Chronicle on Cuba - February 2010

US-Cuba Relations

February 2: The top US diplomat for Latin America said that his country does not necessarily view as “positive” a potential change in the European Union’s policy toward Cuba, as Spain has proposed. “At this time, in our judgment, we don’t necessarily see the change in the Common Position as positive, but it depends a lot on how changing it is handled,” Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela told reporters in Madrid after participating at a conference. Valenzuela, however, emphasized that a potential shift in the EU’s stance must make “very clear that what is required” is an “expectation” of a “democratic opening in Cuba.” “I think that is the objective we all have going forward. Seeing a democratic Cuba,” insisted the Chilean-born US official. In addition, he continued, the island’s government must comply with the “fundamental condition of free open societies with respect to human rights and the possibility of genuine participation on the part of all its citizens.” When asked about the direction US policy would take toward Cuba this year, Valenzuela said that Washington will seek “to resume some of the conversations” held with Havana “on matters of common interest.” “And in that sense, we have set conversations on immigration issues, postal issues (...)” he said, emphasizing the “efforts” of the US administration to “have a direct dialogue with the Cuban government” (LAHT, 2/2/10).

Febrero 2: Uno de los principales medios informativos del gobierno cubano acusó a Estados Unidos, a la "derecha recalcitrante española" y a "desacreditados mercenarios al servicio de Washington" de lanzar una "feroz ofensiva" para que la Unión Europea (UE) no elimine su "posición común" sobre la isla. "La más reciente trama anticubana vive un nuevo capítulo con una 'casual' visita a Madrid del subsecretario de Estado estadounidense, (...) Arturo Valenzuela, quien desde el mismo comienzo de su estancia cuestionó una eventual transformación de la postura de la UE hacia Cuba", aseguró el sitio digital oficial Cubadebate. "La prensa derechista en España y afamados medios anticubanos en esa nación ibérica han desatado una campaña mediática dirigida a torpedear cualquier intento de las actuales autoridades de Madrid dirigida a normalizar las relaciones", agrega la página que usa el ex presidente Fidel Castro para sus "Reflexiones" (EFE, 2/2/10).

Febrero 2: El proyecto de presupuesto para el año fiscal 2011, que la Casa Blanca envió al Congreso, incluye 20 millones de dólares para promover la democracia y otros programas en Cuba, informó Radio Martí. La partida, contemplada en el financiamiento de las operaciones en el exterior del Departamento de Estado, se incluye entre 456 millones propuestos para mejorar la seguridad, fortalecer las instituciones democráticas, invertir en las personas y promover la prosperidad en el hemisferio occidental. Los fondos solicitados para Cuba se destinarán a continuar promoviendo una democracia basada en la autodeterminación; prestar asistencia humanitaria a los presos políticos, sus familiares, y otras víctimas de la represión; y promover los derechos humanos. También tienen como objetivo fortalecer las organizaciones independientes de la sociedad civil y apoyar el intercambio de información (Diario de Cuba, 2/2/10).

Febrero 2: Las agencias de inteligencia estadounidenses advirtieron que los servicios secretos de Cuba recolectan información, para evaluar las operaciones y las intenciones de los Estados Unidos alrededor del mundo. Precisaron que Cuba mantiene relaciones de inteligencia con varios adversarios y rivales de los Estados Unidos. El informe anual que elabora la Oficina del Director Nacional de Inteligencia, fue presentado en Washington ante el Comité de Inteligencia del Senado, por el titular de la entidad, Dennis Blair. El documento, de 47 páginas, analiza las amenazas que encara Estados Unidos en todo el mundo. Acerca de Cuba, también señala que el gobierno de Raúl Castro tiene una alianza con Venezuela, que seguramente intentará minar casi todas las iniciativas de Washington en la región (Marti Noticias, 3/2/10).

