Chronicle on Cuba - July 2008

Foreign Affairs

July 1: Panama's Supreme Court overturned a presidential pardon of four Cuban émigrés accused of plotting to kill Fidel Castro, including former CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles, officials said. The attorney in Panama for Posada, Rogelio Cruz, said he believes Panama may request his client's extradition from the US, where he is being held in jail. "Given the good relations between President (Martin) Torrijos and the Cuban government, I have no doubt that Panama will ask for the four anti-Castro militants to be extradited from the US," Cruz said. Posada was taken into custody after he illegally entered the US from Mexico in 2005, according to US prosecutors (AP, 1/7/08).

July 1: Police found 20 Cuban migrants hidden at two safe houses in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. One of the migrants said they had paid $15,000 each to be smuggled into the United States. As he was being removed from the house, the Cuban told police he wanted his money back. The Cubans, 18 men and two women, were taken to a local jail and are likely to be handed over to immigration authorities. Federal police staked out the two homes after suspicious activity led them to believe there were clandestine drug labs inside, said Guadalupe Cerino, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office. They obtained search warrants. But instead of drugs, they found the migrants hidden under tarpaulins (AP, 1/7/08).

July 1: Cuban President Raul Castro met with Syrian Information Minister Dr. Mohsen Bilal, who is on a working visit in Cuba. Both leaders spoke about several topics of international and bilateral interest and exchanged ideas about the excellent state of bilateral relations between the Cuban and Syrian governments and peoples. According to a note read on Cuban Television July 1, the Minister was accompanied by the Syrian Ambassador in Havana, Mohamad Chaker Kayat (ACN, 2/7/08).

July 2: Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque heads the Cuban delegation that will participate in the 7th Conference of Information Ministers of the Movement of Non Aligned Countries (MNOAL) that takes place in Margarita Island, Venezuela. According to Granma news daily, participants in the meeting will try to find ways to overcome the imbalance and inequity of the current world order regarding information and communications. They will also discuss topics such as the need to reduce the technological gap between North and South (ACN, 2/7/08).

July 2: The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, said that bilateral relations between his country and Brazil are at optimum level, while cooperation programs are expected to be at the center of such links. In statements to TV-Brasil and Brasil Agency, Alarcon stressed that bilateral relations between Havana and Brasilia had never been so excellent in all fields. He noted that a new context opens up amidst the new Latin American reality in which Brazil plays a significant role since it is one of the major economies in the world (Prensa Latina, 2/7/08).

July 3: Cuban and Mexican artists and intellectuals are sharing the "Caribbean Festival" program. The event opened its doors and will be held in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo until July 9, according to the festival's Organizing Committee. The Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco, Veracruz, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Tumaulipas are special guests of the "Fiesta del Fuego", as the festival is also known, Orlando Verges, director of Santiago's Casa del Caribe, said during a local television interview. Mexico is participating in the annual event with 18 dance groups, explained the representative of that Caribbean country and culture promoter in Santiago de Cuba - 967 kilometers southeast of Havana (EFE, 3/7/08).

July 3: The 7th Conference of Communication Ministers of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) is underway in Margarita Island, Venezuela, with the participation of delegations from some 100 countries. The meeting is attended by a Cuban delegation headed by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, who delivers the opening speech in the inaugural session of high-ranking officials, Granma news daily reports (ACN, 3/7/08).

July 3: Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro announced that his government is willing to request the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles and his accomplices, in compliance with the constitution and the laws in force. Legal advisors of the Panamanian Foreign Ministry are currently analyzing the Supreme Court's decision on June 30 to overturn the pardon granted by ex-President Mireya Moscoso in 2004 to international terrorists Luis Posada Carriles, Pedro Crispin Remon Hernandez, Gaspar Jimenez Escobedo, and Guillermo Novo Sampoll. "We will abide by the law and if this means resuming the process against the terrorists that had been convicted, we will fulfill our responsibility," said the foreign minister, as quoted by Granma. (ACN, 3/7/08).

July 3: The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, was received by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to Granma news daily, also present in the meeting were Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Marco Aurelio Garcia, advisor on foreign policies in the South American country. “Relations between Cuba and Brazil are in an excellent period and both sides are making efforts to further improve them,” Alarcon told reporters at the Palace of Planalto. “We are both very happy for the agreements between our two nations and we continue working,” he added. Alarcon noted that he spoke with Lula about several topics such as the Fourth Fleet of the United States, the recent Summit of MERCOSUR in Argentina, and the latest measures taken by the European Union against immigrants (ACN, 3/7/08).

