02Mar2011
* Rice output increasing in key province: official
* Castro reforms seen spurring rice production
* Private farming now producing most rice in Granma
By Marc Frank
BAYAMO, Cuba, March 2 (Reuters) - Cuba's most important
rice-producing province should more than double output this
year as new private farms and service cooperatives, improved
organization and higher local prices kick in, a senior
provincial official told Reuters on Tuesday.
President Raul Castro's cash-strapped government has
embarked on a program to cut food imports, and rice, which is a
Cuban staple -- and therefore a political matter -- is a top
priority.
The country's 11 million people consume a minimum of
700,000 tonnes of rice a year, one of the highest rates per
capita in the world.
Cuba imported 511,642 tonnes of rice in 2009 at a cost of
$238.5 million, most of it from Vietnam.
"Three years ago Granma produced approximately 17,000
tonnes of consumable rice, in 2010 we reached 27,000 tonnes and
in 2011 we should be at 62,000 tonnes," said Raul Lopez
Rodriguez, the province's vice president for economic affairs.
The eastern province was the site of a huge, state-owned
rice project under former President Fidel Castro, one of nine
in the country, but output rapidly declined with the demise of
the Soviet Union, once Cuba's top benefactor.
Castro's brother is revitalizing the projects, but under
agricultural reforms begun soon after he took over the
presidency in 2008.
The government has leased fallow state lands, raised prices
paid for rice and other produce, and decentralized decision
making, among other measures.
"Rice is now grown mainly by the non-state sector," Lopez
said.
"The state supplies resources, technological packets (seed,
fertilizer, etc.) under contract," he said, then buys 90
percent of what the farmers produce.
Agricultural services, such as mechanical harvesting, which
just a few years ago were monopolized by the state, are
increasingly being carried out by private agriculture service
cooperatives, he said. That is another Castro reform.
Lopez said higher prices paid for the rice allowed the most
efficient farmers to clear between 80,000 pesos and 100,000
pesos per year, the equivalent of up to $4,000, or 15 to 20
times Cubans' average annual income of 5,300 pesos ($238) per
year.
Arnaldo, who leased 33 acres of fallow land three years ago
in Yara, said he made around 40,000 pesos on each of the two
harvests in 2010, and expected similar results this year, using
mainly contracted services and labor.
"I bought the packet from the state and hired some workers
to help plant," he said. "They have offered me another 16 acres
and I think I'll take it."
Cuba's total rice production was 281,800 tonnes in 2009, up
50 percent over 2008.
But efforts to increase Cuba's rice production faltered
last year as output fell 12.2 percent to 247,000 tonnes.
Lopez attributed the decline to the growing pains of
Castro's reforms and a shortage of resources and water.
He said new equipment had arrived and the resources needed
this year were secured, though drying and shelling capacity
remained limited and the province was working on temporary
alternatives.
"We have an advantage over last year. Currently our water
resources are at 82 percent capacity and at this time last year
they were at 45 percent," he said.
(Editing by Jeff Franks and Walter Bagley)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Cuba Notes Practical Steps Not Taken by the Obama Administration
Following is the introductory section of Cuba's annual documentation of the impact of the unilateral US embargo in preparation for the scheduled UN debate. It cites numerous reforms that lie within the exclusive authority of the Executive which the Obama Administration has declined to initiate, in effect Cuba's commonsense road map for the US if it wishes to achieve a more normal relationship.
CHAPTER I. THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: CONTINUED POLICY OF THE ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA
On March 28, 2009, US Vice President Joseph Biden, in the framework of the Summit of Progressive Leaders in Chile, made a press statement that the government of that country would not lift the embargo on Cuba. On April 7th of the same year, Robert Wood, the State Department spokesperson declared at a press conference: “I think that we have been very clear that we do not consider this is the right time to lift the embargo”.
On April 19, 2009, David Axelrod, Obama’s advisor, replied in an interview on CBS-TV when asked if the White House had any thoughts about lifting the “embargo”: “...we are far from that”.
That same day, President Obama’s economic advisor Lawrence Summers declared on an NBC-TV interview when referring to the lifting of the embargo: “That is not something for tomorrow and it will depend on what Cuba is going to do, Cuba knows what it should be doing for some time now, and it depends on them in terms of their policies, their democratization and all the steps they might take (...) it is a topic that will be decided on the basis of Cuba’s conduct”.
It is evident then that the US government does not harbour any intention of producing a change in its policy towards Cuba, or of complying with the reiterated resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly that ask the government of that country to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. On the contrary, the US government continues holding on to inacceptable interfering conditions and demands as a condition for a change of policy towards Cuba.
Despite having considerable support in Congress, the press, public opinion and the business sector, that transcended any preceding consensus in American society regarding policy towards Cuba, something that would have allowed him to act with a high level of autonomy, President Obama has stayed well below the expectations created by his speech about the claims from different sectors in American society and the international community, as well as his prerogatives to change significant policy aspects, even without intervention from Congress.
By virtue of those prerogatives and if such political will for that were to exist, President Obama would have had sufficient authority to significantly make the embargo against Cuba more flexible. In that sense, and without the need for mediating congressional approval, the President would have been able to issue a broad range of permits to authorize the following measures:
* Substantially expand travel by Americans and foreigners residing in the US by a broad interpretation of the 12 categories for travel established by law (for example, expansion of educational travel, permits to participate in professional conferences, academic, scientific, student, cultural, sports, religious exchanges and authorization of humanitarian projects, just to name a few).
[These categories are: travel for official government business, foreign governments or international organizations; family travel; educational travel; religious; for public presentations, sports competitions and exhibitions; travel for activities in support of the Cuban people; for humanitarian projects; trips for private foundation, research institute or educational activities; travel for export, import or transmission of information or informative materials activities; and travel for activities relating to the export of agricultural products.]
* Eliminate limits on travel associated expenses such as accomodations, food and local transportation that Americans and Cubans residing in the US can make when they visit Cuba (Americans, including Cuban-Americans, after the amendment to the Budget Act for the 2009 fiscal year, cannot spend more than the limit set for travel expenses abroad for US government officials, today set at 179 USD per day).
* Eliminate the prohibition on use of credit and debit cards, personal cheques, travellers’ cheques, issued by both US and third country banks.
* Broaden the list of US airports authorized to operate charter flights to Cuba (at the present time, there are only three approved: Miami, New York and Los Angeles).
* Permit ferry service between the US and Cuba.
* Authorize all US travel agencies to organize trips to Cuba, or make the requisites and procedures in force more flexible so that travel agencies may obtain the necessary permits for this activity (today there are some 150 agencies authorized to do so, via specific licences).
* Authorize travelers visiting Cuba to buy Cuban products and take them to the US for personal use or as gifts, and eliminate the limit on their value (up to the present time they can only take information materials, including art objects).
* Eliminate the prohibition on Cuban companies to participate in the transportation of US visitors to and from Cuba, or Cuban visitors to and from the US.
* Permit certain bank relations, such as correspondent banks and the opening of accounts by Cuban entities in US banks to facilitate agricultural exports.
* Eliminate the prohibition that prevents vessels transporting agricultural products to Cuba from carrying goods in our country even though their destination may be a third country.
* Expand the list of products that may be exported to Cuba to include, for example, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, agricultural equipment and even wooden furniture and objects manufactured with materials having animal or vegetal origins.
* Permit broader forms of collaboration in the development, marketing and supply of medicines and biomedical products originating in Cuba.
* Authorize the importing of medicines and medical products of Cuban origin and the payments corresponding to the Cuban exporters.
* Authorize the export of medicines and medical equipmentbb that may be used in the manufacture of Cuban biotechnological products.
* Instruct US representatives in international financial institutions not to block the authorization of loans or other financial facilities to Cuba.
* Loosen up or eliminate the prohibition on using the dollar for Cuba’s international transactions.
* Permit foreign subsidiaries of US companies to carry out certain transactions with Cuba, such as financial services, insurance, services and investments (The Torricelli Act prohibits commerce in goods but not the mentioned transactions).
* Lift the two prohibitions established in the Torricelli Act regarding vessels: the one forbidding entry to US ports for 180 days by vessels from third countries that have carried goods to Cuba; and the one making it impossible for vessels carrying goods or passengers to or from Cuba to enter US ports (the Torricelli Act and regulations for its implementation authorize the president to issue licenses for that).
*Exclude Cuba from the list of states sponsoring international terrorism. This list was first published in 1982 under the Reagan administration and has remained in effect until today. It involves the application of certain sanctions.
[Among the sanctions being applied to a State sponsoring terrorism, according to the list drawn up by the US, are: the prohibition on financial transactions without a permit, the prohibition on financial and direct technical aid by the US government, the prohibition on exports of certain goods such as heavy industrial products, high tech equipment, and products having dual usage, the prohibition on transfer of munitions, and the prohibition on granting temporary visas to nationals of the country without special decision of the Secretary of State.]
http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/Informe2010/InformeIngles/1.html
CHAPTER I. THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: CONTINUED POLICY OF THE ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA
On March 28, 2009, US Vice President Joseph Biden, in the framework of the Summit of Progressive Leaders in Chile, made a press statement that the government of that country would not lift the embargo on Cuba. On April 7th of the same year, Robert Wood, the State Department spokesperson declared at a press conference: “I think that we have been very clear that we do not consider this is the right time to lift the embargo”.
On April 19, 2009, David Axelrod, Obama’s advisor, replied in an interview on CBS-TV when asked if the White House had any thoughts about lifting the “embargo”: “...we are far from that”.
That same day, President Obama’s economic advisor Lawrence Summers declared on an NBC-TV interview when referring to the lifting of the embargo: “That is not something for tomorrow and it will depend on what Cuba is going to do, Cuba knows what it should be doing for some time now, and it depends on them in terms of their policies, their democratization and all the steps they might take (...) it is a topic that will be decided on the basis of Cuba’s conduct”.
