said: "Each people must adapt its revolutionary strategy and goals to the specific conditions of its own country." (AFP, 23/11/04)

November 24: More than 100 journalists are currently imprisoned for nothing other than doing their jobs and Reporters Without Borders is pushing to change that. Tanya Churchmuch, the group's president, is calling for the release of Raul Rivero from a Cuban prison, where he has been held since March 2003. The head of the independent Cuban Press was sentenced to 20 years in jail on charges of acting to the detriment of Cuban independence, operating in a group of three or more people and operating for profit. "They went so far as to have people pose as journalists to infiltrate these groups and testify against them,'' Churchmuch said, adding Rivero is not politically motivated in his work. "People like Raul Rivero are not saying (Fidel Castro) is some kind of monster; they're talking about the expression of free thought.'' (Canadian Press, 24/11/04)

November 24: The South African Department of Health is currently considering whether or not to endorse a group of Cuban doctors seeking permanent residence in South Africa. It has received requests from at least 17 Cuban nationals requesting it to endorse their applications for permanent residence. Spokesperson for the department Sibani Mngadi said the doctors were requesting certificates confirming their employment at provincial departments of health for a period of five years and above and therefore qualify to apply for a permanent residence. "We are considering these requests in line with the Immigration Act which allows for foreign nationals who have been in South Africa for a minimum of five years on valid work permit to apply for permanent residence," he said in a statement. (Bua News, 24/11/04)

November 24: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrived in Havana in conjunction with the celebration to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Cuba. Malaysian ambassador Datuk Kamal Yan Yahaya said Abdullah was making an official visit to Cuba at the invitation of Fidel Castro. The Cuban leader and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi analyzed bilateral relations and exchanged viewpoints regarding international issues. The same day, the Cuban government decorated its guest with the Jose Marti Order, the highest award granted by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba. This is also Abdullah’s first official visit to a country in this region. (The Star.Com, Prensa Latina, 25/11/04)

November 25: Cuba restored normal diplomatic relations with Spain that soured last year when the European Union began inviting dissidents to its National Day receptions. "We met at the Spanish embassy (...) and we have re-established official contact with the Spanish ambassador in Havana," Perez Roque said in an impromptu press conference at the foreign ministry, where he was joined by Spanish Ambassador Carlos Alonso. Zaldivar. Perez Roque praised the Spanish government, in particular Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, for its efforts to improve relations with Cuba. (Reuters, AFP, 25/11/04)

November 25: Spain's foreign ministry stressed Madrid's desire to see normal relations between the whole of the European Union and Cuba. "The foreign ministry notes the announcement by the Cuban authorities and signals that its objective is the normalization of contacts between the Cuban authorities and all the embassies of the European Union, not just specific embassies," a ministry statement read. "Spain will continue working with all its EU partners to achieve this normalization with a view to reaching the objectives fixed by the common (EU) position adopted in 1996," the ministry added. [Comunicado de la Cancillería española] (AFP, 25/11/04)

November 25: Namibia's President-elect Hifikepunye Pohamba says that relations with Cuba are excellent and based on strong ties of brotherhood. The 65-year-old African leader -- who will be sworn in as president in March 2005 -- said that the Namibian people will never forget the Cuban s oldiers who fought alongside them in the struggle for independence. (Radio Habana Cuba, 25/11/04)

November 26: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wrapped up a two-day official visit to Cuba, during which he exchanged views with Fidel Castro and other Cuban leaders. Badawi was seen off at Havana's Jose Marti international airport by General Raul Castro, who had also welcomed the Malaysian premier when he arrived in Cuba. (Channel New Asia, 26/11/04)

November 26: European Union member states want to renew their diplomatic contacts with Cuba, the Dutch EU presidency said, after Spain became the first in the bloc to re-establish links with the island since sanctions were imposed 17 months ago. "Our common goal is to have contacts between all the member countries with the authorities on the island," said spokesman Frits Kemperman. (EUBusines, 26/11/04)

November 26: Responding to a request from Cuban authorities, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, held a meeting with the French Ambassador to Havana, Sylvie Alvarez. A day before, a similar meeting had taken place between Pérez Roque and the Spanish Ambassador to Havana, Carlos Alonso Zaldívar. The meeting has been kept in secret, and it is the first formal contact between a representative from the Cuban government and a French high diplomat since the European Union imposed political sanctions against the island, on June 5, 2003. (European Press, 26/11/04)