July 3: Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque advocated for a new world information order and denounced US actions against his country. Perez Roque told media reporting on the 7th Conference of Non-Aligned Movement Information Ministers, that communication problems won’t be solved with palliative measures. He stressed that high-level experts have already approved a document and an Action Plan to be discussed by the ministers meeting on Margarita Island. The Cuban minister pointed out that the declaration will include the point of view of the 118-member NAM, the approval of Telesur Latin American initiative, the decision to strengthen a news agency network, and the broadcasting Bureau of the organization (ACN, 3/7/08).

July 4: Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque spoke positively of the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate kidnapped on February 23, 2002, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). "It is a positive fact that should contribute to the peace process in Colombia, which Cuba fully supports," said the Cuban top diplomat before joining the 29th annual summit of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Antigua and Barbuda. According to Perez Roque, the conflict in Colombia delays and makes the integration of Latin American countries more difficult. Peace must be attained at the negotiation table, he added. In a news article by Fidel Castro published in the official media, he wrote that "Out of a basically humanist sentiment, we rejoiced at the news that Ingrid Betancourt, three American citizens and other captives had been released. The civilians should have never been kidnapped nor should the military personnel have been kept prisoners in jungle conditions. No revolutionary purpose could justify it," Castro wrote (La historia real y el desafío de los periodistas cubanos; ACN, 4/7/08).

July 4: Cuba has reaffirmed its strong commitment to building economic, social and cultural ties with Antigua and Barbuda. This affirmation has come from Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Felipe Perez Roque during his visit to the twin-island state to meet with heads of government who attended the 29th Summit of the CARICOM. Roque also met separately with Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, Minister of Health John Maginley and Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Winston Williams. Roque pledged his country’s continued support for the region through the maintenance and expansion of a number of co-operation projects. Some of the issues raised at the meeting by Spencer include the scholarship program, health, the road program, and issues in co-operation in tourism and sports. The PM also gave Roque an update on the current situation in CARICOM along with an analysis of the situation in the Caribbean. “We have been co-operating over the last three to four years with the CARICOM countries. In the last two years, we have replaced 7.5 million energy saving bulbs in all of the Caribbean countries, equivalent to a reduction in energy of about 250 megawatts. It is a very important contribution to the economy of the Caribbean community,” Roque said during a press conference. The Cuban minister announced that his Caribbean nation will continue the eye care program project which allows Cuban doctors to perform eye surgeries. As part of its annual scholarship program, Cuba is offering 60 scholarships per year to Antiguan and Barbudans over the next four years (Antigua Sun, 7/7/08).

July 5: Cuba's former President Fidel Castro called on Colombia's biggest guerrilla group to release all of its remaining hostages, even as he cautioned the rebels that they shouldn't give up their armed struggle. “I've energetically and frankly criticized the objectively cruel methods of kidnapping and holding prisoners in jungle conditions,” the communist leader wrote in his latest “reflection”, which was published by Cuban state media. “But I'm not suggesting to anyone that they put down their weapons.'' Castro's comments follow the Colombian military's rescue of former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three US military contractors and 11 other hostages who had been held for years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The operation was a setback for the guerrillas and their 44-year-old movement. Castro said that those who have stopped fighting over the past 50 years “didn't survive to see peace'' (La paz romana; Bloomberg, 6/7/08).
  
July 5: With Panama's Supreme Court recent ruling that a 2004 pardon of Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles was unconstitutional, Cuba is hoping that the anti-Castro militant will be extradited to face justice. ''We hope the next step is (…) the extradition of Posada Carriles to Panama to face the trial that was developing at that moment when he left for the United States,'' Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque said. Posada Carriles, who is currently free at an undisclosed location in Miami, was arrested in Panama City in 2000, accused of plotting to kill former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. ''Posada Carriles is a very, very dangerous terrorist,'' Roque said. Roque made the comments while wrapping up a two-day visit to Antigua, where he met with leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) (The Miami Herald, 6/7/08).

July 5: Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister, Felipe Perez Roque, met with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, the incoming chairman of CARICOM, that will sponsor a Cuba-CARICOM summit in Santiago de Cuba in December. Roque touted his island's relations with its neighbours, saying that the decision 36 years ago by a handful of Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, despite a US embargo, “opened the path to this moment when Cuba has diplomatic relations and cooperation with practically all of the countries in the Americas.'' Roque also said that like its English-speaking Caribbean neighbours, Cuba is feeling the pinch of higher fuel and food prices. ''The international environment at the moment is a challenge for our small countries,'' Roque said. “Cuba has to import, like the rest of the Caribbean community, half of our energy consumption and half of our food for consumption. It's a challenge for us and we agreed the only way to face these challenges is through more cooperation'' (The Miami Herald, 6/7/08).