It is evident then that the US government does not harbour any intention of producing a change in its policy towards Cuba, or of complying with the reiterated resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly that ask the government of that country to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. On the contrary, the US government continues holding on to inacceptable interfering conditions and demands as a condition for a change of policy towards Cuba.
Despite having considerable support in Congress, the press, public opinion and the business sector, that transcended any preceding consensus in American society regarding policy towards Cuba, something that would have allowed him to act with a high level of autonomy, President Obama has stayed well below the expectations created by his speech about the claims from different sectors in American society and the international community, as well as his prerogatives to change significant policy aspects, even without intervention from Congress.
By virtue of those prerogatives and if such political will for that were to exist, President Obama would have had sufficient authority to significantly make the embargo against Cuba more flexible. In that sense, and without the need for mediating congressional approval, the President would have been able to issue a broad range of permits to authorize the following measures:
* Substantially expand travel by Americans and foreigners residing in the US by a broad interpretation of the 12 categories for travel established by law (for example, expansion of educational travel, permits to participate in professional conferences, academic, scientific, student, cultural, sports, religious exchanges and authorization of humanitarian projects, just to name a few).
[These categories are: travel for official government business, foreign governments or international organizations; family travel; educational travel; religious; for public presentations, sports competitions and exhibitions; travel for activities in support of the Cuban people; for humanitarian projects; trips for private foundation, research institute or educational activities; travel for export, import or transmission of information or informative materials activities; and travel for activities relating to the export of agricultural products.]
* Eliminate limits on travel associated expenses such as accomodations, food and local transportation that Americans and Cubans residing in the US can make when they visit Cuba (Americans, including Cuban-Americans, after the amendment to the Budget Act for the 2009 fiscal year, cannot spend more than the limit set for travel expenses abroad for US government officials, today set at 179 USD per day).
* Eliminate the prohibition on use of credit and debit cards, personal cheques, travellers’ cheques, issued by both US and third country banks.
* Broaden the list of US airports authorized to operate charter flights to Cuba (at the present time, there are only three approved: Miami, New York and Los Angeles).
* Permit ferry service between the US and Cuba.
* Authorize all US travel agencies to organize trips to Cuba, or make the requisites and procedures in force more flexible so that travel agencies may obtain the necessary permits for this activity (today there are some 150 agencies authorized to do so, via specific licences).
* Authorize travelers visiting Cuba to buy Cuban products and take them to the US for personal use or as gifts, and eliminate the limit on their value (up to the present time they can only take information materials, including art objects).
* Eliminate the prohibition on Cuban companies to participate in the transportation of US visitors to and from Cuba, or Cuban visitors to and from the US.
* Permit certain bank relations, such as correspondent banks and the opening of accounts by Cuban entities in US banks to facilitate agricultural exports.
* Eliminate the prohibition that prevents vessels transporting agricultural products to Cuba from carrying goods in our country even though their destination may be a third country.
* Expand the list of products that may be exported to Cuba to include, for example, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, agricultural equipment and even wooden furniture and objects manufactured with materials having animal or vegetal origins.
* Permit broader forms of collaboration in the development, marketing and supply of medicines and biomedical products originating in Cuba.
* Authorize the importing of medicines and medical products of Cuban origin and the payments corresponding to the Cuban exporters.
* Authorize the export of medicines and medical equipmentbb that may be used in the manufacture of Cuban biotechnological products.
* Instruct US representatives in international financial institutions not to block the authorization of loans or other financial facilities to Cuba.
* Loosen up or eliminate the prohibition on using the dollar for Cuba’s international transactions.
* Permit foreign subsidiaries of US companies to carry out certain transactions with Cuba, such as financial services, insurance, services and investments (The Torricelli Act prohibits commerce in goods but not the mentioned transactions).
* Lift the two prohibitions established in the Torricelli Act regarding vessels: the one forbidding entry to US ports for 180 days by vessels from third countries that have carried goods to Cuba; and the one making it impossible for vessels carrying goods or passengers to or from Cuba to enter US ports (the Torricelli Act and regulations for its implementation authorize the president to issue licenses for that).
*Exclude Cuba from the list of states sponsoring international terrorism. This list was first published in 1982 under the Reagan administration and has remained in effect until today. It involves the application of certain sanctions.
[Among the sanctions being applied to a State sponsoring terrorism, according to the list drawn up by the US, are: the prohibition on financial transactions without a permit, the prohibition on financial and direct technical aid by the US government, the prohibition on exports of certain goods such as heavy industrial products, high tech equipment, and products having dual usage, the prohibition on transfer of munitions, and the prohibition on granting temporary visas to nationals of the country without special decision of the Secretary of State.]
http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/Informe2010/InformeIngles/1.html
Friday, September 3, 2010
Interview with Esteban Morales
Interview with Political Scientist and Internationalist Esteban Morales
Red Alert against Corruption
“I am one of those who think that sometimes it is healthier for us to recognize our shortcomings ourselves than for the enemy to throw them back in our face, or save them up against us, which is worse,” asserted Cuban political scientist and academician Esteban Morales during an interview with the International Press Service (IPS), reproduced by Cubanow. http://www.cubanow.cult.cu/pages/articulo.php?sec=40&t=2&item=8662
Patricia Grogg
“I still view corruption as an extraordinary danger to the country, since its “corrosive power” makes it a matter of “national security,” emphasized Esteban Morales, who was expelled from the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) after making his warnings public.
Morales appealed to the PCC, an option he’s entitled to according to the statutes of that Party, which is the only political party recognised in Cuba.
“A commission has to analyse the appeal and make a decision. If I am not satisfied with the answer, I can take the case as far as the Party Congress. I will continue to appeal, because I think I have reasons to do so,” he told the IPS news agency.
Meanwhile, he remains very active as an academic and researcher, although he will retire in September from the teaching staff at the Center for Hemispheric Studies on the United States (CEHSEU) of the University of Havana, which he helped found and to which he has devoted a large part of his professional life.
“I'm retiring at 68. I'll have more time and more freedom for my academic and research works,” added this doctor of Science and Economics and an expert on Cuba-U.S. relations, as well as the author of essays, books and numerous articles on the no less delicate issue of racism in his country.
IPS: After your separation from the PCC was made public, you preferred to avoid contact with the press, especially the accredited foreign press. What made you change your mind and agree to this interview?
EM: I think that clearing up certain points is healthy. Some people have said I was a privileged person, a state security (secret service) agent, and now I want to say these things. They will never find my privileges, because I have none. As for being a security agent, if I were, I would be proud of it, because in Cuba that is an honor.
My curriculum vitae speaks for me. I am a true academic, not an invented one. I have written dozens of works, not always on straightforward subjects, as well as doing a lot of teaching, lecturing at conferences and acting as an academic adviser. If anyone has any doubts, they only need to enter my name into Google.
Others have taken delight in the idea that I might change sides and go over to the 'dissidents.' Perhaps the counter-revolution, lacking as it is in leadership, thought that I would fill that gap for them. People who really know me know that that's impossible, and that I'm a firmly committed revolutionary. Furthermore, I have never had any pretensions to leadership or sought to be center stage.
IPS: Have you never wavered in your political convictions?
EM: No, never. Even the sun has its spots; different appraisals are always possible. I may have given room for wrong interpretations, although the spirit of my texts is clear and anyone can see they were written from a revolutionary stance.
I was a revolutionary before I was a party member, and I will continue to be one. It’s a political affiliation I decided over 50 years ago, my free choice. I have never liked to play the lying game.
I am not paralysed by what has happened. I will simply be much more careful when expressing myself and writing, but I won't stop doing it, as an intellectual who the Revolution has trained to warn with honesty about things that can damage us, and that is what I have always done. These are the risks one has to take.
IPS: Doesn't the fact that you were punished after publicly expressing your views on corruption and the risks it poses for the country's political and social stability contradict President Raúl Castro himself, who on August 1st said that unity 'is nurtured and harvested within the broadest possible socialist democracy and in open discussion of every issue, however sensitive, with the people'?
EM: I believe debate and criticism are encouraged by Raúl and the party leadership. But there may be circumstances in which someone at some level does not quite agree.
I would say that the process of exercising a critical approach is much more complex than the mere decision to do so. It has to do with the structures, with individuals and the different ways in which some people understand things sometimes. Or perhaps part of what I said could have been said in a different way. There's a big gap between intentions and the way they are put into practice.
IPS: What do you think is most worrying about corruption?
EM: Its corrosive effect from the moral point of view. When morality and ethics are affected, the prestige of our political system is undermined and everything goes downhill. That's why I agree with those who say corruption is a national security problem.
However, it won't be solved just through more inspections and paperwork, but by being very much on the alert and continuously creating mechanisms to prevent it, so that people who handle money and resources are constantly brought to book. Our country's assets really do belong to the people, it's not just talk.
IPS: You are very well known for your writings on the United States, its relations with Cuba, and racism. What prompted you to write about corruption, an issue that, according to some government sectors, encourages “campaigns to discredit” the country if ventilated in public?
EM: I wrote those articles because I believe these are the dangers we are facing now. I have a motto: amid the situation we have lived all these years, I think that whoever wants to be a revolutionary has to wage his own war, fight his own battles and run whatever risks there are. Otherwise, he should just stay home, under the bed.
The claim that the enemy will take advantage of things does not immobilize me either, because it isn't the enemy that is going to solve the problem for us, quite the opposite. I am one of those who think that sometimes it is healthier for us to recognize our shortcomings ourselves than for the enemy to throw them back in our face, or save them up against us, which is worse.
IPS: Whom are you referring to when you say 'enemy'?
EM: We cannot close our eyes to the fact that, since the late 1980s, the focus of the U.S. policy towards Cuba has changed. Nowadays, everything that is happening internally on the island is being observed and monitored by US politicians and especially by the US special services.
It is in this context that I view the problem of corruption, which I still see as an extraordinary danger.
