Historic Cuba-U S handshake: Obama greets Castro
BY CARLOS ALBERTO VARGAS / OHIGGINS ARCIA
Source: La Prensa
Translation: MillennialMonitor.com
Article: Presidentes Barack Obama y Raúl Castro, con el camino allanado
The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and U.S.
Barack Obama and Raul Castro – The paved road
PANAMA CITY, April 11 – The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and EU calls.
The road is paved for today, Saturday April 11, the meeting between Barack Obama, US President (EU), and Raul Castro, governor of Cuba, who last night staged a historic greeting at the opening is given VII Summit of the Americas.
The handshake of Obama and Castro forum presidents, who sealed the thaw between the two countries after half a century of conflict, was the prelude to the “historic meeting” that will sustain today both leaders on the last day of the Summit.
Although not confirmed the place and time of the appointment, sources Palacio de las Garzas was told that President Juan Carlos Varela would have offered the seat of the Presidency of the Republic of Panama for the expected meeting.
Reactions to Obama-Castro interaction were immediate. “It’s a handshake that fills us with hope,” for example, former President Martin Torrijos in Twitter.Greeting last night at the opening of the summit was not the first. In 2013, during the funeral of South African President Nelson Mandela, the two men shook hands.
Sometime after that brief encounter in South Africa, the unexpected happened: the December 17, 2014, Obama and Castro announced negotiations to restore diplomatic relations and open embassies in each nation. A fact which ends half a century of differences.
Gone is the Cold War.Since then, the two countries have been moving slowly, and the Summit in Panama has been the key stage one day before the appointment, and by the isthmus, the two leaders spoke by telephone.
While Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held a meeting on Thursday.The approaches are given after the US State Department to recommend that Obama withdraw Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism .
INCOGNITO
Raul Castro, considered one of the great characters of this new century, yesterday was not as active as their counterparts Obama, Evo Morales of Bolivia;and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.For example, Obama visited the Miraflores Locks and participated in forums of civil society and business;
Morales played football with indigenous and Panamanian trade unionists and Maduro was in the districts of El Chorrillo and San Felipe.
His arrival in Panama was a mystery. Long before the first day of the Summit, the Embassy of Cuba in Panama maintained complete secrecy about the agenda of the Caribbean president, who arrived in the country on Thursday, April 9 around 6:30 pm
Staying at the Plaza Paitilla hotel in the center of the capital. They accompany a significant number of members of the Cuban delegation. Many of them participated in forums parallel to the Summit civil society. This medium was learned that the Cuban delegation outside guests, who had separated a room at the hotel, were transferred to other nearby for “security reasons”.
Hardly anyone could have access to the place, unless it were part of the Caribbean delegation. In fact, in the area you could see dozens of police and security personnel of the Cuban government.
But last night, after they had issued the historic handshake, it was reported that the Cuban president, who took office in 2008, met privately with Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon , and the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue.
After these dates, at 7:02 pm, the Cuban president arrived in Atlapa for his second public appearance since arriving in Panama. Briefly greeted President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife, Lorena Castillo.
Then he reached his place on the premises and was coincidentally in the same row of his new friend Obama, though separated by the rulers of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren.It was the first time a Cuban leader took a chair at a Summit of the Americas, a fact which, in itself, Panama forum was an event for history.
Abel Prieto: ‘Cuba does not dialogue with puppets of the U.S.
PANAMA, April 9 – Parallel to the VII Summit of the Americas events have become a scene of clashes between opponents and independent Cuban activists and the official delegation of the island. Several Cuban exiles and dissidents were beaten in front of the Cuban embassy in Panama, others were acts of repudiation with chants of “pin, pon, outside, down the worms” at the entrance of the Forum of Civil Society and Social Actors.
The Panamanian government extended the invitation to all sectors of Cuban civil society in hopes of an unprecedented dialogue after the rapprochement between the US and Cuba. This was stated by the Vice President and Panamanian Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, who in an interview with CNN in Spanish called these incidents as “unfortunate”, he said his government would not allow them and called on all parties to “listen in the framework of respect “.