July 7: Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo met with Esoop Pahad, Minister of the Presidency of South Africa, who is on an official visit to the Caribbean nation. During their meeting, both sides described bilateral relations between Cuba and South Africa as excellent and reiterated their willingness to continue developing and strengthening them. Lazo praised South Africa’s solidarity with Cuba and particularly the construction of a Monument to the Freedom Fighters, which includes all Cuban internationalist fighters who died in Africa. The Cuban official briefed the visitor about the ongoing programs of the Cuban Revolution in the current political and economic international context. For his part, Pahad spoke of the difficult situation that Africa faces today due to the increase in oil and food prices (ACN, 8/7/08).

July 8: The director of the Havana-based Carlos J. Finlay Institute, Francisco Dominguez, announced that Cuba will assist Equatorial Guinea in a national vaccination program. According to the website of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Dominguez met with Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue and with the acting Minister of Health and Social Welfare in Malabo, the country’s capital. Dominguez briefed his hosts about the different vaccines that Cuba produces, such as the pentavalent vaccine and others against tetanus and typhoid fever. The Guinean authorities not only discussed the acquisition of the Cuban vaccines but they also asked for Cuba’s assistance to develop a system of national vaccination (ACN, 8/7/08).

July 8: Acting in concert, several opposition groups asked the Embassy of France in Cuba to help move dissident Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina to Havana. Lobaina has been conducting a hunger strike for two days, demanding that the government of Raúl Castro respect his right to freedom of movement throughout the country. "We exhort the Embassy of France in Cuba, in its capacity as representative of the Presidency of the European Union’s Council, to travel to Guantanamo (where the dissident resides) to assist in bringing Rodríguez Lobaina to Havana," said a press release by Agenda for the Transition, signed by opposition leaders Martha Beatriz Roque and Vladimiro Roca. Rodríguez Lobaina was detained on July 6 at the bus terminus in Baracoa, Guantanamo, from where he intended to travel to Havana, and was warned that he was not to leave the municipality "on orders from high in the government” (EFE, AFP, 9/7/08).

July 8: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries and Cuba will seek to strengthen their relationship in a two-day summit planned for December. The Cuba-CARICOM Summit scheduled for December 7-8 in Santiago de Cuba will feature a series of meetings between CARICOM leaders and officials from the Cuban government. "In addition to the political discussion about the situation in the region, the international and multinational issues (…), we will discuss focusing on the cooperation program between CARICOM and Cuba," Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque said. Arrangements for the meeting were discussed with Caribbean leaders during the CARICOM Conference of Heads Summit that concluded in Antigua. Roque said the final agenda will be confirmed with CARICOM officials later this year. "The summit will have as its main agenda the cooperation between the Caribbean Community and Cuba. The main programs today are training people, scholarships, health services, the cooperation and work to reduce the consequence of natural disasters, and programs for the efficient use of energy," Rogue said. He noted that Cuba and CARICOM have over the years enjoyed a healthy relationship based on cooperation and respect (Caribbean Media Corporation, 8/7/08).

July 8: The Cuban Parliament International Affairs Commission approved a declaration condemning the European Union Return Directive for its criminalization of undocumented immigrants. The declaration, which was adopted by the permanent commission, reads that the scandalous action by the European Union authorizes the arrest of undocumented immigrants including children, who could face deportation to third countries, while they are banned from entering European territory for five years after they are deported (ACN, 9/7/08).

July 9: Cuban Ambassador to Mexico Manuel Aguilera de la Paz revealed that it was a third party that caused the greatest discord in the migratory negotiations between Mexico and Cuba. It is a piece of US legislation that grants Cubans the exclusive privilege of entering US territory without proper documentation. That law has come to be seen as a de facto green light for illegal migration and human trafficking, stressed the Cuban diplomat, who expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached, even if it is not all that is aimed for (La Jornada, 10/7/08).

July 9: Cuban President Raul Castro met with Esoop Pahad, Minister of the Presidency of South Africa, who is on an official visit to the Caribbean nation. During their meeting, both leaders analyzed the development of excellent bilateral relations between Cuba and South Africa and discussed topics of regional and international interest. According to Granma, Raul also sent a message to South African President Thabo Mbeki. Also present at the meeting were the South African chargé d'affaires, Thando Nyawose, and Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo (ACN, 10/7/08).

July 10: The members of a solidarity-with-Cuba brigade from Quebec visiting Havana reiterated their support of the struggle being waged to obtain the release of the five Cubans imprisoned in US jails for nearly 10 years now. Brigade coordinator Ginette Moreau told the Cuban News Agency that their committee, named after Italian Fabio Di Celmo, one of the victims of terrorist attacks against Cuba in 1977, gives the Canadian people as much information as possible on Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez and Ramon Labañino, internationally known as the Cuban Five (ACN, 10/7/08).