November 26: Cuban experts and workers of the Ho Chi Minh Construction Group which was set up to help Viet Nam carry out Cuba-funded projects, gathered at a ceremony in Havana to celebrate 30 years of the group's foundation. The group had teamed up with their Vietnamese counterparts to build Thang Loi (victory) hotel in Ha Noi, Dong Hoi hospital (central Quang Binh province), Xuan Mai road (northern Hoa Binh province), Moc Chau dairy farm (northern Son La province), and Luong My chicken farm (northern Ha Tay province). (VNA, 26/11/04)

November 27: The President of the Cuban Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) Humberto Rodríguez and the Sports Secretary of the Argentinean Chamber of Ministers Claudio Morresi signed a major cooperation agreement in Havana. Cuba will offer technical training in boxing and rhythmic gymnastics, will assist in the preparation of large sporting events and will send a sports methodologist to Argentina. For his part, the Argentinean sports official offered to send football trainers to Cuba. (Radio Habana Cuba, 27/11/04)

November 29: International rights groups welcomed Cuba's surprise release of three dissidents jailed last year in a broad crackdown, and called on Fidel Castro's government to free another 65 still behind bars. "Cuba's release of these political prisoners is a welcome move, but many more remain incarcerated in violation of their fundamental rights," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "We call on the Cuban authorities to release all of them." The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was gladdened by the release of Espionsa Chepe, one of more than two dozen independent Cuban journalists held behind bars on the communist-run island. "Their only offense was doing their jobs," said the committee's Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We again call on Cuban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all imprisoned journalists, and to allow them to work freely." (AP, 29/11/04)

November 30: Reporters Without Borders said it was "delighted" at the release from prison of Cuban journalist Raúl Rivero, calling it "the end of a huge injustice towards a renowned journalist and writer" and his family. It repeated its call for the release of 24 other journalists detained in Cuba since spring last year. "Rivero's release is great news for democrats everywhere, but it must not be forgotten that Cuba's human rights record remains worse than it was before his arrest and that the regime still controls the media and the country with an iron hand," it said. (RWB Press Release, 30/11/04)

November 30: The Dutch Foreign Relations Minister and current president of the EU’s Council of Ministers, Bernard Bot, said that the release of journalist and poet Raúl Rivero “is encouraging”. He added that Cuban authorities should give similar treatment to the rest of the 75 dissidents still in jail. “I find this very encouraging, but don’t forget there are still 75 political prisoners in jail, and we have asked for the release of all of them.” “This is a good sign, and I encourage the Cuban authorities to keep on this track”, Bot added. (Europa Press, 30/11/04)

November 30: Bolivian Foreign Minister Juan Ignacio Siles del Valle started a visit to Cuba to ratify friendship and cooperation relations between both countries, according to Cuban Foreign Ministry sources. (Prensa Latina, 30/11/04)

November 30: Some 7,623 Venezuelan patients have received treatment for free in 45 Cuban health care centers as part of the agreements signed by both nations in the sector. The health care project -that started four years ago- is benefiting patients with low income wages. Patients from 23 Venezuelan states have traveled to the island to receive the treatment they need. Pedro Llerena, coordinator of the project in Cuba, showed the press some statistics of the number of cases treated by Cuban specialists. The cases include nervous, ophthalmologic, osteomuscular and skin diseases. (Prensa Latina, 30/11/04)

November 30: The Permanent Commission of the Uruguayan Parliament approved by a majority vote a declaration denouncing the situation of political prisoners in Cuba and expressed concerns with regards to their mistreatment and health condition. In a seven point declaration, the Commission, which holds its sessions during a break in legislative activities in Uruguay, alluded to reports by UN organizations, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, as well as denunciations from the prisoners’ families and human rights organizations. (EFE, 30/11/04)

November 30: The president of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Alejandro Miró Quesada, expressed his satisfaction over the release of independent Cuban journalist and institution director, Raul Rivero, and asked that the release be extended to all the others who were sent to jail in March 2003 following summary trials. “Undoubtedly this news was a very pleasant surprise for the entire world and we are very delighted because it is a significant victory for the cause of freedom of expression and of the press in Cuba,” said IAPA president and publisher of El Comercio newspaper in Lima, Peru. “However, it is not enough – he warned – since nobody should remain behind bars under the pretext of having committed a crime for the sole reason of expressing his or her ideas or for criticizing the government of Fidel Castro.” Twenty-eight journalists are still in jail in Cuba. (IAPA, 30/11/04)