The Cuban delegation decided Wednesday to withdraw from the opening of the Forum of Civil Society stating flatly that “not share the same space of mercenaries and terrorists”. On Thursday, the delegation made similar allegations in a press conference, while activists Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of the deceased opponent Oswaldo Paya, and Lillian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan opposition Leopoldo López, were received with shouts and insults in the forum.
Wednesday after witnessing an act of harassment of two Cuban activists, the New Herald interviewed the writer Abel Prieto, former culture minister and current adviser of Raúl Castro, to know why they have declined this opportunity to discuss with government critics. Prieto chairs the official delegation of Cuban civil society to VII Summit of the Americas and was also present during the altercation. These are their answers, which also addressed the issue of normalizing relations with the United States.
Why Cuba withdrew from the Forum of Civil Society?
Cuba withdrew from the opening of respect for the Panamanian authorities, the President [Juan Carlos] Varela while Cuba reiterated his claim within the room there were many difficulties. There were very rare problems that passed the accreditation: 28 fellow who came from Cuba, who presented papers in good time, did not receive accreditation. There was no transparency in the way in which accreditation is worked by bureaucratic problems, or you do not really know if there can be bad intention. Do not want to judge, was not the Panamanian government who designed this forum, it was an NGO called human rights network, or something.
Now we will participate in this forum and we will redo the complaint. The thing to understand is that it’s crazy to think that the real representatives of a nation that has over 50 years suffering a blockade, harassment and hardship will come to talk with people shooting with [Luis] Posada Carriles.
Many wonder why, if the Cuban government sat down to negotiate with the United States, which is its historic enemy, can not sit down and negotiate with members of the opposition?
They are two different things. Dialogue with the US, which we consider it from the point of view of civil society and I think our people see the positive, [holds] on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of Cuba, respect for the international right. If you are having embassy diplomats can not meddle in the internal affairs of our country; Globally diplomats can not organize an opposition.
Cuban President Raul told the Summit of CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] in Costa Rica, the points that had to work to get to what can be called a normalization and is a long way. And the points are strong: they have to do, first, with lock; with that absurd, irrational and irresponsible countries sponsors of terrorism. Cuba is a victim of state terrorism, funded and promoted by the United States;Guantanamo and other places around.
It just made a round of talks on the issue of human rights, we have handled questions about US human rights. We divergences.
So you do not see a scenario where Cuba could accept the covenants of the UN and other things that the US government is asking?
It is not possible to be asked to Cuba to dialogue with these agencies puppets US special services. We can not legitimize the opposition absolutely fabricated, no weight, has no real connection to our society. It is people who have searched for a way of life.
Univision and The Washington Post just released a survey made in Cuba; interviewed 1,200 people. According to the survey, the Cuban opposition would have about 46 percent support and Barack Obama would have great popularity in Cuba, Raul Castro more.
But, is this a joke or a poll?
It is a survey and you can read in the Washington Post.
Well, if these are the results, that’s a joke. To me it sounds like a joke and not very well built. To me love jokes. I think they have to redo the survey.Must see who gave them the list, I imagine how I have done. Maybe he’s got these same people. Once a survey commissioned one of these people. They are also intellectually mediocre, very primitive people, morally worthless.They really could have selected their puppets in a more rigorous manner.
It is much talk of a new electoral law, there is much speculation about whether to allow multiparty or even greater plurality within the Communist Party. Do you see something like this happening?
No. Cuba is working very seriously on what we have called updating the economic model, which was a document that was discussed by all citizens.
He suffered many changes, it was enriched by the people, our democracy, that we do not think it is for export. We do not claim that the US adopt our electoral system. In the proclamation of the CELAC in Latin America as a peace zone, is also the idea of respecting the political system that each country has chosen.
US must respect the political system chosen by Cubans and that is the essential basis for any dialogue and so far, all the steps are as positive as possible and have to do with that respect.