July 13: The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, said that “he would like” for Cuba to rejoin the regional body, from which it was cast out in the early 1960s. "I would like to see Cuba reinstated to the OAS," said the former Chilean Foreign Secretary in declarations carried by Chilean newspaper La Nación, which interviewed him to find out if he would complete his run as OAS leader at the end of his term in 2009, seek re-election, or run for the Presidency of Chile (TELAM, 13/7/08).

July 14: Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage Davila inaugurated a High Technology Diagnosis Medical Center in Maracaibo, Venezuela, where Cuban health personnel are currently making their contribution. Lage, who is also the Secretary of the Executive Committee of Cuba’s Council of Ministers, headed the Cuban delegation that participated in the Fifth Extraordinary Summit of PetroCaribe in Maracaibo. After the opening of the health facility, Lage said that the work of the Cuban health professionals in Venezuela “is one of the priorities of the Cuban Revolution” (ACN, 15/7/08).

July 14: The general secretary of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) Hugo Saguier Caballero, arrived in Havana on the invitation of Cuban foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque. During his visit to the island, ALADI's General Secretary is scheduled to meet with the Cuban foreign minister and other Cuban officials. Founded on August 12, 1980, with the signing of the Montevideo Treaty, ALADI is the largest Latin American group of integration, noted the official daily Granma (ACN, 15/7/08).

July 14: Mexico's Health Secretary, Dr. Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos arrived in Cuba for a two-day official visit. Cordova said the trip to Cuba will help to strengthen relations between the two countries in terms of health issues, reported Granma. "I think we can do a lot of things together," said the Mexican official. He thanked the Cuban government and people for the humanitarian help provided to Mexico, which he described as "generous support." More than 50 Cuban doctors were sent to Mexico to provide assistance to the victims of flooding in Tabasco in November, 2007, the worst flooding ever in the state (ACN, 15/7/08). 

July 16: The work of Cuban health professionals in Bolivia continues to have outstanding results, according to a communiqué released by the Cuban embassy in the South American nation. The document notes that in little over two years of cooperation, the Cuban doctors have offered more than 15,024,500 consultations free of charge to the Bolivian people. The communiqué added that, since 2006, the Cuban health professionals have saved 14,000 lives while eye operations exceed 266,000 among Bolivian, Peruvian, Brazilian, Argentinean and Paraguayan patients (ACN, 16/7/08).

July 16: Representatives from Cuban dissident groups asked the European Union (EU) to raise the priority level of the human rights improvement issue in its dialogue with Cuba, particularly after the European Council opted to lift its diplomatic sanctions against the island. The representatives from dissident groups and human rights organizations spoke before the European Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, which also presented its position to the incumbent French EU presidency, represented by the Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director for Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Jacques Pellet. Adam Mascaró Payá, nephew of Cuban opposition leader and head of Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, Oswaldo Payá, read a letter requesting the EU give priority to the issue of human rights observance in its talks with Havana, "regardless of the status of relations." Amnesty International submitted to the French presidency a set of guidelines to avoid “complacency” and cast a critical eye on the human rights situation in Cuba, particularly the lack of freedom of expression and the imprisonment of "prisoners of conscience." While Reporters Without Borders (RWB) believed that lifting the sanctions "is an option," the organization felt that "it calls for similar steps" in return (EFE, 16/7/08).

July 17: Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, speaking in a meeting in Managua, thanked the Cuban government and people for the solidarity with his country during its most difficult moments, Ortega said solidarity is the best expression of the socialism practiced by Cuba, according to a report posted on the website of the Cuban Foreign Relations Ministry. The Nicaraguan president highlighted the Cuban efforts during the celebration of the 28th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution in Estelí, 200 kilometres to the northeast of the capital. Previously, the Communication Council coordinator, Rosario Murillo, announced the visit of Aleida Guevara, daughter of Argentinean-born guerrilla fighter Ernesto Che Guevara, and relatives of five Cubans imprisoned in the US since 1998 (ACN, 17/7/08).

July 17: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said it is regrettable that US presidential hopeful Barack Obama is "dynamiting" the potential for dialogue with his country and Cuba that would exist if he were to be elected. "(Obama) says he would like to talk with the governments of Cuba and Venezuela if he becomes president, but the way he's going he's dynamiting any possibility of it. If there's something we have–and if he wants we can lend him some–it's dignity," Chavez said. Chavez referred to the presumed Democratic nominee in an event Wednesday attended by candidates from the president's United Socialist Party who will be competing in Venezuela's November regional and municipal elections (EFE, 17/7/08).

