'Dialogue' Marks Milestone in Relations with Cuba

Vol. 15, No. 4 April 2007 www.cubanews.com In the News Spain’s agreement to renew ‘dialogue’ Wireless wisdom marks milestone in relations with Cuba The do’s and don’ts of renting a cellphone BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI come impose or give unsolicited advice. Cuba while in Cuba .................................Page 3 pain’s decision to renew political and cul- did not accept before, as it does not accept tural dialogue with Cuba after a four-year today, the conditions previously established by hiatus marks a major turning point in the the European Union for cooperation.” Blowin’ in the wind S Those clashes began soon after the inaugura- two countries’ relationship after more than a tion of Spain’s conservative prime minister, José Energy-starved Cuba begins taking wind decade of almost continuous clashes. power seriously ..............................Page 6 María Aznar, in 1996, and reached a climax in Madrid’s dramatic policy shift followed a visit 2003, following the firing-squad execution of to Cuba in early April by Spanish Foreign Min- three ferry hijackers and the imprisonment of True believer ister Miguel Angel Moratinos and meetings 75 dissidents. Book about spy Ana Belén Montés leaves with Raúl Castro, Carlos Lage, Ricardo Alarcón In response, the Aznar government intro- and other top Communist Party officials. many questions unanswered ........Page 7 duced in Brussels the well-known “posición “We have opened a new chapter in our rela- común” vis-a-vis Cuba. In accordance with that tions, based on respect and dialogue,” Mora- position, EU member states began shunning Newsmakers tinos told reporters in Havana. “It’s absolutely high-level talks with the Castro regime while Sgt. Carlos Lazo, 42, has become an ardent unthinkable that the Spanish government can- inviting dissidents to events at their embassy not maintain defend and develop an intense, fighter in the battle to allow unrestricted parties and receptions, sparking the so-called constructive and communicative policy with the “cocktail wars.” family travel to Cuba .....................Page 8 Cuban authorities.” That, in turn, led Havana to freeze ties and Declared his Cuban counterpart, Foreign reject millions of euros in EU development aid Natural wonders Minister Felipe Pérez Roque: “Spain would not — a situation that prevailed until 2005, when CubaNews visits the marine terraces of allow, as Cuba does not allow, for someone to See Spain, page 2 Maisí at island’s eastern tip ........Page 10 Scholarly articles Nebraska, Delaware latest states to lead A list of 42 recently published papers dealing with Cuba topics ...................Page 11 trade missions to Cuba; others to follow BY LARRY LUXNER and in cash from Cuban food purchasing agency Business briefs rom the First State to the Cornhusker Alimport before the goods can leave the dock. Cuban team to study property rights issue; State, U.S. governors, port officials and In some respects, that makes Cuba the least risky country on Earth to do business with. Herzfeld Fund hits new high .....Page 12 F secretaries of agriculture are flocking to Cuba for lucrative food export contracts worth For another thing, the Cubans are close to tens of millions of dollars. U.S. ports — and they’re eager to buy. Cuban Klezmer In early March, tiny Delaware sent its first- Since TSRA’s passage, Cuba has become the Cuban-born Roberto Juan Rodríguez mix- ever trade mission to Havana, followed later in 34th-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports out of 227 countries, importing $341 million in es the best of traditional Jewish music and the month by a 31-member Nebraska delegation headed by Gov. Dave Heineman. At press time, food products, utility poles and other commodi- salsa to create a new sound ........Page 13 Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter was in Cuba on ties in 2006. his first overseas trip since taking office. This year, Alimport will buy over $1.6 billion Provinces: Cienfuegos What is it about Cuba that makes the forbid- worth of food from the United States and other countries, says Alimport CEO Pedro Alvarez. New industrial investments may help one den island such a tantalizing market for individ- ual states — even as the White House is doing Yet Alvarez said procedural rules imposed in of Cuba’s smallest provinces ......Page 14 all it can to discourage such visits? 