Febrero 2: Estados Unidos anticipó que La Habana podría abrir las compuertas de la migración, si juzga que no es capaz de lidiar con el "creciente descontento público" por la situación económica de la isla. El director de Inteligencia Nacional, Dennis Blair, reportó al Congreso que la economía cubana se encuentra bajo presión y que su "severa situación económica" podría ser peor, de no ser por los 100.000 barriles diarios de petróleo subsidiado que le envía Venezuela. "Aunque juzgamos baja la posibilidad de una súbita migración cubana, si el régimen decide que no puede lidiar con el creciente descontento público, podría decidir permitir que más cubanos abandonen la isla", señaló en su testimonio. Blair hizo notar que La Habana ha dado pocas señales de desear una relación más cercana con Estados Unidos, y que el general Raúl Castro teme que un cambio económico rápido erosione el control del régimen o debilite a la revolución. "Su gobierno no ha mostrado signos de suavizar la represión de los disidentes políticos", anotó el funcionario, en la Evaluación de amenazas a la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos, entregado al Comité Selecto de Inteligencia del Senado. La alusión a Cuba fue incluida en la sección de América Latina, en la que la comunidad de Inteligencia de Estados Unidos hizo notar que la región es estable, pero confrontada por el crimen y el populismo (Diario de Cuba, 2/2/10).

Febrero 4: La participación de Cuba en los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe se mantiene cubierta bajo un manto de incógnita tras las reuniones entre las autoridades deportivas cubanas y el Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico. "Mientras no haya un planteamiento final todos los días va a haber reuniones de trabajo, lo adecuado es permitir que siga fluyendo el proceso hasta un planteamiento definitivo" expresó David Bernier, presidente del Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico. Los juegos regionales se realizarán entre el 17 de julio al 1 de agosto en la ciudad puertorriqueña de Mayagüez. "Seguimos optimista en que Cuba participe en Mayagüez, pero quisiéramos que la decisión final se tome lo más rápido posible", agregó Bernier en comentarios a periodistas en un hotel capitalino poco antes de regresar a Puerto Rico tras dos días en La Habana. Genaro Marchand, secretario general emérito de FIBA Américas, que viajó con Bernier, calificó de "fraternal" el encuentro con José Ramón Fernández, presidente del Comité Olímpico cubano, y Christian Jiménez, presidente del Instituto Cubano de Deportes (AP, 4/2/10).

Febrero 5: El jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense para América Latina, Arturo Valenzuela, se congratuló por la colaboración con Cuba en la ayuda a Haití, tras la decisión de la isla caribeña de autorizar sobrevuelos para la ayuda humanitaria y la cooperación médica. "Hemos estado en contacto directo con el gobierno cubano que hicieron posibles sobrevuelos (de su territorio) para misiones humanitarias, incluso por las Fuerzas Armadas estadounidenses'', se congratuló Valenzuela en París, donde concluyó una breve gira europea iniciada en Madrid. El secretario de Estado adjunto aprovechó este ejemplo para lanzar un llamado tanto a América Latina como a la Unión Europea (UE) a "superar las diferencias'' y colaborar juntos y no sólo en casos trágicos como Haití. "Esta inmensa manifestación de solidaridad y toda la ayuda que llegó a Haití desde las Américas y el mundo entero demuestran de manera dramática lo estrecho de las relaciones que mantenemos como nación'', afirmó Valenzuela, en su primera visita a Europa desde que asumió el cargo en noviembre pasado. "En este esfuerzo común están unidos Estados Unidos, Cuba, Brasil, Bolivia, Francia, Canadá, República Dominicana y todo en el mundo en el continente, además de la solidaridad de otros naciones y organizaciones en el mundo entero'', explicó. Según él, "se trata de una imagen potente de lo que es posible lograr cuando se superan diferencias para concentrarse en lo que es realmente importante. Ese es el futuro por el que debemos trabajar'', afirmó. "Hoy se incorporaron a la labor de la brigada médica cubana en Haití ocho graduados norteamericanos'' de la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina de La Habana (ELAM), señaló la fuente, y destacó que esa misión está integrada por 618 médicos cubanos y 402 haitianos formados en la isla (AFP, 5/2/10).