Translated by Brenda Sheehan
Red Alert against Corruption
“I am one of those who think that sometimes it is healthier for us to recognize our shortcomings ourselves than for the enemy to throw them back in our face, or save them up against us, which is worse,” asserted Cuban political scientist and academician Esteban Morales during an interview with the International Press Service (IPS), reproduced by Cubanow. http://www.cubanow.cult.cu/pages/articulo.php?sec=40&t=2&item=8662
Patricia Grogg
“I still view corruption as an extraordinary danger to the country, since its “corrosive power” makes it a matter of “national security,” emphasized Esteban Morales, who was expelled from the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) after making his warnings public.
Morales appealed to the PCC, an option he’s entitled to according to the statutes of that Party, which is the only political party recognised in Cuba.
“A commission has to analyse the appeal and make a decision. If I am not satisfied with the answer, I can take the case as far as the Party Congress. I will continue to appeal, because I think I have reasons to do so,” he told the IPS news agency.
Meanwhile, he remains very active as an academic and researcher, although he will retire in September from the teaching staff at the Center for Hemispheric Studies on the United States (CEHSEU) of the University of Havana, which he helped found and to which he has devoted a large part of his professional life.
“I'm retiring at 68. I'll have more time and more freedom for my academic and research works,” added this doctor of Science and Economics and an expert on Cuba-U.S. relations, as well as the author of essays, books and numerous articles on the no less delicate issue of racism in his country.
IPS: After your separation from the PCC was made public, you preferred to avoid contact with the press, especially the accredited foreign press. What made you change your mind and agree to this interview?
EM: I think that clearing up certain points is healthy. Some people have said I was a privileged person, a state security (secret service) agent, and now I want to say these things. They will never find my privileges, because I have none. As for being a security agent, if I were, I would be proud of it, because in Cuba that is an honor.
My curriculum vitae speaks for me. I am a true academic, not an invented one. I have written dozens of works, not always on straightforward subjects, as well as doing a lot of teaching, lecturing at conferences and acting as an academic adviser. If anyone has any doubts, they only need to enter my name into Google.
Others have taken delight in the idea that I might change sides and go over to the 'dissidents.' Perhaps the counter-revolution, lacking as it is in leadership, thought that I would fill that gap for them. People who really know me know that that's impossible, and that I'm a firmly committed revolutionary. Furthermore, I have never had any pretensions to leadership or sought to be center stage.
IPS: Have you never wavered in your political convictions?
EM: No, never. Even the sun has its spots; different appraisals are always possible. I may have given room for wrong interpretations, although the spirit of my texts is clear and anyone can see they were written from a revolutionary stance.
I was a revolutionary before I was a party member, and I will continue to be one. It’s a political affiliation I decided over 50 years ago, my free choice. I have never liked to play the lying game.
I am not paralysed by what has happened. I will simply be much more careful when expressing myself and writing, but I won't stop doing it, as an intellectual who the Revolution has trained to warn with honesty about things that can damage us, and that is what I have always done. These are the risks one has to take.
IPS: Doesn't the fact that you were punished after publicly expressing your views on corruption and the risks it poses for the country's political and social stability contradict President Raúl Castro himself, who on August 1st said that unity 'is nurtured and harvested within the broadest possible socialist democracy and in open discussion of every issue, however sensitive, with the people'?
EM: I believe debate and criticism are encouraged by Raúl and the party leadership. But there may be circumstances in which someone at some level does not quite agree.
I would say that the process of exercising a critical approach is much more complex than the mere decision to do so. It has to do with the structures, with individuals and the different ways in which some people understand things sometimes. Or perhaps part of what I said could have been said in a different way. There's a big gap between intentions and the way they are put into practice.
IPS: What do you think is most worrying about corruption?
EM: Its corrosive effect from the moral point of view. When morality and ethics are affected, the prestige of our political system is undermined and everything goes downhill. That's why I agree with those who say corruption is a national security problem.
However, it won't be solved just through more inspections and paperwork, but by being very much on the alert and continuously creating mechanisms to prevent it, so that people who handle money and resources are constantly brought to book. Our country's assets really do belong to the people, it's not just talk.
IPS: You are very well known for your writings on the United States, its relations with Cuba, and racism. What prompted you to write about corruption, an issue that, according to some government sectors, encourages “campaigns to discredit” the country if ventilated in public?
EM: I wrote those articles because I believe these are the dangers we are facing now. I have a motto: amid the situation we have lived all these years, I think that whoever wants to be a revolutionary has to wage his own war, fight his own battles and run whatever risks there are. Otherwise, he should just stay home, under the bed.
The claim that the enemy will take advantage of things does not immobilize me either, because it isn't the enemy that is going to solve the problem for us, quite the opposite. I am one of those who think that sometimes it is healthier for us to recognize our shortcomings ourselves than for the enemy to throw them back in our face, or save them up against us, which is worse.
IPS: Whom are you referring to when you say 'enemy'?
EM: We cannot close our eyes to the fact that, since the late 1980s, the focus of the U.S. policy towards Cuba has changed. Nowadays, everything that is happening internally on the island is being observed and monitored by US politicians and especially by the US special services.
It is in this context that I view the problem of corruption, which I still see as an extraordinary danger.
Translated by Brenda Sheehan
Monday, August 23, 2010
Catholic Church Addresses Dissident Complaints
Church in Cuba responds to open letter from dissidents
Havana, Cuba, Aug 23, 2010 / 10:11 am (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Havana issued a press release on August 20 in response to an open letter recently sent to Pope Benedict XVI by a group of Cuban dissidents. The archdiocese said its statement was in response to the uproar among Catholics concerning the letter, “which contains offensive content toward the Church in Cuba.”
The letter
The open letter from the dissidents was signed by 165 people, many of whom are Catholic and have been involved in the Varela Project. Many are also family members of the prisoners who “desperately want” the regime to disappear.
The dissidents stated that they are not in agreement with “the position the Cuban Church hierarchy has taken in its intervention in support of political prisoners,” which they call “unfortunate and embarrassing.” They believe that if the bishops had offered the “right mediation,” they would have listened to “the complaints of both sides” and would have reconciled them.
“However,” they continued, “the solution of exile, accepted by those who have been unjustly imprisoned for seven years only because of their ideas, only benefits the dictatorship,” as this “exodus” prevents them from continuing in their struggle for democracy in Cuba.
The response from the archdiocese
The press release from the Archdiocese of Havana pointed out that when the Church “accepted the mission of mediating between the family members of the prisoners ... and Cuban officials, it knew that this mediation could be interpreted in different ways, provoking various reactions: from insults to defamation, to acceptance and even gratitude. Remaining inactive was not a valid option for the Church because of her pastoral mission,” the statement said.
The archdiocese also noted that “the Church’s actions supporting respect for the dignity of all Cubans and for social harmony in Cuba has been ongoing for 20 years” and “has never and will never be based on political tendencies, whether of the government or of the opposition, but rather on her pastoral mission.”
The statement also indicated that “the Church in Cuba will not divert her attention from that which motivated her to act in this process: the humanitarian complaint from families who have suffered from the incarceration of one or more of their members.”
Demonstrating the Pope's awareness of the situation, the archdiocese quoted Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, who recently remarked that the crucial role assumed in the Cuban dialogue process by Cardinal Jaime Ortega and by Archbishop Dionisio Garcia, the president of the bishops’ conference, was possible because of the evident fact that the Catholic Church is profoundly rooted in the nation's people and is interpreted in the light of their spirit and their expectations.
The statement continued citing Fr. Lombardi, who said that the Church in Cuba “is not a strange reality, she does not escape in difficult times. She bears the sufferings and brings hope, with dignity and patience, ... but without trying to increase tensions or exacerbate feelings.”
She does this, he added, “with the constant commitment to opening paths to understanding and dialogue.”
The archdiocese concluded its statement again quoting Fr. Lombardi, who said the Holy See “supports the local Church with its spiritual solidarity and international authority,” and that “the Holy See has always declared itself against the embargo, and thus is united with the people in their suffering.”
The spokesman then spoke of the Church's willingness “to support any perspective on constructive dialogue ... with patience, important progress has been made in this direction. We all want it to continue.”
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/church-in-cuba-responds-to-open-letter-from-dissidents/
Havana, Cuba, Aug 23, 2010 / 10:11 am (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Havana issued a press release on August 20 in response to an open letter recently sent to Pope Benedict XVI by a group of Cuban dissidents. The archdiocese said its statement was in response to the uproar among Catholics concerning the letter, “which contains offensive content toward the Church in Cuba.”
The letter
The open letter from the dissidents was signed by 165 people, many of whom are Catholic and have been involved in the Varela Project. Many are also family members of the prisoners who “desperately want” the regime to disappear.
The dissidents stated that they are not in agreement with “the position the Cuban Church hierarchy has taken in its intervention in support of political prisoners,” which they call “unfortunate and embarrassing.” They believe that if the bishops had offered the “right mediation,” they would have listened to “the complaints of both sides” and would have reconciled them.
“However,” they continued, “the solution of exile, accepted by those who have been unjustly imprisoned for seven years only because of their ideas, only benefits the dictatorship,” as this “exodus” prevents them from continuing in their struggle for democracy in Cuba.
The response from the archdiocese
The press release from the Archdiocese of Havana pointed out that when the Church “accepted the mission of mediating between the family members of the prisoners ... and Cuban officials, it knew that this mediation could be interpreted in different ways, provoking various reactions: from insults to defamation, to acceptance and even gratitude. Remaining inactive was not a valid option for the Church because of her pastoral mission,” the statement said.
The archdiocese also noted that “the Church’s actions supporting respect for the dignity of all Cubans and for social harmony in Cuba has been ongoing for 20 years” and “has never and will never be based on political tendencies, whether of the government or of the opposition, but rather on her pastoral mission.”
The statement also indicated that “the Church in Cuba will not divert her attention from that which motivated her to act in this process: the humanitarian complaint from families who have suffered from the incarceration of one or more of their members.”