July 17: Cuba’s First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura met with a visiting delegation from the Workers’ Party of Brazil (PT) that is led by its president, Ricardo Berzoini. The group is in Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and it also includes the PT’s General Secretary, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, and its Secretary of Foreign Relations, Valter Pomar. Also present in the meeting was Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, head of the Foreign Relations Department at the Central Committee of the PCC (ACN, 18/7/08).

July 17: Father Jesus Del Pino, pastor of Guaimaro in Camaguey, Cuba, lamented that only one Cuban youth, who is actually a Spanish citizen, is present at World Youth Day in Sydney, because the government of New Zealand denied visas to the rest of the Cuban delegation over fears of “possible illegal immigration.” Father Del Pino said that in order to travel to Sydney, youth from Cuba would have had to make a stopover in New Zealand. Although Cuba’s Communist government granted the young people permission to attend, New Zealand officials refused to grant them visas. Only Father Castor Alvarez, who was born and raised in Cuba but now has Spanish citizenship, was allowed entry. “It is sad and painful that out of fear of illegal immigration, governments deprive Cubans of the chance to participate in events that would strongly impact their lives,” said Father Del Pino. “What hope is there for the Church in Cuba,” the priest asked, if in addition to the restrictions imposed by the Cuban government, “limits are imposed on us overseas as well? […] At least many other countries do open their doors to Cubans, and let’s hope that this poor example does not spread, because it would be very sad to have to endure more restrictions, in addition to those that are present inside the country and those that result from the embargo-blockade,” Father Del Pino added (CNA, 17/7/08).

July 18: A Cuban delegation of parliamentarians is participating in the sessions of three commissions of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) that began in Panama. The group includes Osvaldo Martinez, Jose Luis Toledo and Jorge Gonzalez, presidents of the
commissions of Economic Affairs, Judicial and Constitutional Affairs and Health Affairs of the Cuban Parliament, respectively. Also present in the sessions of Parlatino is Nidia Diana Martinez, president of the Parlatino Health Commission, who explained that this working group will discuss important topics for the region such as the situation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 22 member countries as well as other diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, dengue and malaria (ACN, 18/7/08).

July 18: Ghanaians living in Cuba have appealed to the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to intervene in the illegal sentencing of a Ghanaian pharmacist who was wrongly charged with human trafficking. Making the appeal through The Chronicle, the Ghanaian community in Cuba called on the appropriate Ghanaian authorities to immediately launch their own investigation into the imprisonment of the victim, Mr. Lawrence Zogli Goka, in Havana, Cuba. Spokesperson for Ghanaians living in Cuba, Robert Fakye, said Lawrence Zogli is a Ghanaian citizen who resides in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, a registered pharmacist, and a key member of the Ghanaian community in the Caribbean Island. He is also a father of two. On October 25, 2005, Lawrence arrived in Havana to visit his Cuban girlfriend, Angela, and their newborn baby girl, Laura, in Villa Clara. Mr. Fakye stated that on November 1, 2005, Angela was informed by the Cuban State Police that her boyfriend had been detained in Camaguey for his alleged involvement in human trafficking. He was detained for two weeks during which he was interrogated for the alleged crime, but he insisted on his innocence. He was later transferred to Havana, where he was remanded until he made a court appearance in January, last year. In January 2007, Mr. Zogli was tried in Camaguey and sentenced to nine years in prison. Since then multiple appeals have been filed but to no avail (Ghanaian Chronicle, 18/7/08).

July 19: Fidel Castro hailed Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, calling the Nobel Peace Prize winner “a symbol of humanity's highest nobility.'' ''Glory to you, Nelson, for 25 years from a solitary prison you defended human dignity!'' Castro wrote in a brief note to Mandela that was published in the Communist youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde and appeared in other state-controlled media. “You knew how to resist and, without wanting to or trying to, you became a symbol of humanity's highest nobility.'' Mandela turned 90 on July 18. Fidel Castro won the gratitude of many Africans by sending 350,000 troops to battle the former white-dominated South African government in Angola's civil war, draining resources from the apartheid system. When Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first black president in 1994, he made Castro a guest of honour and praised Cuba's “selfless support for the struggle to free all of South Africa's people.'' Castro wrote to Mandela that “you will live on in the memories of future generations and with you, so will the Cubans who fell defending liberty and their brothers in other parts of the world.'' (Mensaje a Nelson Mandela; The Miami Herald, 21/7/08).