February 5: Eight congressional Republicans alleged the Obama administration is trying to "appease'' the Cuban government after the arrest in Havana of a Washington subcontractor, and called for the cancellation of bilateral migration talks now set for February 19. ``We are greatly concerned about the manner in which the administration is handling the arrest of Alan Gross'' and its impact on the US government's pro-democracy programs in Cuba, they wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The letter to Clinton noted that after Gross' arrest, USAID strongly discouraged recipients of US pro-democracy funds from traveling to Cuba, and that nongovernmental organizations "have been informed that the administration is considering taking democracy assistance funding in a `new direction.''' "The Cuban government is greatly threatened by the evident progress of the pro-democracy movement and is utilizing the arrest of Mr. Gross to force the United States to cease providing aid to Cuba's independent society,'' the Congress members wrote. "It appears that the administration has opted to handle Mr. Gross's arrest by trying to appease the Cuban dictatorship,'' they added. The letter was signed by Florida's Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Connie Mack and four other Republicans; Dan Burton and Mike Pence of Indiana, Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan and Todd Tiahrt of Kansas (The Miami Herald, 5/2/10).

Febrero 7: El Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico y los organizadores de los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe le ofrecieron a Cuba transportar a la delegación de ese país en un avión especial hasta Mayagüez para resolver uno de los puntos difíciles para la participación de la isla a la cita regional. "Le hemos sugerido a Cuba la alternativa que usó cuando el primer Clásico Mundial de Béisbol (2006), que es contratar aviones de otro país para llegar a Puerto Rico y como en el Clásico los organizadores asumen los gastos", afirmó Israel Roldán, vicepresidente del Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico. Los juegos regionales se realizarán entre el 17 de julio al 1 de agosto en la ciudad puertorriqueña de Mayagüez, pero Cuba todavía no confirmó su asistencia. "Nosotros estamos buscando que todos los países tengan los mismos procedimientos y gastos, no es justo que Cuba teniendo sus aviones tenga que contratar otros", explicó Roldán en el aeropuerto de La Habana poco antes de regresar a su país. Para participar en los Juegos, Cuba pidió recibir "un tratamiento igual" al de los demás países, como visas para todos sin exclusiones, seguridad durante la estadía y no someter a la delegación cubana a controles adicionales de seguridad después que Washington consideró a Cuba como una de las naciones patrocinadoras del terrorismo. Durante su estancia de tres días en La Habana, Roldán se reunió con José Ramón Fernández, presidente del Comité Olímpico cubano, y con Joaquín Monserrate, jefe de la Sección de Intereses de Estados Unidos en La Habana (AP, 7/2/10).

Febrero 7: El gobierno estadounidense de Barack Obama está dispuesto "a recuperar, incluso más que antes, un diálogo directo con el gobierno de Cuba en temas afines", dijo el secretario de Estado adjunto para el Hemisferio Occidental, Arturo Valenzuela, en una entrevista concedida al diario español El País. "Hemos revertido la política anterior de congelar muchos de los intercambios entre las sociedades para permitir una mayor conexión", afirmó Valenzuela. "Hemos tenido conversaciones sobre temas migratorios y habrá otros en la agenda". "Pero es cierto que lo que se requiere es un diálogo con respuestas, y eso hasta la fecha no se ha visto", admitió el funcionario y consideró que "probablemente" esto tiene que ver "con algunos cambios internos en Cuba, en los que no está claro hacia dónde va la situación" (Diario de Cuba, 7/2/10).

February 8: A bipartisan drive in Congress to end a Cold War-era travel ban on Cuba was buried during the healthcare reform debate but its supporters hope to dig it out this year. Sponsors of two bills allowing Americans to travel freely to Cuba, introduced last year in the Senate and the House of Representatives, say a flood of dollars from the pro-embargo Cuban-American lobby might also have played a part. "Support has not waned but it's clear that the debate over healthcare has consumed the first year of the (Obama) administration and has had a similar impact in terms of congressional action," Representative Bill Delahunt, a Democrat and one of the authors of the bill, told the press. Co-sponsor Jeff Flake, a Republican representative, said the votes were there to pass the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act this year but the Democratic majority in the House was divided over whether to take it to the floor for a vote. "This is not an issue that is at the top of their agenda or anywhere close and it's also an issue that splits part of their caucus," he said. "I still think it could happen this year" (Reuters, 8/2/10).