Demonstrating the Pope's awareness of the situation, the archdiocese quoted Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, who recently remarked that the crucial role assumed in the Cuban dialogue process by Cardinal Jaime Ortega and by Archbishop Dionisio Garcia, the president of the bishops’ conference, was possible because of the evident fact that the Catholic Church is profoundly rooted in the nation's people and is interpreted in the light of their spirit and their expectations.
The statement continued citing Fr. Lombardi, who said that the Church in Cuba “is not a strange reality, she does not escape in difficult times. She bears the sufferings and brings hope, with dignity and patience, ... but without trying to increase tensions or exacerbate feelings.”
She does this, he added, “with the constant commitment to opening paths to understanding and dialogue.”
The archdiocese concluded its statement again quoting Fr. Lombardi, who said the Holy See “supports the local Church with its spiritual solidarity and international authority,” and that “the Holy See has always declared itself against the embargo, and thus is united with the people in their suffering.”
The spokesman then spoke of the Church's willingness “to support any perspective on constructive dialogue ... with patience, important progress has been made in this direction. We all want it to continue.”
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/church-in-cuba-responds-to-open-letter-from-dissidents/
Monday, August 9, 2010
Cardinal Ortega's Washington Speech and Interview
Cardinal Ortega of Havana, Cuba Receives Knights Highest Award
* By Randy Sly
* 8/6/2010
* Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
The Knights of Columbus Presented its Gaudium et Spes Award to Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino
During the States Dinner, Tuesday evening, of the Knights 128th Supreme Convention, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson presented the order's highest award, the Gaudium et Spes Award, to Cardinal Ortega of Havana for his tireless witness to the Gospel and his persistent defense of religious freedom.
Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori and Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson congratulate Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuba, Gaudium et Spes Award honoree.
WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - At the States Dinner, Tuesday evening, for the Knights of Columbus 128th Supreme Convention, the order awarded its eighth Gaudium et Spes Award to Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuba.
Cardinal Ortega, 74, was born in Jaguey Grande, Matanzas, Cuba. After studying at seminaries both in Cuba and Quebec, Canada, he was ordained a priest in 1964. Like many of his fellow-priests, he was arrested and spent a period of time in prison for his faith.
He was appointed as the Bishop of Pinar del Rio and received episcopal consecration in 1979. Appointed Archbishop of Havana, in 1981, he was named to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1994.
The citation read at the dinner stated, "For nearly 30 years as archbishop, our honoree has guided the Cuban Church through often rough waters. But in January 1998, a new era of hope dawned when he welcomed Pope John Paul II to his country. During that apostolic visit, Pope John Paul II asked for Cuba to open itself to the world and for the world to become more open to Cuba, as he underscored the central place that the Catholic faith has played in the lives of the Cuban people."
In his acceptance speech, Cardinal Ortega said it was "a duty to publicly say special words of gratitude for the services rendered by the Knights of Columbus in favor of our Church in Cuba. You, dear Knights of Columbus, have actualized the motto of this year's convention, I am My Brother's Keeper.
"Regardless of the distance and the differences in our social or political systems, you have been brothers to the Cuban Catholics and have shown us your solidarity."
Reflecting on the fact that the Knights of Columbus founded its first Cuban council in 1909, the Cardinal brought an optimistic report concerning the current work among the laity.
"I must say that the laymen of Havana are already organizing groups of men who wish to join the Knights of Columbus in the various parishes. I now convey to you an entreaty on their behalf and a very especial invitation from the Archbishop.
"I can assure you that nowadays the situation is more favorable for the action of charity services characteristic of the Knights of Columbus in the Cuban Church.
"Plenty of social works for the elderly people, for disabled children, parochial workshops to help those with learning difficulties, for youngsters and adults who wish to learn humanities or the Church Social Doctrine, etc., are some of the possibilities for a social presence of the Church in Cuba, which is exceeded by these efforts also carried out by numerous Mission Houses that gather communities of 60, 70 or even 100 people in family homes.
"Many times, these communities are looked after by catechist laymen who prepare the faithful to evolve from evangelized communities to Eucharistic communities. In my Archdiocese several of these communities have turned into parishes. Now we must build parish churches. We have already achieved some permits to build them, but our Church is poor and needs help."
Cardinal Ortega also indicated a new level of cooperation desired by the Cuban government with the Church.
"Lately, the Cuban government, responding to our request, has asked us to mediate between the political prisoners' relatives and the government authorities in order to know their proposals. In this way a process began, which has led to the recent announcement that fifty-two convicts, considered prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, will be released in a period of three to four months. More than twenty of these prisoners have already traveled to Spain.
"These discussions conducted by the Church have been unprecedented, and they bring about a new situation of social appreciation for our Catholics. We hope that this process of dialogue, in which we are immerged now, ends successfully. We ask you to pray for this cause and for our Church in Cuba."
According to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Headquarters, the Gaudium et Spes ("Joy and Hope") Award was named for the landmark 1965 document that was released as part of Second Vatican Council. It is the highest honor bestowed by order and is awarded only in special circumstances to individuals of exceptional merit. The award recognizes them for exemplary contributions to the realization of the message of faith and service in the spirit of Christ. The Award comes with an honorarium of $100,000.
First given in 1992, when the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta was named as the recipient, the award has only been given eight times. Others who have been honored include Cardinal John O'Connor, former Archbishop of New York; the late Cardinal James Hickey, former Archbishop of Washington DC; Cardinal William Baum, former Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Major Penitentiary of the Vatican; and Archbishop Michael Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
-----
Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=37720
***************************
Prisoner releases, ongoing talks with Castro give Cuban cardinal hope
Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana speaks in an interview with Catholic News Service. He was in Washington to attend the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention. (
By Patricia Zapor
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The release of the first 20 of 52 political prisoners the Cuban government has promised to set free is a hopeful sign for the country, said Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino.
While the government's release of prisoners certainly is popular in Cuba, where dissatisfaction with the economy and other issues has been growing, Cardinal Ortega told Catholic News Service Aug. 2 that the main benefit to the Castro government has been improved foreign relations. Cuba's treatment of political opponents has long been a key element in the nearly 50-year U.S. economic embargo of the nation.
"In the internal life of Cuba, this is not very important," Cardinal Ortega said. "But for foreign relations, it's very important."
Cardinal Ortega was in Washington to accept the "Gaudium et Spes" Award from the Knights of Columbus. It is the fraternal organization's highest honor.
The cardinal said Cubans have been especially grateful to the Catholic Church for its role in the prisoner releases. He said that as he went out to buy something for his trip to the U.S., "many, many people stopped me on the street, saying 'thank you, Cardinal.'"
He said before he and the president of the Cuban bishops; conference, Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of Santiago met with President Raul Castro in May, tensions in Havana were threatening to become as volatile as they were around the 1980 Mariel boatlift. Then, at a time of economic downturn, the government opened the port of Mariel to all who wanted to leave Cuba, and boats from the United States quickly arrived to help them. About 125,000 Cubans ultimately resettled in the United States as a result of the Mariel releases.
Cardinal Ortega explained that he asked to meet with Castro amid a crackdown this spring on weekly silent marches by wives and mothers of political prisoners, known as the Ladies in White, who want freedom for their relatives. The usually quiet marches that begin after Sunday Mass were met by counter-protesters -- allegedly brought in by the government -- who shouted and blocked the women, harassing the group for hours.
"It was beginning to look like the time of Mariel," said Cardinal Ortega. "It was causing instability."
After several weeks of this, Cardinal Ortega said, he wrote to Castro. The letter went out on a Monday and by Thursday, he had been contacted by a government official, seeking to arrange a meeting with the Ladies in White. At that meeting, the women asked for relatives who were imprisoned far from their homes to be moved closer to their families and for the release of those who were in poor health. Those requests soon were being met, and the counter-protesters stopped harassing the women on the weekly marches.
"After that first meeting, we began a conversation (with the government)" said Cardinal Ortega.
After a follow-up meeting with Castro in July, the cardinal announced that Castro had promised to release a group of prisoners who had been held since a 2003 crackdown on political opposition.
Cardinal Ortega said he met with diplomats at the U.S. Interests Section, which serves in place of an embassy for some government functions. He said he was told the prisoners could not come immediately to the United States. The U.S. "wanted to take a low profile," he said, adding that the diplomats told him requests for political asylum would have to be processed individually.
In the meantime, the Spanish government agreed to allow the ex-prisoners to go to Spain, though nearly all would prefer to resettle in the United States, where they have relatives, the cardinal said. Some have said they would refuse to be sent out of the country, and it remained unclear whether that would affect their release. Cardinal Ortega added that he expected the remainder of the 52 to be released in the next couple of months.
He said the Cuban people's biggest current frustration is the weak economy. Castro announced some economic changes in a July 31 speech opening the biannual session of Parliament, including scaling back controls on small businesses, allowing more self-employment and laying off unnecessary government workers.
The cardinal said he had not read Castro's speech yet, but that he found the announcement encouraging.
Beyond their economic struggles, the cardinal said a high priority for most Cubans is that they have better means of communicating within the country and beyond. While people are allowed to use the Internet, for example, it's quite costly and runs poorly because of inadequate infrastructure, he said.
"To communicate easily with their relatives and to be able to go to the U.S. for visits and then return to Cuba," that's what people want, the cardinal said.
* By Randy Sly
* 8/6/2010
* Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
The Knights of Columbus Presented its Gaudium et Spes Award to Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino
During the States Dinner, Tuesday evening, of the Knights 128th Supreme Convention, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson presented the order's highest award, the Gaudium et Spes Award, to Cardinal Ortega of Havana for his tireless witness to the Gospel and his persistent defense of religious freedom.
Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori and Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson congratulate Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuba, Gaudium et Spes Award honoree.
WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - At the States Dinner, Tuesday evening, for the Knights of Columbus 128th Supreme Convention, the order awarded its eighth Gaudium et Spes Award to Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuba.
Cardinal Ortega, 74, was born in Jaguey Grande, Matanzas, Cuba. After studying at seminaries both in Cuba and Quebec, Canada, he was ordained a priest in 1964. Like many of his fellow-priests, he was arrested and spent a period of time in prison for his faith.