July 23: The Minister of Education, Science and Sports of Equatorial Guinea, Anselmo Ondo Esono, advocated increasing Cuba’s cooperation with his country in the education sector. Speaking during a ceremony to bid farewell to a group of Cuban teachers that worked for four years in this country, Ondo Esono thanked the Caribbean internationalists for their contribution. During the ceremony held at the University of Equatorial Guinea, the Minister said that he bid farewell to the Cuban specialists with happiness and nostalgia and added that he was sure that “those who will replace you will leave, as you have done, a Cuban mark in the generation that you have just formed.” (ACN, 24/7/08)

July 24: A migratory accord between Cuba and Mexico is expected to come to fruition in August, after a two-day meeting to discuss the matter came to an end in Havana, showing “significant progress” but no concrete results. The Mexican Foreign Office’s Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, said in a press conference that "as foreseen, there will be a third round of consultations and negotiations," scheduled to take place late next month in Mexico. He said that both governments want "the text of the Accord to be ready" for Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque’s upcoming visit to Mexico on September 11-12 (EFE, 24/7/08).

July 24: Bishop Rene Sandigo, secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Nicaragua, has joined other Catholic leaders in criticizing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for comparing Fidel Castro to Jesus Christ during a political rally in Managua on July 19. During the event organized by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to celebrate the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, Chavez said, “Fidel, our father who art on the earth, in the water and in the air.” “I think these kinds of expressions are abusive and disrespectful towards the faith of Nicaraguans; the rejection by the clergy of the Venezuelan president’s remarks is unanimous,” said Bishop Sandigo (CNA, 24/7/08).

July 24: The Namibian Parliament demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the five Cubans incarcerated in the United States. The parliamentarians unanimously approved a motion in favour of Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino and Rene Gonzalez, internationally known as the Cuban Five. The document points out that the Five “are Cuban heroes suffering unjust imprisonment in the US”, as quoted by Granma. (ACN, 25/7/08).

July 26: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez sent a letter to Fidel Castro on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons. "Fidel Castro is making an incalculable contribution to the battle of ideas," said Chavez in his letter, in direct reference to the reflections that Fidel is currently writing. Chavez stressed Castro’s abilities to expose US imperialism and its strategy based on lies, its systematic manipulation and distortion. "Your article is illuminating in the sense that it reveals that they are plotting a new aggression against Cuba," he said in reference to Castro’s reflection titled "Machiavelli's Strategy”, where the Cuban leader refers to news published by Russian newspaper Izvestia on the possibility that Moscow could use Cuba as a refuelling base for nuclear-capable bombers." Finally, in his letter Hugo Chavez said he fully agrees with Castro that there is no need for explanations, much less excuses or pardon, and that in this regard Venezuela sides with Cuba. (Carta de Chávez a Fidel Castro; ACN, 28/7/08)

July 27: Cuba said that the Non Aligned Movement is more alive than ever, and considers unity the key to its importance and its role to be increasingly indispensable in the world. "It is essential for us to close ranks in defence of our rights," Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno said at the opening of the gathering of high ranking officials of the 15th NAM Ministerial Conference in Tehran. Speaking on behalf of the presidency of the movement, Moreno said that risks, threats and difficulties faced are similar and with common origins. "We have to show the world our strength, our capacity to face together the big challenges imposed on us by a world ruled by the most powerful," he stressed. He noted that since the 14th summit in Havana in 2006, the movement has consolidated its role in international discussions (ACN, 28/7/08).

July 27: Deputy Culture Minister Fernando Rojas heads the Cuban delegation that arrived in Bolivia to participate in an International Meeting of Intellectuals and Artists for the Unity and Sovereignty of Bolivia that runs from July 28-30. The event is also being attended by world renowned personalities such as Brazilian Frei Betto, Belgians Francois Houtart, Armand Mattelart and his wife Michelle Mattelart as well as Nicaraguan Ernesto Cardenal and American William Ramsey Clark (ACN, 28/7/08).

July 28: A meeting in support of the Cuban people took place in one of the halls of UNESCO’s building in Beirut, Lebanon, on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons. Parliamentarian Nasser Nasrallah, representing  Nabih Berri, the president of the Lebanese Parliament, was the first orator of the ceremony, which was also attended by legislator Abbas Hashem and representatives from other local organizations, such as the Lebanese Communist Party, headed by Khaled Hadade, its General Secretary; and Maurice Nahra, president of the Council and of the Lebanon-Cuba Friendship Association. Also participating were representatives from Islamic denominations and Palestinian organizations, representatives of NGOs, friends of Cuba and Cubans living in Lebanon (ACN, 28/7/08).

July 28: Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo met in Asuncion with Aleida Guevara, daughter of Argentinean-Cuban guerrilla Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Aleida is visiting Paraguay on the invitation of the future government, reported Granma. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Patriotic Alliance for Change, the political coalition backing the former Catholic Bishop, who takes office August 15. Aleida Guevara said that during her conversation with Lugo they analyzed the main challenges facing Paraguayans and especially the Indigenous Peoples. She said the continent has a debt owed to the Indigenous Peoples that should be settled, and called Lugo "a man in touch with the social needs of his people." Upon arriving in Asuncion the day before, Guevara, a pediatrician by profession, noted that she lives in a socialist country and in a fairer society than that lived by other peoples of the region. "I would be delighted for all of Latin America to share the same privileges that we Cubans have had over the years and hope such advantages come to Paraguay," she said (Reuters, ACN, 28/7/08).