February 11: US Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a passionate defender and architect of legislation to strengthen the US embargo against Cuba, announced he won't seek reelection to Congress. The Miami Republican made the announcement at a news conference at Florida International University. Diaz-Balart indicated last summer that he was interested in leaving the House, where he has served since 1992, saying he was "seriously considering'' a request from Governor Charlie Crist that he consider being appointed -- temporarily -- to the Senate. Within minutes of Lincoln Diaz-Balart's announcement, his brother, Mario Diaz-Balart, launched a campaign to succeed him in the more Republican-leaning congressional district (The Miami Herald, 12/2/10).

February 14: The President of the Cuban National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, launched two new books on the case of five Cubans who remain mprisoned in the United States since 1998.   The launch of the books took place, during the third day of the International Book Fair Cuba 2010 that is underway at La Cabaña Fortress Complex in Havana, in the presence of relatives of Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Fernando Gonzalez – internationally known as the Cuban Five.  The new books are The United States vs Five Heroes by Dr. Rodolfo Davalos and Les debo verlos libres (I Owe Them Seeing Them Free) by Celia Maria Hart Santamaria. Davalos’ text is a compilation of 80 articles published by Juventud Rebelde newspaper, already included in a previous edition and now published by the Capitan San Luis publishing house. Meanwhile, the book by Celia Hart, who died recently, includes letters and articles, and it belongs to Special Editions by the Jose Marti Cultural Society (ACN, 15/2/10).

Febrero 15: El Comité Olímpico Cubano (COC) le notificó al Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (Copur) que hasta finales de febrero no tendrán una decisión sobre su participación en los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Mayagüez 2010. El presidente del Copur, David Bernier, indicó en un comunicado de prensa que su organismo, el Comité Organizador de los JCC y el resto de las autoridades deportivas puertorriqueñas se reunirán “para evaluar la comunicación y delinear nuestra respuesta” a la decisión de los cubanos. “Ha estado y sigue clara nuestra disposición de, como buen anfitrión, agotar nuestros esfuerzos con todos nuestros invitados. Seguimos esperanzados en que al final logremos tener a toda la familia centroamericana y caribeña en nuestra casa”, afirmó Bernier (Ciudad CCS, 15/2/10). 

Febrero 16: En su informe “Ataques contra la Prensa 2009”, el Comité para la Protección de los Periodistas --CPJ por sus siglas en inglés-- señaló que aunque Cuba fue golpeada por la crisis económica mundial, y sufrió una sacudida en sus más altos cargos, los medios de comunicación estatales ofrecieron una cobertura superficial y sesgada del acontecer nacional durante el año. Entretanto, las condiciones de los derechos humanos, incluida la libertad de prensa, continuaron en punto muerto. Los periodistas independientes enfrentaron un constante acoso, y más de 20 reporteros y editores siguieron en las cárceles. Estos últimos -señala el CPJ-- son mantenidos en condiciones inhumanas, en pequeñas celdas sin ventanas o junto a delincuentes comunes. Los alimentos que reciben suelen estar podridos y muchos padecen serios problemas de salud que se desarrollaron o empeoraron durante su encarcelamiento. Al menos diez participaron en huelgas de hambre prolongadas en el 2009 para protestar por las condiciones de su encarcelamiento. Destaca por otra parte el Comité de Protección a los Periodistas que en el 2009 una creciente comunidad de bloggers independientes ofreció esperanzas para la libertad de expresión en la isla, al sortear restricciones jurídicas, económicas y tecnológicas para describir sus experiencias cotidianas y desafiar la perspectiva del régimen (Attacks on the Press 2009: Cuba; Marti Noticias, 16/2/10).

February 17: The US government confirmed that one of its top diplomats for Latin America will participate this week in Havana in a new round of talks on immigration issues with Cuba. “The discussions will focus on how best to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration between Cuba and the United States,” the State Department said in a press release. Led by Craig Kelly, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, the US delegation will be comprised of representatives of the government agencies responsible for immigration policy. The official announcement by President Barack Obama’s administration came almost two weeks after Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez first publicly mentioned the meeting in Havana (LAHT, AFP, 17/2/10).