He was appointed as the Bishop of Pinar del Rio and received episcopal consecration in 1979. Appointed Archbishop of Havana, in 1981, he was named to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1994.
The citation read at the dinner stated, "For nearly 30 years as archbishop, our honoree has guided the Cuban Church through often rough waters. But in January 1998, a new era of hope dawned when he welcomed Pope John Paul II to his country. During that apostolic visit, Pope John Paul II asked for Cuba to open itself to the world and for the world to become more open to Cuba, as he underscored the central place that the Catholic faith has played in the lives of the Cuban people."
In his acceptance speech, Cardinal Ortega said it was "a duty to publicly say special words of gratitude for the services rendered by the Knights of Columbus in favor of our Church in Cuba. You, dear Knights of Columbus, have actualized the motto of this year's convention, I am My Brother's Keeper.
"Regardless of the distance and the differences in our social or political systems, you have been brothers to the Cuban Catholics and have shown us your solidarity."
Reflecting on the fact that the Knights of Columbus founded its first Cuban council in 1909, the Cardinal brought an optimistic report concerning the current work among the laity.
"I must say that the laymen of Havana are already organizing groups of men who wish to join the Knights of Columbus in the various parishes. I now convey to you an entreaty on their behalf and a very especial invitation from the Archbishop.
"I can assure you that nowadays the situation is more favorable for the action of charity services characteristic of the Knights of Columbus in the Cuban Church.
"Plenty of social works for the elderly people, for disabled children, parochial workshops to help those with learning difficulties, for youngsters and adults who wish to learn humanities or the Church Social Doctrine, etc., are some of the possibilities for a social presence of the Church in Cuba, which is exceeded by these efforts also carried out by numerous Mission Houses that gather communities of 60, 70 or even 100 people in family homes.
"Many times, these communities are looked after by catechist laymen who prepare the faithful to evolve from evangelized communities to Eucharistic communities. In my Archdiocese several of these communities have turned into parishes. Now we must build parish churches. We have already achieved some permits to build them, but our Church is poor and needs help."
Cardinal Ortega also indicated a new level of cooperation desired by the Cuban government with the Church.
"Lately, the Cuban government, responding to our request, has asked us to mediate between the political prisoners' relatives and the government authorities in order to know their proposals. In this way a process began, which has led to the recent announcement that fifty-two convicts, considered prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, will be released in a period of three to four months. More than twenty of these prisoners have already traveled to Spain.
"These discussions conducted by the Church have been unprecedented, and they bring about a new situation of social appreciation for our Catholics. We hope that this process of dialogue, in which we are immerged now, ends successfully. We ask you to pray for this cause and for our Church in Cuba."
According to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Headquarters, the Gaudium et Spes ("Joy and Hope") Award was named for the landmark 1965 document that was released as part of Second Vatican Council. It is the highest honor bestowed by order and is awarded only in special circumstances to individuals of exceptional merit. The award recognizes them for exemplary contributions to the realization of the message of faith and service in the spirit of Christ. The Award comes with an honorarium of $100,000.
First given in 1992, when the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta was named as the recipient, the award has only been given eight times. Others who have been honored include Cardinal John O'Connor, former Archbishop of New York; the late Cardinal James Hickey, former Archbishop of Washington DC; Cardinal William Baum, former Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Major Penitentiary of the Vatican; and Archbishop Michael Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
-----
Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=37720
***************************
Prisoner releases, ongoing talks with Castro give Cuban cardinal hope
Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana speaks in an interview with Catholic News Service. He was in Washington to attend the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention. (
By Patricia Zapor
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The release of the first 20 of 52 political prisoners the Cuban government has promised to set free is a hopeful sign for the country, said Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino.
While the government's release of prisoners certainly is popular in Cuba, where dissatisfaction with the economy and other issues has been growing, Cardinal Ortega told Catholic News Service Aug. 2 that the main benefit to the Castro government has been improved foreign relations. Cuba's treatment of political opponents has long been a key element in the nearly 50-year U.S. economic embargo of the nation.
"In the internal life of Cuba, this is not very important," Cardinal Ortega said. "But for foreign relations, it's very important."
Cardinal Ortega was in Washington to accept the "Gaudium et Spes" Award from the Knights of Columbus. It is the fraternal organization's highest honor.
The cardinal said Cubans have been especially grateful to the Catholic Church for its role in the prisoner releases. He said that as he went out to buy something for his trip to the U.S., "many, many people stopped me on the street, saying 'thank you, Cardinal.'"
He said before he and the president of the Cuban bishops; conference, Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of Santiago met with President Raul Castro in May, tensions in Havana were threatening to become as volatile as they were around the 1980 Mariel boatlift. Then, at a time of economic downturn, the government opened the port of Mariel to all who wanted to leave Cuba, and boats from the United States quickly arrived to help them. About 125,000 Cubans ultimately resettled in the United States as a result of the Mariel releases.
Cardinal Ortega explained that he asked to meet with Castro amid a crackdown this spring on weekly silent marches by wives and mothers of political prisoners, known as the Ladies in White, who want freedom for their relatives. The usually quiet marches that begin after Sunday Mass were met by counter-protesters -- allegedly brought in by the government -- who shouted and blocked the women, harassing the group for hours.
"It was beginning to look like the time of Mariel," said Cardinal Ortega. "It was causing instability."
After several weeks of this, Cardinal Ortega said, he wrote to Castro. The letter went out on a Monday and by Thursday, he had been contacted by a government official, seeking to arrange a meeting with the Ladies in White. At that meeting, the women asked for relatives who were imprisoned far from their homes to be moved closer to their families and for the release of those who were in poor health. Those requests soon were being met, and the counter-protesters stopped harassing the women on the weekly marches.
"After that first meeting, we began a conversation (with the government)" said Cardinal Ortega.
After a follow-up meeting with Castro in July, the cardinal announced that Castro had promised to release a group of prisoners who had been held since a 2003 crackdown on political opposition.
Cardinal Ortega said he met with diplomats at the U.S. Interests Section, which serves in place of an embassy for some government functions. He said he was told the prisoners could not come immediately to the United States. The U.S. "wanted to take a low profile," he said, adding that the diplomats told him requests for political asylum would have to be processed individually.
In the meantime, the Spanish government agreed to allow the ex-prisoners to go to Spain, though nearly all would prefer to resettle in the United States, where they have relatives, the cardinal said. Some have said they would refuse to be sent out of the country, and it remained unclear whether that would affect their release. Cardinal Ortega added that he expected the remainder of the 52 to be released in the next couple of months.
He said the Cuban people's biggest current frustration is the weak economy. Castro announced some economic changes in a July 31 speech opening the biannual session of Parliament, including scaling back controls on small businesses, allowing more self-employment and laying off unnecessary government workers.
The cardinal said he had not read Castro's speech yet, but that he found the announcement encouraging.
Beyond their economic struggles, the cardinal said a high priority for most Cubans is that they have better means of communicating within the country and beyond. While people are allowed to use the Internet, for example, it's quite costly and runs poorly because of inadequate infrastructure, he said.
"To communicate easily with their relatives and to be able to go to the U.S. for visits and then return to Cuba," that's what people want, the cardinal said.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Cronología de la mediación del cardenal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Arzobispo de La Habana
Espacio Laical brinda a sus lectores la segunda parte de la cronología de la mediación iniciada por el Cardenal Arzobispo de La Habana en relación con la delicada cuestión de las Damas de Blanco y los presos por motivos políticos. La cronología termina el día 21 de julio, momento en que enviamos la revista para la imprenta, y continuará en el próximo número.
14 de junio
·Los ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de la Unión Europea (UE) deciden posponer hasta septiembre las conclusiones sobre su examen anual de la política hacia Cuba, a la espera de los resultados del diálogo entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno de la Isla.
15 de junio
·El Secretario para las Relaciones con los Estados de la Santa Sede, Dominique Mamberti, llega a Cuba para presidir la X Semana Social Católica y sostener conversaciones con la jerarquía y el gobierno local.
16 de junio
·Monseñor Dominique Mamberti manifiesta su satisfacción por los resultados de las conversaciones entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno de Cuba, en conferencia de prensa. Mamberti señaló que «uno de los objetivos mayores de la diplomacia de la Santa Sede es el de favorecer el diálogo entre las Iglesias locales y las autoridades de los distintos países».
·Abre sus puertas la X Semana Social Católica con participación de Obispos, más de 130 laicos de todas las diócesis del país y destacados intelectuales cubanos de la Isla y la emigración. Durante las jornadas de trabajo se abordan temas relacionados con el diálogo entre cubanos, los desafíos de la economía nacional, la reconciliación entre cubanos y la presencia pública de la Iglesia Católica en la sociedad cubana.
21 de junio
·Monseñor Dominique Mamberti, se reúne con el presidente Raúl Castro, pocas horas antes del fin de su visita oficial y pastoral a la Isla. Ambas partes conversaron sobre el 75 aniversario de las relaciones bilaterales, calificadas como “cordiales, respetuosas, continuas y en ascenso”.
·El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Francia reitera su solicitud al gobierno de Cuba para que libere a todos los presos políticos, en especial a aquellos que permanecen enfermos, según declaraciones de un portavoz de la Cancillería del país europeo, que reconoció las gestiones de la Iglesia Católica a favor de los reclusos.
24 de junio
·El cardenal Francis George, presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, inicia una visita de dos días a Santiago de Cuba para reforzar los nexos entre las Iglesias de los dos países. George, arzobispo de Chicago, viajó invitado por el presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Cuba (COCC) y arzobispo de Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio García, quien dijo a la AFP que aunque “la visita sea eclesial, siempre tiene un significado a nivel social”.
27 de junio
·El cardenal Jaime Ortega Alamino, arzobispo de La Habana, inicia una visita a Estados Unidos.
28 de junio
·Monseñor Arturo González, obispo de Santa Clara, visita a Guillermo Fariñas para interesarse por su estado de salud.