US must understand that this region changed forever, is no longer your backyard.
Because Cuba was invited to this forum, do you think that this kind of activity we just saw is the best way to carry out an agenda? Can we expect more of these events, which reminds many acts of repudiation?
This has nothing to do with an act of repudiation, I say, do not know, to me has nothing to do with that, and here’s fans. Here are very intelligent people, much smarter … They have to be reborn mercenaries to reach the minimum of intelligence and decency is in that Cuban delegation. There are fanatics, nor are screaming: cry because they feel offended.
But when people talk not necessarily have to scream …
No, we come prepared to talk, but to dialogue with other social movements, to bring recommendations to the presidents but we bring these people here and even enroll in priority to us, there is a tremendous offense.
Do you see any chance that Raul and Obama meet?
I think it is speculation, I have no idea what the agenda of the Summit. I dunno. It is a complex and based on the principles long process [negotiations with the US] that have reiterated, are not negotiable. Another issue, we support Venezuela. The fact that they come to Cuba and say, ‘let’s have diplomatic relations’ does not mean that the voice of Cuba is to silence. We do not accept interference, do not accept the imperial positions.They want to blow up our institutions and we will not admit it.
Marie Harf, State Department spokeswoman, said the secretary John Ferry Thursday night with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Panama City would meet.
BY CARLOS ALBERTO VARGAS / OHIGGINS ARCIA
Source: La Prensa
Translation: MillennialMonitor.com
Article: Presidentes Barack Obama y Raúl Castro, con el camino allanado
The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and U.S.
Barack Obama and Raul Castro – The paved road
PANAMA CITY, April 11 – The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and EU calls.
The road is paved for today, Saturday April 11, the meeting between Barack Obama, US President (EU), and Raul Castro, governor of Cuba, who last night staged a historic greeting at the opening is given VII Summit of the Americas.
The handshake of Obama and Castro forum presidents, who sealed the thaw between the two countries after half a century of conflict, was the prelude to the “historic meeting” that will sustain today both leaders on the last day of the Summit.
Although not confirmed the place and time of the appointment, sources Palacio de las Garzas was told that President Juan Carlos Varela would have offered the seat of the Presidency of the Republic of Panama for the expected meeting.
Reactions to Obama-Castro interaction were immediate. “It’s a handshake that fills us with hope,” for example, former President Martin Torrijos in Twitter.Greeting last night at the opening of the summit was not the first. In 2013, during the funeral of South African President Nelson Mandela, the two men shook hands.
Sometime after that brief encounter in South Africa, the unexpected happened: the December 17, 2014, Obama and Castro announced negotiations to restore diplomatic relations and open embassies in each nation. A fact which ends half a century of differences.
Gone is the Cold War.Since then, the two countries have been moving slowly, and the Summit in Panama has been the key stage one day before the appointment, and by the isthmus, the two leaders spoke by telephone.
While Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held a meeting on Thursday.The approaches are given after the US State Department to recommend that Obama withdraw Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism .
INCOGNITO
Raul Castro, considered one of the great characters of this new century, yesterday was not as active as their counterparts Obama, Evo Morales of Bolivia;and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.For example, Obama visited the Miraflores Locks and participated in forums of civil society and business;
Morales played football with indigenous and Panamanian trade unionists and Maduro was in the districts of El Chorrillo and San Felipe.
His arrival in Panama was a mystery. Long before the first day of the Summit, the Embassy of Cuba in Panama maintained complete secrecy about the agenda of the Caribbean president, who arrived in the country on Thursday, April 9 around 6:30 pm
Staying at the Plaza Paitilla hotel in the center of the capital. They accompany a significant number of members of the Cuban delegation. Many of them participated in forums parallel to the Summit civil society. This medium was learned that the Cuban delegation outside guests, who had separated a room at the hotel, were transferred to other nearby for “security reasons”.