February 17: President Barack Obama held "very warm" talks with Spain's King Juan Carlos I, two weeks after the US leader apparently snubbed Madrid by choosing to skip an EU-US summit there in May. The Spanish king met Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor James Jones for a nearly 1.5-hour lunch at the president's private White House dining room, officials said. They discussed ongoing events in the Americas and the Middle East, US and Spanish officials said. Obama, in his first encounter with the 72-year-old king, "showed particular interest towards Latin America," said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The two leaders talked about their relations with Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico "in an extremely cordial, very warm" environment, Moratinos said. Cuba and Venezuela, two countries with which Washington has tense ties, were discussed at length, Moratinos said. The White House said in a statement that the leaders discussed "the situation in the Middle East as well as important issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba and ongoing relief efforts in Haiti" (AFP, 17/2/10).

February 18: The wife of a US contractor jailed in Havana denied Cuban allegations he was working for US espionage services and said she hopes his case will be resolved at US-Cuba migration talks. In her first extensive comments since his December 4 detention, Judy Gross told Reuters via email that husband Alan Gross has "never been involved in any way with any intelligence agency whatsoever." Cuban officials including President Raul Castro have accused him of illegally providing satellite communications gear to dissidents and suggested he may be a US spy. But his wife said he is simply a professional do-gooder who works on development projects in emerging countries. "I can categorically deny that allegation. Anyone who knows Alan at all knows that his work around the world is humanitarian in nature. He loves to help people," she said. Judy Gross said the ordeal since he was nabbed at Havana airport has taken a heavy toll on her family and she would like for US and Cuban negotiators to end it when they meet in the Cuban capital to discuss migration issues. "I hope that the US and Cuban governments do everything in their power to resolve Alan's case during their talks this week," said Gross, a psychotherapist at a Washington-area hospital (Reuters, 18/2/10; Video; The Washington Post, 19/2/10).

Febrero 18: Empresarios estadounidenses del sector turístico se reunirán en México con funcionarios cubanos de esa industria en marzo próximo, para negociar las posibilidades de vuelos e inversiones en la isla si Washington levanta la veda para viajar a Cuba, se informó en La Habana. El estadounidense Kirby Jones, presidente de la compañía Alamar, consultora de negocios que trabaja con Cuba desde hace 35 años y organiza la reunión, afirmó en una rueda de prensa que los ejecutivos estadounidenses podrán acercarse al gobierno cubano en un momento en que hay un "clima diferente'' en su país. La conferencia sobre viajes se celebrará en el balneario mexicano de Cancún del 24 al 26 de marzo (El Nuevo Herald, 19/2/10).

Febrero 18: La legisladora estadounidense republicana Ileana Ros-Lehtinen pidió la intervención del papa Benedicto XVI en el caso del preso de conciencia Orlando Zapata Tamayo y de "centenares" de presos en similares condiciones en la isla. Ros-Lehtinen, cubanoamericana y la republicana de mayor rango en el Comité de Asuntos Exteriores de la Cámara de Representantes, envió una carta al Vaticano en la que pide ayuda a favor de Zapata Tamayo. En un comunicado que acompaña a la misiva, la republicana indicó que Zapata Tamayo se encuentra en estado crítico en una instalación médica, adonde fue trasladado bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad tras protagonizar una huelga de hambre durante 76 días (EFE, 18/2/10).

February 19: US diplomats called for the immediate release of an American who has been jailed in Cuba for months. The appeal for the release of Alan Gross came during high-level meetings between a US delegation and Cuban officials, the State Department said. "The US delegation separately raised the case of the US citizen detained in Cuba on December 4 and called for his immediate release," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement. The US delegation was headed by Craig Kelly, deputy assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. Along with urging the release of Gross, the delegation spoke about immigration issues. The long-standing negotiations were broken off in 2003 under President George W. Bush, but the two countries resumed contact last summer amid hopes of a thaw between the Cold War enemies. Initial optimism, however, has given way to disappointment with both sides accusing the other of doing too little to improve relations. The US delegation said the meetings went well. "In the course of the meeting, the US team reaffirmed the US commitment to promote safe, orderly and legal migration," the State Department said. "Engaging in these talks underscores our interest in pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba to advance US interests on issues of mutual concern" (Declaración de la delegación cubana; CNN, 19/2/10).