July 29: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) rotating president, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, called on NAM member states to strengthen the role of the international body in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). "We should strengthen the role of NAM in the UNSC in order to help establish durable peace and security at international level," he was quoted by Iran's official IRNA news agency in his address to the 15th Ministerial Conference of the NAM which opened in Tehran. NAM members could play a much more active role in UN human rights affairs and help materialize the legitimate goals of countries of the South, he said, adding that "if NAM is to play a much stronger role, it should wield veto rights." He also said that NAM members have coordinated stands on those countries which seek to make peaceful use of nuclear energy. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called on NAM member states to support Iran's non-permanent membership at the UNSC. The 15th Ministerial Conference of the NAM opened at the Conference Hall of the Organization of the Islamic Conference with an inaugural speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Representatives from 118 members, 15 observer members and eight international and regional organizations, including 60 foreign ministers, attended the meeting (Xinhua, 29/7/08).

July 29: Tanzanian Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein met in Dar Es Salaam with Cuban Ambassador Felipe Ruiz O'Farrill, who will conclude his diplomatic mission in that African country in August. Shein spoke about the strong historical bonds of friendship that exist between the two states and expressed his gratitude for Cuba's cooperation with his country during more than 40 years, reports the Cuban Foreign Ministry's website. He also highlighted the School of Medicine project in the city of Zanzibar, which opened last year with a staff of Cuban healthcare professionals and curriculum and the support of the University of Matanzas in central Cuba, which contributed teaching staff at a rate of one per every five students. The Cuban diplomat presented details on the development of the first stage of the literacy campaign directed by two Cuban professors and spoke about the upcoming 15th session of the Cuba-Tanzania Joint Intergovernmental Commission scheduled for September 2008 in Havana, with the participation of Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe (ACN, 29/7/08).

July 29: Cuban and Venezuelan film industries agreed to exchange their respective experiences in movie preservation after signing a professional cooperation accord in Caracas. The agreement was inked at the research center of Caracas' National
Cinematheque Foundation (FCN) by its director, David Rodriguez, and the head of the Cuban Cinematheque, Manuel Herrera. Herrera told a local radio that the agreement suggests ideas for joint productions and for the creation of bilateral programs in professional training (ACN, 29/7/08).

July 30: Cuba's efforts to stop some of their best players from defecting at international tournaments have failed. Two prominent players from their 2008 IBAF World Junior AAA roster were missing. Starting pitcher Noel Arguelles and infielder Jose Iglesias were last seen on the night of July 27 at their team meal at the University of Alberta's Lister Hall. "Rumours were swirling around a couple of days ago," said tournament chairman Ron Hayter. "There were denials everywhere and when everything settled down nobody thought anything about it. Both players ate the pre-game meal, then went back to their rooms at the university and got dressed to go on the bus, and they didn’t get on the bus." It's become familiar territory for Cuba, which has faced the prospect of defections at many international tournaments. Arguelles and Iglesias will leave a big hole in the Cuban line-up. Arguelles was the ace of their pitching staff, while Iglesias was one of their hottest hitters. And rumours have circulated that two more players might have defected (Canadian Press, 30/7/08).

July 30: Prosperity in developing countries will only be possible with substantial change in the current international economic and political order, said Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque at a Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that concluded in Iran. Boosting South-South cooperation is what can lead to progress of the NAM nations amid the complex world situation, Perez Roque told Prensa Latina. The Foreign minister noted that developing nations have the Group of 77 plus China for economic coordination, but said the Non-Aligned Movement can also work hard in this area. Perez Roque headed his country’s delegation to the NAM meeting where he received numerous shows of support and recognition for Cuba’s efforts as the NAM chair, a position the country has held since 2006 (ACN, 31/7/08).

July 30: Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage met in Havana with a large Russian delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin. "We are pleased with the state of relations between our two countries and convinced we can do much more (…) Friendship, not money, is our greatest asset and forms the base of the solid relations between our countries," said Lage. Lage added that in a changing world, economic relations may take on a different dimension, but not friendship. Lage told the visitors his government is pleased that Russia decided to name Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin as the co-chair of the Russia-Cuba Intergovernmental Commission. On the first day of a three-day visit to the island, the Russian delegation took part in meetings with Cuban authorities to identify and agree on projects and plans of cooperation. Joining Lage for the meeting with the Russian delegation were Communist Party Politburo members Ramiro Valdes Menendez, Minister of Telecommunications; Yadira Garcia, Minister of Basic Industry; and Jorge Luis Sierra, Minister of Transportation; as well as other ministers and officials (Escambray, 31/7/08).