29 de junio
·El estado de salud de Guillermo Fariñas, en huelga de hambre desde hace más de cuatro meses, se complicó con el diagnóstico de una “trombosis en la vena yugular”. Alicia Hernández, la madre de Fariñas, indicó que el estado de su hijo es “grave crítico”, con un cuadro que incluye problemas hepáticos, una infección causada por un germen estafilococo, y la confirmación médica de un coágulo en la yugular. Hernández señaló que el equipo médico ya comenzó a suministrar a Fariñas un anticoagulante para tratar el trombo y le han recomendado que permanezca en reposo absoluto sin moverse para evitar que el coágulo se desprenda o desplace.
30 de junio
·El diario mexicano La Jornada informa que el cardenal Jaime Ortega, arzobispo de La Habana, viajó a Estados Unidos la semana anterior para sostener encuentros coordinados por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos. El viaje del Cardenal no había tenido registro público, hasta que The Wall Street Journal especuló de posibles entrevistas del prelado en el Departamento de Estado y el Congreso.
1 de Julio
·El Comité de Agricultura de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos aprueba un proyecto de ley que ampliaría las exportaciones de alimentos a Cuba y permitiría los viajes de ciudadanos de ese país a la Isla, trascendió a medios de prensa en Washington. La iniciativa debe pasar aún por los comités de Finanzas y Relaciones Exteriores, antes de ser presentada en el pleno de la Cámara y el Congreso.
3 de julio
·El diario Granma publica una inusual entrevista con Armando Caballero, jefe de los servicios de terapia intensiva del Hospital de Santa Clara, (donde Fariñas está ingresado desde el 11 de marzo), en la que detalla se detalla su situación y los tratamientos y atención que está recibiendo.
5 de julio
·El ministro español de Exteriores arriba a Cuba para impulsar el proceso de diálogo abierto entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno cubano sobre los presos políticos. Fuentes españolas afirman que durante su visita de dos días a la Isla, Miguel Ángel Moratinos tiene previsto reunirse con representantes del Gobierno y de la Iglesia Católica. Confirman que no se entrevistará con ningún miembro de la disidencia cubana, incluido Guillermo Fariñas.
6 de julio
·En la mañana Miguel Ángel Moratinos es recibido por su anfitrión Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, en el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Por la tarde, el funcionario español y el embajador Manuel Cacho, visitaron al cardenal Jaime Ortega en la sede del Arzobispado de La Habana, donde conversaron durante una hora y media. En declaraciones a la prensa a la salida del Palacio Cardenalicio, Miguel Ángel Moratinos se mostró optimista de que su visita a Cuba ayudará a eliminar la Posición Común de la Unión Europea (UE), mientras que el cardenal Jaime Ortega consideró que el viaje refuerza la esperanza de liberación de prisioneros opositores.
7 de julio
·En horas de la mañana tiene lugar una reunión de trabajo entre el cardenal Jaime Ortega, el canciller cubano Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla y el canciller español Miguel Ángel Moratinos.
·En una nota de prensa, hecha pública en horas de la tarde, el Arzobispado de La Habana da a conocer que el gobierno cubano se ha comprometido a liberar a 52 presos políticos. La Iglesia Católica cubana asegura que la liberación de los primeros cinco presos podría producirse en el transcurso de las próximas horas. La noticia se da a conocer después de la reunión mantenida entre el presidente Raúl Castro y el cardenal Jaime Ortega, en la que también participaron el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores Miguel Ángel Moratinos y su homólogo cubano Bruno Rodríguez. Los presos que serán liberados forman parte del grupo de los 75 que fueron detenidos en marzo de 2003. En la nota se informa también de que en las próximas horas otros seis presos serán acercados a sus provincias de residencia.
8 de julio.
·Todos los medios de prensa cubanos dan a conocer la nota emitida por el Arzobispado de la Habana con motivo del anuncio de la liberación de los presos políticos.
·Guillermo Fariñas depone la huelga de hambre que mantuvo durante 135 días tras conocer la identidad de los cinco primeros presos, del grupo de 52, que serán liberados por el gobierno cubano, gracias a las gestiones de la Iglesia.
·En dos notas de prensa el Arzobispado de la Habana informa los nombres de 6 presos que serán acercados a sus provincias de residencia y de otros 5 que salen próximamente hacia España.
·La secretaria de Estado norteamericana, Hillary Clinton, y la Alta Representante de Política Exterior de la UE, Catherine Ashton, felicitan al ministro español de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, tras conocer el anuncio de liberación de los presos políticos. Clinton telefoneó al ministro español y le comunicó que el anuncio de las liberaciones supone una «muy buena noticia».
·El Cuba Study Group se mostró “sumamente complacido” con el anuncio hecho por la Iglesia Católica de que el gobierno cubano liberará a 52 presos políticos. En ese sentido, agradeció “el papel constructivo que ha jugado la Iglesia Católica en un proceso iniciado por la sociedad civil cubana”. Este grupo instó a la Iglesia a continuar en su papel de “mediadora” y reconoció que la solución de muchos de los problemas con que se enfrenta Cuba “requerirá necesariamente de un diálogo nacional en donde sectores de la sociedad civil cubana estén representados”. Emplazó además al Gobierno estadounidense a que “responda a estos pasos positivos en Cuba con medidas constructivas”.
·El líder del Partido Popular (PP), Mariano Rajoy, celebró “las gestiones de la Iglesia Católica” que permitirán la liberación de 52 presos políticos cubanos. En una rueda de prensa en el Congreso, el líder conservador atribuyó a la Iglesia esas gestiones, pero no mencionó el papel que el ministro español de Exteriores, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, ha desempeñado en ese proceso.
·Phil Peters, del Lexington Institute, afirma al diario The Washington Post: “Esto es algo nuevo, algo grande. No acaba con el problema de los derechos humanos en Cuba, pero representa un cambio dramático y seguro que provocará una reacción de Washington y de Europa”. Para Peters “lo elegante de este proceso es que el cardenal Ortega ha logrado establecer este diálogo con el gobierno, entre cubanos. Es un diálogo nacional y el factor que siempre tiene la capacidad de entorpecer cualquier éxito en Cuba, la presión extranjera, no está. Este es un aspecto muy prometedor del proceso”. Por su parte Wayne Smith, del Center for International Policy y ex máximo representante diplomático estadounidense en La Habana, coincidió a The New York Times: “La liberación de los presos debería llevar a la administración Obama a hacer algo para alentar esta tendencia”.
9 de julio
·El gobierno de México manifestó su gran satisfacción por el anuncio efectuado en Cuba, en torno a la liberación inmediata de cinco prisioneros, el traslado de otros seis a centros penitenciarios cercanos a sus lugares de origen, y la excarcelación en los próximos meses, de 47 personas más. En un comunicado de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores también se congratuló por la decisión de Guillermo Fariñas de levantar su huelga de hambre, tras 135 días en ayuno. Sin calificar el tipo de presos que serán liberados, el gobierno mexicano hizo un reconocimiento a la Iglesia Católica de Cuba por las gestiones que realizó para liberar a estas personas y al gobierno de Raúl Castro por su disposición y sensibilidad, para llegar a esa determinación.
·Julia Sweig, especialista en Cuba del Council on Foreign Relations, declara a la agencia DPA que “la Iglesia cubana está desempeñando un papel realmente importante en estos momentos, al crear un espacio que puede ser visto tanto por el gobierno como por la sociedad civil como seguro para el debate”.
10 de julio
·El asesor especial para Asuntos Internacionales de la Presidencia de Brasil, Marco Aurelio García, afirma que el Gobierno de su país participó en la decisión de Cuba para que fuesen liberados 52 presos políticos cubanos. “Nosotros ayudamos. Actuamos callados, sin alardes”, declaró al diario O Estado de Sao Paulo. Según García, Lula abordó el tema en la visita realizada a Cuba en febrero. Destacó también el papel de la Iglesia Católica en la negociación para conseguir la liberación: “La Iglesia estaba en el momento cierto y en el lugar cierto para hacer el gol”.
·El cardenal Jaime Ortega comienza personalmente las gestiones negociadoras con cada uno de los presos por vía telefónica.
·En dos notas de prensa el Arzobispado de La Habana informa los nombres de otros 5 presos que serán liberados y que saldrán del país rumbo a España y los nombres de otros 7 que serán excarcelados en los próximos días.
11 julio
·El diario estadounidense Los Angeles Times, uno de los más importantes del país norteño, exhortó al Congreso a aprobar un proyecto de ley que levantaría las restricciones de viajes a la Isla y aliviaría los obstáculos al comercio bilateral. En un editorial el periódico reconoció la liberación de 52 presos políticos, anunciada por La Habana, pero se cuestionó la permanencia en las cárceles de cualquier persona por esa razón.
·El padre Federico Lombardi S.I., director de la Oficina de Información de la Santa Sede dedica al proceso de diálogo entre la Iglesia y el gobierno cubano el editorial de Octava Dies, el semanario del Centro Televisivo Vaticano. “El comunicado oficial del arzobispado de La Habana sobre la liberación de más de cincuenta prisioneros detenidos en las cárceles cubanas, publicado también en el diario del Partido Comunista cubano, y la interrupción de la huelga de hambre de Guillermo Fariñas, son las buenas noticias de la Isla del Caribe que esperábamos desde hace algunas semanas”, reconoce el portavoz vaticano. “Son señales significativas y esperamos que indiquen un progreso estable hacia aquel clima de renovada convivencia social y política que todos deseamos a la nación cubana. El papel crucial asumido en el proceso de diálogo cubano por el cardenal Ortega Alamino y por monseñor Dionisio García, presidente del episcopado, ha sido posible por el hecho evidente que la Iglesia Católica está profundamente arraigada en el pueblo y es intérprete atendible de su espíritu y de sus expectativas”. La Iglesia cubana “no es una realidad extraña, no escapa en los tiempos de dificultad. Carga con los sufrimientos y trae esperanza, con dignidad y con paciencia, sin servilismo pero también sin tratar de aumentar las tensiones ni de exacerbar los ánimos, al contrario, con el compromiso constante de abrir caminos a la comprensión y al diálogo”. Por su parte la Santa Sede, aclara el portavoz, “apoya a la Iglesia local con su solidaridad espiritual y con su autoridad internacional”. “Desde el viaje de Juan Pablo II hasta a las recientes visitas del secretario de Estado Cardenal Tarcisio Bertone y del arzobispo Dominique Mamberti, hasta los contactos diplomáticos en el Vaticano sobre la situación de Cuba, la Santa Sede se ha declarado siempre en contra del embargo, y por lo tanto solidaria con los sufrimientos del pueblo, y dispuesta a apoyar toda perspectiva de diálogo constructivo”. Y añade: “con paciencia, se han hecho importantes progresos en esta dirección. Todos deseamos que el camino continúe”.