February 20: Cuba scolded a top US delegation for meeting with political opposition leaders following high-level immigration discussions, saying that sitting down with dissidents proves Washington is out to topple its communist government. American officials ''called together dozens of their mercenaries'' hours after concluding highly anticipated talks on migration issues with Cuban leaders in an undisclosed Havana location, Cuba's Foreign Ministry said. Elizardo Sanchez, head of the independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, said a group of Cuban dissident leaders met with a US delegation at the residence of the head of the US Interests Section, which Washington keeps in Havana because it has no diplomatic relations with the island. Such a meeting is not unusual when US diplomats visit. But enraged Cuban leaders say the dissidents are not pro-democracy activists, independent journalists and organizers of political opposition groups, but paid agents of Washington planted to destabilize the island's political system. In a statement published in the Communist Party newspaper Granma, the Foreign Ministry said US leaders' meeting with dissidents, was ''contrary to the spirit of cooperation and understanding showed on Cuba's part'' during the immigration talks and ''demonstrated anew that (US) priorities are more related to supporting the counterrevolution and the promotion of subversion to destabilize the Cuban revolution than with the creation of a climate conducive to real solutions to bilateral problems.'' It also said Washington funnels ''more than $20 million'' to groups that openly oppose its government, many based in southern Florida (Declaración del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores; The New York Times, 20/2/10).

February 20: Ricardo Alarcón, president of the National Assembly, said that Havana will continue to maintain a dialogue with Washington despite the meeting held between US diplomats and members of the anti-Castro dissidence. "I don't think [the dialogue] needs to be interrupted, unless in his penchant for change Mr. [Barack] Obama does the same as Mr. [George W.] Bush did before," Alarcón told reporters. According to Alarcón, the meeting was "a really revealing manifestation of how little the [Obama] administration has changed the American attitude to promote subversion and meddle in the internal affairs of Cuba." "We are in favor of continuing the conversations [...] not only about [migration] but also about any topic, but only on the basis of respect," Alarcón said (AFP, 21/2/10).

February 21: The federal trial of Cuban militant exile Luis Posada Carriles, which was scheduled to start March 1, has been postponed for at least three months. US District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas, on February 18 granted the prosecution's request for a delay and set May 20 for a status conference to determine whether a new trial date could be set then. The prosecution's motion was sealed -- kept secret -- by Cardone, so it was impossible to determine why the government sought the last-minute delay in a case that has been on the docket since 2007. The motion was only one of a flurry of about 40 sealed motions filed in the case since January 1 by several parties involved. Some attorneys described it as an unusual level of secrecy. Posada stands accused of perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with a string of bombings in Havana in 1997 and making false statements under oath in an immigration procedure involving his illegal entry into the United States in 2005. Prosecutors hope to prove that Posada lied under oath when he denied he was "involved in soliciting other individuals to carry out the bombings (…) in Cuba.'' A second perjury charge involved his denial that he arranged for Raúl Cruz León, a citizen of El Salvador, to carry explosives into Cuba in 1997. Cruz León, jailed under a death sentence in Cuba since 1997, has confessed that he placed several of the bombs in Havana tourist centers, which killed one Italian tourist and wounded others. Nine charges of obstruction of justice and false statements under oath involve statements he made to US officials regarding the manner in which he slipped into the United States (The Miami Herald, 21/2/10).

Febrero 22: El congresista cubanoamericano Albio Sires, demócrata por Nueva Jersey, envió cartas a la secretaria de Estado norteamericana, Hillary Clinton, y a la representante permanente de Estados Unidos ante Naciones Unidas, Susan Rice, en las que expresa "profunda preocupación" por la situación del preso político cubano Orlando Zapata Tamayo. En su carta a Clinton, Sires pide que el Departamento de Estado "examine y monitoree", aplicando las reglas y procedimientos existentes, "la seguridad y salud" del opositor. A Rice le solicita que la representación estadounidense en la ONU "intervenga de cualquier manera posible para proteger la vida" de Zapata Tamayo. En ambas misivas, Sires advierte que, según sus informaciones, el disidente cubano está "cerca de la muerte". Zapata Tamayo inició una huelga de hambre el 3 de diciembre para protestar por reiteradas golpizas de los carceleros y por su traslado de una prisión de Holguín (provincia en la que reside su familia) a la cárcel Kilo 7, de Camagüey (Diario de Cuba, 22/2/10).