July 31: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and a top security official met Cuban President Raul Castro as part of a three-day visit focusing on building commercial ties, official media said. The talks were conducted in a "cordial and friendly atmosphere" with both sides expressing the hope of bolstering already positive relations, said the statement carried by the Cuban press agency, Prensa Latina. The meeting with Raul Castro, 77, successor to his ailing 81-year-old brother Fidel who handed over power in February, also included Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council and former head of the country's powerful Federal Security Service, the statement said. The meeting comes after Russia's defence ministry denied last week a newspaper report it was considering basing bomber aircraft in Cuba in retaliation for US missile defence plans in Eastern Europe. The official communiqué from the talks made no mention of the subject, saying that representatives from both countries supported expanding commercial and financial ties (AFP, 1/8/08).

July 31: Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes and his band of young musicians, accompanied by singer Mayra Caridad Valdes, were a big hit at the Byblos International Festival, held outside Beirut, Lebanon. Chucho’s Afro-Cuban jazz quintet played on an open-air stage at the old port of Byblos, 42 kilometres from Beirut. The other members of the band were Lazaro River, percussionist Yaroldy Abreu, and drummer Juan Carlos Rojas. The audience was moved by the interpretation of singer Mayra Caridad Valdes, who surprised many with her scat treatment of Cuban genres (ACN, 31/7/08).

July 31: The government is evaluating the possibility of expanding throughout Colombia the literacy program that Cuba is carrying out in one province of the Andean nation, a Cuban senior official said. Cuba's Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Orlando Requeijo, said in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena that Havana has received requests from Colombian regions interested in the initiative. Cuba is conducting a literacy program in the northeastern Colombian province of Boyaca, said Requeijo, who added that the work has been carried out in a "very successful manner." Requeijo, who traveled to Cartagena to attend the 8th Mixed Commission for the Scientific, Educational and Cultural Cooperation of Colombia and Cuba, joined Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Mejia in signing a document extending the bilateral cooperation to 2010 (EFE, 31/7/08).

July 31: Cuba announced its willingness to expand its cooperation with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas during a meeting held in Havana to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the declaration of independence of this Caribbean nation. Elio Gamez, vice president of the Havana-based Cuban Friendship Institute (ICAP) said that there are currently 45 Cuban teachers making their contribution in 10 out of the 700 islands that comprise the neighbouring archipelago, and added that Cuba is willing to increase its
assistance to the Bahamas–where more than four per cent of the population is illiterate–in the education sector. Gamez stressed that Havana hopes that more youths from the Bahamas will benefit from scholarships in Cuba. “Our cooperation will strengthen the ties between our peoples, which share a common history, cultural roots and aspirations.” He said. For his part, Carlton Leroy Wright, ambassador of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in Cuba, expressed his satisfaction at the economic, cultural and sports achievements of his country and thanked the Cuban contribution in this regard (ACN, 1/8/08).

July 31: Cuban First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura met with a delegation from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) headed by its director, Dr. Mirta Roses Periago. During the meeting, Periago, who is also the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO), spoke of topics such as the fulfilment of the Millennium Goals, food security and climate change. According to a press note read by Cuban television, other topics discussed included the HIV/AIDS pandemic, South-South cooperation, the work of PAHO in Cuba, and actions to celebrate World Health Day and the anniversary of the WHO. They also analyzed the current situation and plans of cooperation with the Cuban Health Ministry, among other topics (ACN, 1/8/08).

July 31: Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro slammed Edmonton in an Internet column addressing the two baseball players who defected during a junior tournament in the city. Castro, in a column in Cuba's daily Internet newspaper Granma, said the actions by pitcher Noel Arguelles and shortstop Jose Antonio Iglesias should be classified as a "despicable betrayal". "Edmonton has become a dumping ground," an English translation of Castro's comments reads. "The Cuban athletes were badly taken care of. That city has the privilege of hosting that championship every year. We should analyze whether it is worth attending that tournament." Arguelles and Iglesias have not been seen since their game against Team Canada on July 24. Team members confirmed to the press the two teens likely defected. Both are 18 years old. Fidel also insinuated Canada "stole" their athletes and blamed the rich paycheques in the U.S. for luring them over. The closest the former leader has ever been to Edmonton is a stopover in Vancouver in 2003. Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel defended the city Friday and offered to fly the former leader to the city for free. "I'm not sure Castro can really have a handle on Edmonton since he's never been here," he said (El equipo asediado; CTV.CA, The Montreal Gazette, 1/8/08).