Hardly anyone could have access to the place, unless it were part of the Caribbean delegation. In fact, in the area you could see dozens of police and security personnel of the Cuban government.
But last night, after they had issued the historic handshake, it was reported that the Cuban president, who took office in 2008, met privately with Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon , and the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue.
After these dates, at 7:02 pm, the Cuban president arrived in Atlapa for his second public appearance since arriving in Panama. Briefly greeted President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife, Lorena Castillo.
Then he reached his place on the premises and was coincidentally in the same row of his new friend Obama, though separated by the rulers of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren.It was the first time a Cuban leader took a chair at a Summit of the Americas, a fact which, in itself, Panama forum was an event for history.
Abel Prieto: ‘Cuba does not dialogue with puppets of the U.S.
PANAMA, April 9 – Parallel to the VII Summit of the Americas events have become a scene of clashes between opponents and independent Cuban activists and the official delegation of the island. Several Cuban exiles and dissidents were beaten in front of the Cuban embassy in Panama, others were acts of repudiation with chants of “pin, pon, outside, down the worms” at the entrance of the Forum of Civil Society and Social Actors.
The Panamanian government extended the invitation to all sectors of Cuban civil society in hopes of an unprecedented dialogue after the rapprochement between the US and Cuba. This was stated by the Vice President and Panamanian Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, who in an interview with CNN in Spanish called these incidents as “unfortunate”, he said his government would not allow them and called on all parties to “listen in the framework of respect “.
The Cuban delegation decided Wednesday to withdraw from the opening of the Forum of Civil Society stating flatly that “not share the same space of mercenaries and terrorists”. On Thursday, the delegation made similar allegations in a press conference, while activists Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of the deceased opponent Oswaldo Paya, and Lillian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan opposition Leopoldo López, were received with shouts and insults in the forum.
Wednesday after witnessing an act of harassment of two Cuban activists, the New Herald interviewed the writer Abel Prieto, former culture minister and current adviser of Raúl Castro, to know why they have declined this opportunity to discuss with government critics. Prieto chairs the official delegation of Cuban civil society to VII Summit of the Americas and was also present during the altercation. These are their answers, which also addressed the issue of normalizing relations with the United States.
Why Cuba withdrew from the Forum of Civil Society?
Cuba withdrew from the opening of respect for the Panamanian authorities, the President [Juan Carlos] Varela while Cuba reiterated his claim within the room there were many difficulties. There were very rare problems that passed the accreditation: 28 fellow who came from Cuba, who presented papers in good time, did not receive accreditation. There was no transparency in the way in which accreditation is worked by bureaucratic problems, or you do not really know if there can be bad intention. Do not want to judge, was not the Panamanian government who designed this forum, it was an NGO called human rights network, or something.
Now we will participate in this forum and we will redo the complaint. The thing to understand is that it’s crazy to think that the real representatives of a nation that has over 50 years suffering a blockade, harassment and hardship will come to talk with people shooting with [Luis] Posada Carriles.
Many wonder why, if the Cuban government sat down to negotiate with the United States, which is its historic enemy, can not sit down and negotiate with members of the opposition?
They are two different things. Dialogue with the US, which we consider it from the point of view of civil society and I think our people see the positive, [holds] on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of Cuba, respect for the international right. If you are having embassy diplomats can not meddle in the internal affairs of our country; Globally diplomats can not organize an opposition.
Cuban President Raul told the Summit of CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] in Costa Rica, the points that had to work to get to what can be called a normalization and is a long way. And the points are strong: they have to do, first, with lock; with that absurd, irrational and irresponsible countries sponsors of terrorism. Cuba is a victim of state terrorism, funded and promoted by the United States;Guantanamo and other places around.
It just made a round of talks on the issue of human rights, we have handled questions about US human rights. We divergences.
So you do not see a scenario where Cuba could accept the covenants of the UN and other things that the US government is asking?
It is not possible to be asked to Cuba to dialogue with these agencies puppets US special services. We can not legitimize the opposition absolutely fabricated, no weight, has no real connection to our society. It is people who have searched for a way of life.