12 de julio
·Una nota del Arzobispado de la Habana anuncia la próxima liberación de otros 3 presos. Hasta el momento son 20 los presos que han comunicado el deseo de ser enviados a España, al menos de forma transitoria.
13 de julio
·El primer grupo de 7 presos excarcelados llega a Madrid en el vuelo 052 de Air Europa. En un comunicado preparado por los 7 y leído por Julio César Gálvez afirmaron que esta liberación “significa el inicio de una nueva etapa para el futuro de Cuba y de todos los cubanos. Tenemos la esperanza de que los que quedan en Cuba gocen de la misma libertad que nosotros”, formularon, y resaltaron “el papel importante” de la Iglesia Católica cubana en su liberación.
·La liberación de siete presos políticos es un “acontecimiento positivo” que debería representar una mejora de los derechos humanos en Cuba, declara el portavoz del Departamento de Estado norteamericano, Philip Crowley, en un comunicado.
14 de julio
·Llegan a Madrid otros dos presos cubanos excarcelados, acompañados por 17 familiares.
·El presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expresa su felicidad por la liberación de los presos políticos cubanos y comparó el sentimiento con lo vivido cuando estuvo arrestado por el Gobierno militar de su país en 1980. “Felicitaciones a la Iglesia Católica, felicitaciones al Gobierno cubano y felicitaciones a todos los que han luchado para liberar a algún preso político en el mundo. Dios quiera que todos los países suelten a presos que son considerados presos políticos”, dijo Lula.
18 de julio
·Cuba podría estar preparando una profunda reforma política y económica. Fuentes citadas por el diario español El País mencionan entre los posibles cambios la ampliación del trabajo por cuenta propia, la cooperativización de servicios, recortes en la plantilla de empleados estatales y la preparación para eliminar la doble moneda. A la vez, podría avanzarse en la renegociación de la deuda para aliviar las tensiones financieras.
19 de julio
·Una delegación del Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) podría viajar a Cuba en septiembre próximo, informó a la prensa en Madrid Elena Valenciano, secretaria de Política Internacional y Cooperación de esa organización. La funcionaria expresó su confianza en que “el camino de las reformas se abrirá paso en la Isla”, luego de la liberación de los presos anunciada por las autoridades cubanas.
·El secretario general de las Naciones Unidas, Ban Ki-Moon, saluda la liberación de presos políticos cubanos e instó a Cuba a tomar más “medidas de reconciliación”. “Seguí de cerca la reciente liberación de presos (...) y se trata de buenas noticias”, dijo a los periodistas Ban Ki-Moon.
20 de julio
· La Oficina de Intereses de Estados Unidos en Cuba anuncia que acogerá una serie de encuentros con familiares de los presos políticos liberados que no desean viajar a España, con el objetivo de informarles sobre los trámites consulares necesarios para entrar al país norteño.
· El jefe del Parlamento cubano, Ricardo Alarcón, afirma a la Agencia Francesa de Prensa en Ginebra, que podría haber más liberaciones de presos políticos que las 52 anunciadas y que los ex detenidos, si lo desean, pueden permanecer en la Isla. Alarcón recordó que en las conversaciones entre el gobierno de Raúl Castro y la Iglesia Católica “quedó claro que la voluntad del gobierno cubano es la de sacar de la cárcel a todas las personas” sobre las que no pesen crímenes de sangre. “Según Su Eminencia el Cardenal, en las conversaciones quedó claro que la voluntad del gobierno cubano es la de sacar a todas las personas” a condición de “que no pesen sobre ellos responsabilidades de la vida de otras personas”, dijo Alarcón, que participa en Ginebra en una reunión de líderes parlamentarios de todo el mundo. Al preguntársele si podía confirmar la posibilidad de liberar a personas que no estuvieran vinculadas a ese tipo de crímenes, Alarcón respondió: “Claro”.
21 de julio
·Otro preso político cubano y sus familiares llegan a Madrid, con lo que suman 12 los opositores excarcelados que emigraron a España en los últimos ocho días, informó una fuente del ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores español.
La revista Espacio Laical puede ser vista en www.espaciolaical.net
y adquirida en la Casa Laical, sita en Teniente Rey #152 (tercer piso)
e/ Bernaza y Villegas, La Habana Vieja.
14 de junio
·Los ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de la Unión Europea (UE) deciden posponer hasta septiembre las conclusiones sobre su examen anual de la política hacia Cuba, a la espera de los resultados del diálogo entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno de la Isla.
15 de junio
·El Secretario para las Relaciones con los Estados de la Santa Sede, Dominique Mamberti, llega a Cuba para presidir la X Semana Social Católica y sostener conversaciones con la jerarquía y el gobierno local.
16 de junio
·Monseñor Dominique Mamberti manifiesta su satisfacción por los resultados de las conversaciones entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno de Cuba, en conferencia de prensa. Mamberti señaló que «uno de los objetivos mayores de la diplomacia de la Santa Sede es el de favorecer el diálogo entre las Iglesias locales y las autoridades de los distintos países».
·Abre sus puertas la X Semana Social Católica con participación de Obispos, más de 130 laicos de todas las diócesis del país y destacados intelectuales cubanos de la Isla y la emigración. Durante las jornadas de trabajo se abordan temas relacionados con el diálogo entre cubanos, los desafíos de la economía nacional, la reconciliación entre cubanos y la presencia pública de la Iglesia Católica en la sociedad cubana.
21 de junio
·Monseñor Dominique Mamberti, se reúne con el presidente Raúl Castro, pocas horas antes del fin de su visita oficial y pastoral a la Isla. Ambas partes conversaron sobre el 75 aniversario de las relaciones bilaterales, calificadas como “cordiales, respetuosas, continuas y en ascenso”.
·El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Francia reitera su solicitud al gobierno de Cuba para que libere a todos los presos políticos, en especial a aquellos que permanecen enfermos, según declaraciones de un portavoz de la Cancillería del país europeo, que reconoció las gestiones de la Iglesia Católica a favor de los reclusos.
24 de junio
·El cardenal Francis George, presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, inicia una visita de dos días a Santiago de Cuba para reforzar los nexos entre las Iglesias de los dos países. George, arzobispo de Chicago, viajó invitado por el presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Cuba (COCC) y arzobispo de Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio García, quien dijo a la AFP que aunque “la visita sea eclesial, siempre tiene un significado a nivel social”.
27 de junio
·El cardenal Jaime Ortega Alamino, arzobispo de La Habana, inicia una visita a Estados Unidos.
28 de junio
·Monseñor Arturo González, obispo de Santa Clara, visita a Guillermo Fariñas para interesarse por su estado de salud.
29 de junio
·El estado de salud de Guillermo Fariñas, en huelga de hambre desde hace más de cuatro meses, se complicó con el diagnóstico de una “trombosis en la vena yugular”. Alicia Hernández, la madre de Fariñas, indicó que el estado de su hijo es “grave crítico”, con un cuadro que incluye problemas hepáticos, una infección causada por un germen estafilococo, y la confirmación médica de un coágulo en la yugular. Hernández señaló que el equipo médico ya comenzó a suministrar a Fariñas un anticoagulante para tratar el trombo y le han recomendado que permanezca en reposo absoluto sin moverse para evitar que el coágulo se desprenda o desplace.
30 de junio
·El diario mexicano La Jornada informa que el cardenal Jaime Ortega, arzobispo de La Habana, viajó a Estados Unidos la semana anterior para sostener encuentros coordinados por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos. El viaje del Cardenal no había tenido registro público, hasta que The Wall Street Journal especuló de posibles entrevistas del prelado en el Departamento de Estado y el Congreso.
1 de Julio
·El Comité de Agricultura de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos aprueba un proyecto de ley que ampliaría las exportaciones de alimentos a Cuba y permitiría los viajes de ciudadanos de ese país a la Isla, trascendió a medios de prensa en Washington. La iniciativa debe pasar aún por los comités de Finanzas y Relaciones Exteriores, antes de ser presentada en el pleno de la Cámara y el Congreso.
3 de julio
·El diario Granma publica una inusual entrevista con Armando Caballero, jefe de los servicios de terapia intensiva del Hospital de Santa Clara, (donde Fariñas está ingresado desde el 11 de marzo), en la que detalla se detalla su situación y los tratamientos y atención que está recibiendo.
5 de julio
·El ministro español de Exteriores arriba a Cuba para impulsar el proceso de diálogo abierto entre la Iglesia Católica y el gobierno cubano sobre los presos políticos. Fuentes españolas afirman que durante su visita de dos días a la Isla, Miguel Ángel Moratinos tiene previsto reunirse con representantes del Gobierno y de la Iglesia Católica. Confirman que no se entrevistará con ningún miembro de la disidencia cubana, incluido Guillermo Fariñas.
6 de julio
·En la mañana Miguel Ángel Moratinos es recibido por su anfitrión Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, en el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Por la tarde, el funcionario español y el embajador Manuel Cacho, visitaron al cardenal Jaime Ortega en la sede del Arzobispado de La Habana, donde conversaron durante una hora y media. En declaraciones a la prensa a la salida del Palacio Cardenalicio, Miguel Ángel Moratinos se mostró optimista de que su visita a Cuba ayudará a eliminar la Posición Común de la Unión Europea (UE), mientras que el cardenal Jaime Ortega consideró que el viaje refuerza la esperanza de liberación de prisioneros opositores.