February 23: Democrats and Republicans in the US House of Representatives presented a bill seeking to broaden travel and agricultural exports to communist Cuba. The bill was presented by the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, and has 30 co-sponsors, including Republicans Jerry Moran of Kansas, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri. “Helping feed Cuba is good for the US economy and for the Cuban people. This bill increases the ability of our farmers to sell their products to Cuba just like they do with our other trading partners,” Peterson said in a statement. The Agriculture Committee plans to hold hearings on the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act in the coming weeks (LAHT, 23/2/10).

Febrero 23: El presidente de Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, decidió mantener vigente la declaración de emergencia con Cuba aprobada en 1996 por el derribo, por parte del país caribeño, de dos avionetas de la organización de exiliados cubanos "Hermanos al Rescate". El 1 de marzo de 1996, el presidente Bill Clinton declaró una emergencia para poder hacer frente a la amenaza de una perturbación de las relaciones internacionales como consecuencia del derribo de estas avionetas, el 24 de febrero de ese año. Las avionetas pertenecían al grupo de exiliados cubanos "Hermanos al rescate", que, según La Habana, violó su espacio aéreo para divulgar material propagandístico contra el régimen de Fidel Castro. El 26 de febrero de 2004, EEUU extendió el estado de emergencia para negar cualquier apoyo económico y material al gobierno de La Habana. Obama renovó esa proclamación, basada en la Ley de Emergencia Nacional, y aseguró que el gobierno de La Habana no ha demostrado que se refrenará en el futuro el uso excesivo de la fuerza contra barcos o aviones de EEU. que podrían estar involucrados en actividades pacíficas de protesta contra Cuba. La vigencia de esta decisión incluye la regulación del anclaje y circulación de flotillas de buques en actividades pacíficas de protesta y de homenaje (EFE, 23/2/10).

February 24:  The United States called on Cuba to free more than 200 political prisoners after a leading Cuban dissident died following an 11-week hunger strike. The State Department said it had been deeply saddened to learn of the death of 42-year-old Orlando Zapata. "Mr. Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death highlights the injustice of Cuba's holding more than 200 political prisoners who should now be released without delay," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement. He added that a US team visiting Cuba to discuss migration issues had "raised Zapata’s incarceration and poor health with Cuban officials and urged them to provide all necessary medical care." Jailed since 2003 and deemed a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, Zapata had blamed his deteriorating health on harsh conditions inside Cuba's jails. He had been on hunger strike for 85 days (US Press Release; AFP, 24/2/10).

February 24: Venezuela's Bolivarian News Agency (ABN) has provided expanded coverage of the comments attributed to Raúl Castro during a press gaggle in Mariel, Havana province. According to ABN, Castro compared the loss of dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo with the losses suffered by Cuba in its standoff with the United States.  "Unfortunately, in this confrontation we have with the United States, we have lost thousands of Cubans, principally victims of the state terrorism practiced by that power," ABN quotes Castro as saying. "Between the dead and the disabled, they've numbered about 5,000, not counting thousands of wounded who managed to recover, including diplomats who were also murdered abroad and including people who disappeared in other countries." ABN also quotes Castro as restating his offer to dialogue with Washington. "They say they want to discuss with us and we are willing to discuss with the U.S. government all the problems they want. In Parliament, I repeated three times, 'all, all, all.' We will not accept any discussions that are not in absolute equality for both parties. They can inquire or ask any questions about Cuba, but we have the right to ask about all the problems of the United States," Castro said, according to the Venezuelan agency. "In half a century, we have not murdered anybody. Nobody has been tortured here, no extra-judicial execution has been carried out here. Well, torture has been committed in Cuba but at the Guantánamo Naval Base, not in the territory governed by the Revolution," the Cuban leader is reported as saying (The Miami Herald, 25/2/10).