Univision and The Washington Post just released a survey made in Cuba; interviewed 1,200 people. According to the survey, the Cuban opposition would have about 46 percent support and Barack Obama would have great popularity in Cuba, Raul Castro more.
But, is this a joke or a poll?
It is a survey and you can read in the Washington Post.
Well, if these are the results, that’s a joke. To me it sounds like a joke and not very well built. To me love jokes. I think they have to redo the survey.Must see who gave them the list, I imagine how I have done. Maybe he’s got these same people. Once a survey commissioned one of these people. They are also intellectually mediocre, very primitive people, morally worthless.They really could have selected their puppets in a more rigorous manner.
It is much talk of a new electoral law, there is much speculation about whether to allow multiparty or even greater plurality within the Communist Party. Do you see something like this happening?
No. Cuba is working very seriously on what we have called updating the economic model, which was a document that was discussed by all citizens.
He suffered many changes, it was enriched by the people, our democracy, that we do not think it is for export. We do not claim that the US adopt our electoral system. In the proclamation of the CELAC in Latin America as a peace zone, is also the idea of respecting the political system that each country has chosen.
US must respect the political system chosen by Cubans and that is the essential basis for any dialogue and so far, all the steps are as positive as possible and have to do with that respect.
US must understand that this region changed forever, is no longer your backyard.
Because Cuba was invited to this forum, do you think that this kind of activity we just saw is the best way to carry out an agenda? Can we expect more of these events, which reminds many acts of repudiation?
This has nothing to do with an act of repudiation, I say, do not know, to me has nothing to do with that, and here’s fans. Here are very intelligent people, much smarter … They have to be reborn mercenaries to reach the minimum of intelligence and decency is in that Cuban delegation. There are fanatics, nor are screaming: cry because they feel offended.
But when people talk not necessarily have to scream …
No, we come prepared to talk, but to dialogue with other social movements, to bring recommendations to the presidents but we bring these people here and even enroll in priority to us, there is a tremendous offense.
Do you see any chance that Raul and Obama meet?
I think it is speculation, I have no idea what the agenda of the Summit. I dunno. It is a complex and based on the principles long process [negotiations with the US] that have reiterated, are not negotiable. Another issue, we support Venezuela. The fact that they come to Cuba and say, ‘let’s have diplomatic relations’ does not mean that the voice of Cuba is to silence. We do not accept interference, do not accept the imperial positions.They want to blow up our institutions and we will not admit it.
Marie Harf, State Department spokeswoman, said the secretary John Ferry Thursday night with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Panama City would meet.
BY CARLOS ALBERTO VARGAS / OHIGGINS ARCIA
Source: La Prensa
Translation: MillennialMonitor.com
Article: Presidentes Barack Obama y Raúl Castro, con el camino allanado
The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and U.S.
Barack Obama and Raul Castro – The paved road
PANAMA CITY, April 11 – The Summit in Panama was the venue for meetings, phone and handshakes between the leaders of Cuba and EU calls.
The road is paved for today, Saturday April 11, the meeting between Barack Obama, US President (EU), and Raul Castro, governor of Cuba, who last night staged a historic greeting at the opening is given VII Summit of the Americas.
The handshake of Obama and Castro forum presidents, who sealed the thaw between the two countries after half a century of conflict, was the prelude to the “historic meeting” that will sustain today both leaders on the last day of the Summit.
Although not confirmed the place and time of the appointment, sources Palacio de las Garzas was told that President Juan Carlos Varela would have offered the seat of the Presidency of the Republic of Panama for the expected meeting.
Reactions to Obama-Castro interaction were immediate. “It’s a handshake that fills us with hope,” for example, former President Martin Torrijos in Twitter.Greeting last night at the opening of the summit was not the first. In 2013, during the funeral of South African President Nelson Mandela, the two men shook hands.