2005 make the U.S. an “unreliable” supplier and For one thing, says John Pastor, a trade offi- have driven Cuba to buy from lower-cost com- CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly cial at the Delaware Office of Management and petitors like Brazil, Vietnam and China. by Luxner News Inc. © 2007. All rights reserved. Budget, “there’s no risk of not getting paid.” “We’ve been obliged to divert several hun- Subscriptions: $429 for one year, $800 for two years. Under the 2000 Trade Sanctions Reform and dreds of millions of dollars,” Alvarez told for- For editorial inquires, please call (301) 452-1105 eign reporters Mar. 28 after signing deals to buy or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. Export Enhancement Act (TSRA), U.S. companies are required to receive payment up-front See States, page 4 2 CubaNews ❖ April 2007 and promote reciprocal investments. Spanish news agency EFE that “for the Spain — FROM PAGE 1 ■ A Cuban offer dealing with a settlement moment, I don’t think he’s going to get any- lower-level meetings resumed at the encour- of Cuba’s $1 billion debt with Spain. It seems thing, not on democracy or on human rights, that Spain will consider this offer seriously, agement of Spain’s new Socialist government or on anything.” and will restore a new line of official credit in Cuba’s best-known internal opposition lead- led by José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero. support of trade operations and investments. er, Oswaldo Payá, accused Spain of currying The following year, Roque visited Madrid ■ A bilateral meeting, to be held shortly, favor with the Castro regime at the expense of and held detailed discussions with Moratinos. aimed at increasing cultural cooperation, human rights. At the same time, Spanish companies led by including the return of the Spanish Cultural “We feel that the actions of the government oil major Repsol-YPF were pushing in favor of Center in Havana to Spanish control. and the Spanish Embassy in this case have this new relationship. The center — located along the Malecón — adapted themselves to the conditions of exclu- Last November, Spanish businesses spoke was inaugurated in December 1997 but taken sion that the Cuban regime imposes with confidently and with increased optimism at over by Cuban authorities in September 2003, respect to the dissidents,” Payá said in a com- the Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV). following the freeze in EU-Cuba relations. munique. “The Spanish Embassy had time to DIALOGUE NOT AN OPTION, BUT AN OBLIGATION “For Spain the reopening of the Spanish make contact with us, however, it did not Moratinos insisted that Spain’s new policy Cultural Center is very important,” said make contact with us in recent months — and towards Cuba is not an option, but an obliga- Moratinos. “We have decided to open talks only when Mr. Moratinos is ending his visit tion based on the very special historical ties and we will see how they develop ... naturally does it tell us to attend a meeting it is holding between Madrid and Havana. with all respect and according to the priorities — when Mr. Moratinos has already left.” In this case, Spain may serve the purpose both countries establish for a continued col- Payá, who won the EU’s 2002 Sakharov of activating a dialogue and helping reshape laboration on cultural issues and in benefit of Prize for human rights, also denounced the the EU’s common stand or posición común Spanish and Cuban culture.” fact that “this visit comes at a time in which toward Cuba. MOST DISSIDENT LEADERS BOYCOTT MEETING the repression and the language of intoler- During the Moratinos visit — the first by ance and the violation of civil rights is grow- Cuba clearly didn’t want to talk about the ing in Cuba, especially against the democratic any EU foreign minister since the sanctions issue of political prisoners, which Roque were imposed in 2003 — he and Roque signed opposition, which is completely peaceful.” insisted was not even on the agenda. Added former political prisoner Vladimiro a document creating a forum for political con- “They are mercenaries financed by a for- sultations, which calls for “the promotion and Roca: “Zapatero has ignored all opposition eign power to subvert the internal order and requests to respect human rights. Moratinos protection of all human rights for everyone to commit acts of violence and terrorism,” and to contribute to effective, constructive came to ensure Spain’s investments in Cuba.” Roque told reporters in Havana. “Here there Miriam Leiva of Damas en Blanco (Ladies and non-discriminatory treatment of the prob- are no prisoners for thinking differently.” lem in international forums.” in White) was even more outraged. While some prominent dissidents met with “The Spanish government has betrayed our As a result of this thaw in Spanish-Cuban Moratinos, most refused out of principle. prisoners, all those repressed since March relations, the following should happen soon: Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo called the Mora- ■ The signing of an agreement to protect tinos visit “fantastic,” though he told the See Spain, page 3 CUBA DEMOCRACY CAUCUS MEMBERS Cuban-Chinese relations confusing SENATE: Other contracts include one for the deliv- Mel Martínez (R-Florida) t the end of March, Chinese and Cuban authorities met in Havana to conclude a ery of Cuban sugar to China during 2007.

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