February 25: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed regret over the death of Cuban political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo and again called on Havana to release political detainees. “The United States government deeply regrets the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and we send our condolences to his family and we also reiterate our strong objection to the actions of the Cuban government,” the secretary said before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We are deeply distressed by his death during a hunger strike on behalf of his rights,” Clinton said, adding that Washington wants to “send a signal of the political prisoner situation and oppression in Cuba where we think there are in excess of 200 other prisoners of conscience.” She vowed to keep up the pressure on the communist government to release people jailed for political reasons. Zapata, she said, “was imprisoned for years for speaking his mind, for seeking democracy, for standing on the side of values that are universal.” Clinton, who came to discuss the State Department’s budget, addressed the issue of Zapata in response to a question from the committee’s ranking Republican, Cuban-born Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida. The secretary said the goal of the administration’s Cuba policy was to promote greater freedom on the communist-ruled island and she cited President Barack Obama’s decision last year to end restrictions on Cuban-Americans’s travel and remittances to their homeland. Clinton rejected suggestions from Representative Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) about ending Washington’s 47-year-old economic embargo against Cuba (LAHT, 25/2/10).

February 25: In a tense moment during hearings on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sparred with Senator Robert Menendez over whether the United States had halted pro-democracy programs in Cuba. US-Cuban relations have become tenser in the aftermath of the December imprisonment of a US citizen and government contractor, Alan Gross. "For some reason, it seems to me, when it comes to Cuba, the recent actions by the regime to arrest an American citizen have totally frozen our actions," Menendez, D-New Jersey, said at a Senate Foreign Relations budget hearing with Clinton. "Are we going to have a permanent freeze on having entities that are trying to create peaceful change for civil society inside of Cuba? Is that the policy of the State Department?" Clinton denied a freeze was in force, but said there is "an intense review" under way. "We are very supportive of the work that we believe should be done to support those people of conscience inside Cuba. We are trying to figure out the best ways to effective in doing that," Clinton said. "We're currently reviewing the risks in the wake of the baseless arrest of Mr. Gross in Cuba so that people who are traveling in furtherance of the mission, advocating for freedom, providing services, providing supplies and material to Cubans will take the necessary precautions when traveling." Clinton's comments came a day after the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a Cuban pro-democracy activist and prisoner who died after a hunger strike (CNN, 25/2/10).

February 26: Cuba will not attend the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico this summer because it is unhappy with visa restrictions and other regulations. The Cuban Olympic Committee said it was forced into the decision by the “failure to meet demands” presented by organizers of the games, which begin July 17 in Mayaguez. Those demands included extending visas to all officials Cuba wanted to bring, providing adequate security and not subjecting the Cuban delegation to extra screening after the United States imposed stricter airline security measures on Cubans and citizens from 13 other nations. "Experiences in past tournaments in Puerto Rico have not been good," the Cuban authorities said, explaining why they will be absent from the games. Cuba said its athletes competing in Puerto Rico in the past had been subject to "constant aggression, provocations, insults and permanent pressure by Cuban counterrevolutionary groups." Some 40 Cuban athletes, coaches and referees defected during the 1993 Central American games in the Puerto Rican city of Ponce. Puerto Rican authorities said the communist Cuban government was simply making a political statement (The New York Times, Reuters, 27/2/10).

February 27: El abogado de la ex esposa de un espía cubano solicitó a un juez de Estados Unidos que retenga los fondos de ocho compañías de vuelos chárter a Cuba para poder obtener el pago de una indemnización de 27,1 millones de dólares para su cliente. La cubano-estadounidense Ana Margarita Martínez, quien reside en Miami, informó a la prensa que la moción fue presentada la semana pasada por su abogado Thomas A. Withrow en el Undécimo Tribunal del Distrito del condado de Miami-Dade. "He esperado mucho tiempo y todavía no se me ha pagado. Es muy difícil encontrar fondos cubanos, por lo que decidimos que se podría hacer a través de las empresas de vuelos chárter que le pagan al gobierno cubano un porcentaje por los viajes", dijo Martínez en una entrevista. En el 2001, un juez de Miami ordenó una indemnización de 20 millones de dólares para Martínez por los daños sufridos durante su matrimonio fraudulento con el agente cubano Juan Pablo Roque. En su fallo, el magistrado determinó que Martínez fue utilizada, bajo órdenes del gobierno de La Habana, por su ex esposo, quien fingió ser un desertor de la Fuerza Aérea Cubana para cubrir sus actividades de espionaje en Florida (EEUU). Roque fue acusado de integrar la "Red Avispa" de espías cubanos que se infiltraron en varias organizaciones anticastristas del sur de Florida y fue desmantelada en 1998 (EFE, 27/2/10).