Sometime after that brief encounter in South Africa, the unexpected happened: the December 17, 2014, Obama and Castro announced negotiations to restore diplomatic relations and open embassies in each nation. A fact which ends half a century of differences.
Gone is the Cold War.Since then, the two countries have been moving slowly, and the Summit in Panama has been the key stage one day before the appointment, and by the isthmus, the two leaders spoke by telephone.
While Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held a meeting on Thursday.The approaches are given after the US State Department to recommend that Obama withdraw Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism .
INCOGNITO
Raul Castro, considered one of the great characters of this new century, yesterday was not as active as their counterparts Obama, Evo Morales of Bolivia;and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.For example, Obama visited the Miraflores Locks and participated in forums of civil society and business;
Morales played football with indigenous and Panamanian trade unionists and Maduro was in the districts of El Chorrillo and San Felipe.
His arrival in Panama was a mystery. Long before the first day of the Summit, the Embassy of Cuba in Panama maintained complete secrecy about the agenda of the Caribbean president, who arrived in the country on Thursday, April 9 around 6:30 pm
Staying at the Plaza Paitilla hotel in the center of the capital. They accompany a significant number of members of the Cuban delegation. Many of them participated in forums parallel to the Summit civil society. This medium was learned that the Cuban delegation outside guests, who had separated a room at the hotel, were transferred to other nearby for “security reasons”.
Hardly anyone could have access to the place, unless it were part of the Caribbean delegation. In fact, in the area you could see dozens of police and security personnel of the Cuban government.
But last night, after they had issued the historic handshake, it was reported that the Cuban president, who took office in 2008, met privately with Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon , and the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue.
After these dates, at 7:02 pm, the Cuban president arrived in Atlapa for his second public appearance since arriving in Panama. Briefly greeted President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife, Lorena Castillo.
Then he reached his place on the premises and was coincidentally in the same row of his new friend Obama, though separated by the rulers of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren.It was the first time a Cuban leader took a chair at a Summit of the Americas, a fact which, in itself, Panama forum was an event for history.
Abel Prieto: ‘Cuba does not dialogue with puppets of the U.S.
PANAMA, April 9 – Parallel to the VII Summit of the Americas events have become a scene of clashes between opponents and independent Cuban activists and the official delegation of the island. Several Cuban exiles and dissidents were beaten in front of the Cuban embassy in Panama, others were acts of repudiation with chants of “pin, pon, outside, down the worms” at the entrance of the Forum of Civil Society and Social Actors.
The Panamanian government extended the invitation to all sectors of Cuban civil society in hopes of an unprecedented dialogue after the rapprochement between the US and Cuba. This was stated by the Vice President and Panamanian Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, who in an interview with CNN in Spanish called these incidents as “unfortunate”, he said his government would not allow them and called on all parties to “listen in the framework of respect “.
The Cuban delegation decided Wednesday to withdraw from the opening of the Forum of Civil Society stating flatly that “not share the same space of mercenaries and terrorists”. On Thursday, the delegation made similar allegations in a press conference, while activists Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of the deceased opponent Oswaldo Paya, and Lillian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan opposition Leopoldo López, were received with shouts and insults in the forum.
Wednesday after witnessing an act of harassment of two Cuban activists, the New Herald interviewed the writer Abel Prieto, former culture minister and current adviser of Raúl Castro, to know why they have declined this opportunity to discuss with government critics. Prieto chairs the official delegation of Cuban civil society to VII Summit of the Americas and was also present during the altercation. These are their answers, which also addressed the issue of normalizing relations with the United States.
Why Cuba withdrew from the Forum of Civil Society?
Cuba withdrew from the opening of respect for the Panamanian authorities, the President [Juan Carlos] Varela while Cuba reiterated his claim within the room there were many difficulties. There were very rare problems that passed the accreditation: 28 fellow who came from Cuba, who presented papers in good time, did not receive accreditation. There was no transparency in the way in which accreditation is worked by bureaucratic problems, or you do not really know if there can be bad intention. Do not want to judge, was not the Panamanian government who designed this forum, it was an NGO called human rights network, or something.
