Chronicle on Cuba - May 2006

Security

May 1: Fidel Castro told hundreds of thousands of workers gathered in Havana for the island's annual May Day celebration that US military exercises under way in the Caribbean are aimed at threatening his country and its ally Venezuela. Castro's close friend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has repeatedly accused Washington of using the Caribbean exercises to threaten his nation and announced military maneuvers of his own. Washington has denied Venezuela's charges. "This little maneuver is trying to intimidate Cuba and Venezuela," Castro said. "They haven't done this garbage in some time." The US naval exercises, beginning in April and continuing into May, are dubbed "Partnership of the Americas." They include about 6,500 military personal, dozens of planes and helicopters, and numerous ships, including a destroyer. (AP, 1/5/06)

May 1: During his May Day celebration speech, Fidel Castro pointed out that a Cuban-born California man accused of selling guns illegally from his home told the press in a jailhouse interview that the weapons were supposed to be used in an attempt to oust the Cuban leader in concert with the US naval exercises. A Pentagon spokesman and other military officials have denied the claims by 61-year-old Robert Ferro, who had stashed 1,571 firearms and some hand grenades in hidden rooms and compartments at his home in Upland, in California's San Bernardino County. "(Ferro) had as many arms as the mercenaries brought with them to Giron," Castro said, referring to the disastrous invasion of Cuba 45 years ago by a US-trained exile army at the Bay of Pigs, which includes a beach called Giron. Castro said the US, currently involved in an international campaign against terrorism, has no business these days with people who have a history of violence toward Cuba. (AP, 1/5/06)

May 3: Russia and Cuba have signed a number of documents concerning military technological cooperation during the visit of Rosoboronexport to Cuba. "Important agreements in the sphere of military technology, which will strengthen cooperation between our countries, were signed by the two sides", stated Rosoboronexport associate director Nikolay Shvets at a press conference. According to his words, the members of the Russian delegation, among which there was the outstanding Russian small-arms weapon constructor Mikhail Kalashnikov, conducted in a number of negotiations with representatives of various ministries and departments of the country, including Cuba’s Ministry of Defense Heads. The Rosoboronexport delegation was in Cuba from April 17 to April 26.  (Novosti, 3/5/06)