Now we will participate in this forum and we will redo the complaint. The thing to understand is that it’s crazy to think that the real representatives of a nation that has over 50 years suffering a blockade, harassment and hardship will come to talk with people shooting with [Luis] Posada Carriles.
Many wonder why, if the Cuban government sat down to negotiate with the United States, which is its historic enemy, can not sit down and negotiate with members of the opposition?
They are two different things. Dialogue with the US, which we consider it from the point of view of civil society and I think our people see the positive, [holds] on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of Cuba, respect for the international right. If you are having embassy diplomats can not meddle in the internal affairs of our country; Globally diplomats can not organize an opposition.
Cuban President Raul told the Summit of CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] in Costa Rica, the points that had to work to get to what can be called a normalization and is a long way. And the points are strong: they have to do, first, with lock; with that absurd, irrational and irresponsible countries sponsors of terrorism. Cuba is a victim of state terrorism, funded and promoted by the United States;Guantanamo and other places around.
It just made a round of talks on the issue of human rights, we have handled questions about US human rights. We divergences.
So you do not see a scenario where Cuba could accept the covenants of the UN and other things that the US government is asking?
It is not possible to be asked to Cuba to dialogue with these agencies puppets US special services. We can not legitimize the opposition absolutely fabricated, no weight, has no real connection to our society. It is people who have searched for a way of life.
Univision and The Washington Post just released a survey made in Cuba; interviewed 1,200 people. According to the survey, the Cuban opposition would have about 46 percent support and Barack Obama would have great popularity in Cuba, Raul Castro more.
But, is this a joke or a poll?
It is a survey and you can read in the Washington Post.
Well, if these are the results, that’s a joke. To me it sounds like a joke and not very well built. To me love jokes. I think they have to redo the survey.Must see who gave them the list, I imagine how I have done. Maybe he’s got these same people. Once a survey commissioned one of these people. They are also intellectually mediocre, very primitive people, morally worthless.They really could have selected their puppets in a more rigorous manner.
It is much talk of a new electoral law, there is much speculation about whether to allow multiparty or even greater plurality within the Communist Party. Do you see something like this happening?
No. Cuba is working very seriously on what we have called updating the economic model, which was a document that was discussed by all citizens.
He suffered many changes, it was enriched by the people, our democracy, that we do not think it is for export. We do not claim that the US adopt our electoral system. In the proclamation of the CELAC in Latin America as a peace zone, is also the idea of respecting the political system that each country has chosen.
US must respect the political system chosen by Cubans and that is the essential basis for any dialogue and so far, all the steps are as positive as possible and have to do with that respect.
US must understand that this region changed forever, is no longer your backyard.
Because Cuba was invited to this forum, do you think that this kind of activity we just saw is the best way to carry out an agenda? Can we expect more of these events, which reminds many acts of repudiation?
This has nothing to do with an act of repudiation, I say, do not know, to me has nothing to do with that, and here’s fans. Here are very intelligent people, much smarter … They have to be reborn mercenaries to reach the minimum of intelligence and decency is in that Cuban delegation. There are fanatics, nor are screaming: cry because they feel offended.
But when people talk not necessarily have to scream …
No, we come prepared to talk, but to dialogue with other social movements, to bring recommendations to the presidents but we bring these people here and even enroll in priority to us, there is a tremendous offense.
Do you see any chance that Raul and Obama meet?
I think it is speculation, I have no idea what the agenda of the Summit. I dunno. It is a complex and based on the principles long process [negotiations with the US] that have reiterated, are not negotiable. Another issue, we support Venezuela. The fact that they come to Cuba and say, ‘let’s have diplomatic relations’ does not mean that the voice of Cuba is to silence. We do not accept interference, do not accept the imperial positions.They want to blow up our institutions and we will not admit it.
Marie Harf, State Department spokeswoman, said the secretary John Ferry Thursday night with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Panama City would meet.