7 de julio
·En horas de la mañana tiene lugar una reunión de trabajo entre el cardenal Jaime Ortega, el canciller cubano Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla y el canciller español Miguel Ángel Moratinos.
·En una nota de prensa, hecha pública en horas de la tarde, el Arzobispado de La Habana da a conocer que el gobierno cubano se ha comprometido a liberar a 52 presos políticos. La Iglesia Católica cubana asegura que la liberación de los primeros cinco presos podría producirse en el transcurso de las próximas horas. La noticia se da a conocer después de la reunión mantenida entre el presidente Raúl Castro y el cardenal Jaime Ortega, en la que también participaron el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores Miguel Ángel Moratinos y su homólogo cubano Bruno Rodríguez. Los presos que serán liberados forman parte del grupo de los 75 que fueron detenidos en marzo de 2003. En la nota se informa también de que en las próximas horas otros seis presos serán acercados a sus provincias de residencia.
8 de julio.
·Todos los medios de prensa cubanos dan a conocer la nota emitida por el Arzobispado de la Habana con motivo del anuncio de la liberación de los presos políticos.
·Guillermo Fariñas depone la huelga de hambre que mantuvo durante 135 días tras conocer la identidad de los cinco primeros presos, del grupo de 52, que serán liberados por el gobierno cubano, gracias a las gestiones de la Iglesia.
·En dos notas de prensa el Arzobispado de la Habana informa los nombres de 6 presos que serán acercados a sus provincias de residencia y de otros 5 que salen próximamente hacia España.
·La secretaria de Estado norteamericana, Hillary Clinton, y la Alta Representante de Política Exterior de la UE, Catherine Ashton, felicitan al ministro español de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, tras conocer el anuncio de liberación de los presos políticos. Clinton telefoneó al ministro español y le comunicó que el anuncio de las liberaciones supone una «muy buena noticia».
·El Cuba Study Group se mostró “sumamente complacido” con el anuncio hecho por la Iglesia Católica de que el gobierno cubano liberará a 52 presos políticos. En ese sentido, agradeció “el papel constructivo que ha jugado la Iglesia Católica en un proceso iniciado por la sociedad civil cubana”. Este grupo instó a la Iglesia a continuar en su papel de “mediadora” y reconoció que la solución de muchos de los problemas con que se enfrenta Cuba “requerirá necesariamente de un diálogo nacional en donde sectores de la sociedad civil cubana estén representados”. Emplazó además al Gobierno estadounidense a que “responda a estos pasos positivos en Cuba con medidas constructivas”.
·El líder del Partido Popular (PP), Mariano Rajoy, celebró “las gestiones de la Iglesia Católica” que permitirán la liberación de 52 presos políticos cubanos. En una rueda de prensa en el Congreso, el líder conservador atribuyó a la Iglesia esas gestiones, pero no mencionó el papel que el ministro español de Exteriores, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, ha desempeñado en ese proceso.
·Phil Peters, del Lexington Institute, afirma al diario The Washington Post: “Esto es algo nuevo, algo grande. No acaba con el problema de los derechos humanos en Cuba, pero representa un cambio dramático y seguro que provocará una reacción de Washington y de Europa”. Para Peters “lo elegante de este proceso es que el cardenal Ortega ha logrado establecer este diálogo con el gobierno, entre cubanos. Es un diálogo nacional y el factor que siempre tiene la capacidad de entorpecer cualquier éxito en Cuba, la presión extranjera, no está. Este es un aspecto muy prometedor del proceso”. Por su parte Wayne Smith, del Center for International Policy y ex máximo representante diplomático estadounidense en La Habana, coincidió a The New York Times: “La liberación de los presos debería llevar a la administración Obama a hacer algo para alentar esta tendencia”.
9 de julio
·El gobierno de México manifestó su gran satisfacción por el anuncio efectuado en Cuba, en torno a la liberación inmediata de cinco prisioneros, el traslado de otros seis a centros penitenciarios cercanos a sus lugares de origen, y la excarcelación en los próximos meses, de 47 personas más. En un comunicado de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores también se congratuló por la decisión de Guillermo Fariñas de levantar su huelga de hambre, tras 135 días en ayuno. Sin calificar el tipo de presos que serán liberados, el gobierno mexicano hizo un reconocimiento a la Iglesia Católica de Cuba por las gestiones que realizó para liberar a estas personas y al gobierno de Raúl Castro por su disposición y sensibilidad, para llegar a esa determinación.
·Julia Sweig, especialista en Cuba del Council on Foreign Relations, declara a la agencia DPA que “la Iglesia cubana está desempeñando un papel realmente importante en estos momentos, al crear un espacio que puede ser visto tanto por el gobierno como por la sociedad civil como seguro para el debate”.
10 de julio
·El asesor especial para Asuntos Internacionales de la Presidencia de Brasil, Marco Aurelio García, afirma que el Gobierno de su país participó en la decisión de Cuba para que fuesen liberados 52 presos políticos cubanos. “Nosotros ayudamos. Actuamos callados, sin alardes”, declaró al diario O Estado de Sao Paulo. Según García, Lula abordó el tema en la visita realizada a Cuba en febrero. Destacó también el papel de la Iglesia Católica en la negociación para conseguir la liberación: “La Iglesia estaba en el momento cierto y en el lugar cierto para hacer el gol”.
·El cardenal Jaime Ortega comienza personalmente las gestiones negociadoras con cada uno de los presos por vía telefónica.
·En dos notas de prensa el Arzobispado de La Habana informa los nombres de otros 5 presos que serán liberados y que saldrán del país rumbo a España y los nombres de otros 7 que serán excarcelados en los próximos días.
11 julio
·El diario estadounidense Los Angeles Times, uno de los más importantes del país norteño, exhortó al Congreso a aprobar un proyecto de ley que levantaría las restricciones de viajes a la Isla y aliviaría los obstáculos al comercio bilateral. En un editorial el periódico reconoció la liberación de 52 presos políticos, anunciada por La Habana, pero se cuestionó la permanencia en las cárceles de cualquier persona por esa razón.
·El padre Federico Lombardi S.I., director de la Oficina de Información de la Santa Sede dedica al proceso de diálogo entre la Iglesia y el gobierno cubano el editorial de Octava Dies, el semanario del Centro Televisivo Vaticano. “El comunicado oficial del arzobispado de La Habana sobre la liberación de más de cincuenta prisioneros detenidos en las cárceles cubanas, publicado también en el diario del Partido Comunista cubano, y la interrupción de la huelga de hambre de Guillermo Fariñas, son las buenas noticias de la Isla del Caribe que esperábamos desde hace algunas semanas”, reconoce el portavoz vaticano. “Son señales significativas y esperamos que indiquen un progreso estable hacia aquel clima de renovada convivencia social y política que todos deseamos a la nación cubana. El papel crucial asumido en el proceso de diálogo cubano por el cardenal Ortega Alamino y por monseñor Dionisio García, presidente del episcopado, ha sido posible por el hecho evidente que la Iglesia Católica está profundamente arraigada en el pueblo y es intérprete atendible de su espíritu y de sus expectativas”. La Iglesia cubana “no es una realidad extraña, no escapa en los tiempos de dificultad. Carga con los sufrimientos y trae esperanza, con dignidad y con paciencia, sin servilismo pero también sin tratar de aumentar las tensiones ni de exacerbar los ánimos, al contrario, con el compromiso constante de abrir caminos a la comprensión y al diálogo”. Por su parte la Santa Sede, aclara el portavoz, “apoya a la Iglesia local con su solidaridad espiritual y con su autoridad internacional”. “Desde el viaje de Juan Pablo II hasta a las recientes visitas del secretario de Estado Cardenal Tarcisio Bertone y del arzobispo Dominique Mamberti, hasta los contactos diplomáticos en el Vaticano sobre la situación de Cuba, la Santa Sede se ha declarado siempre en contra del embargo, y por lo tanto solidaria con los sufrimientos del pueblo, y dispuesta a apoyar toda perspectiva de diálogo constructivo”. Y añade: “con paciencia, se han hecho importantes progresos en esta dirección. Todos deseamos que el camino continúe”.
12 de julio
·Una nota del Arzobispado de la Habana anuncia la próxima liberación de otros 3 presos. Hasta el momento son 20 los presos que han comunicado el deseo de ser enviados a España, al menos de forma transitoria.
13 de julio
·El primer grupo de 7 presos excarcelados llega a Madrid en el vuelo 052 de Air Europa. En un comunicado preparado por los 7 y leído por Julio César Gálvez afirmaron que esta liberación “significa el inicio de una nueva etapa para el futuro de Cuba y de todos los cubanos. Tenemos la esperanza de que los que quedan en Cuba gocen de la misma libertad que nosotros”, formularon, y resaltaron “el papel importante” de la Iglesia Católica cubana en su liberación.
·La liberación de siete presos políticos es un “acontecimiento positivo” que debería representar una mejora de los derechos humanos en Cuba, declara el portavoz del Departamento de Estado norteamericano, Philip Crowley, en un comunicado.
14 de julio
·Llegan a Madrid otros dos presos cubanos excarcelados, acompañados por 17 familiares.
·El presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expresa su felicidad por la liberación de los presos políticos cubanos y comparó el sentimiento con lo vivido cuando estuvo arrestado por el Gobierno militar de su país en 1980. “Felicitaciones a la Iglesia Católica, felicitaciones al Gobierno cubano y felicitaciones a todos los que han luchado para liberar a algún preso político en el mundo. Dios quiera que todos los países suelten a presos que son considerados presos políticos”, dijo Lula.
18 de julio
·Cuba podría estar preparando una profunda reforma política y económica. Fuentes citadas por el diario español El País mencionan entre los posibles cambios la ampliación del trabajo por cuenta propia, la cooperativización de servicios, recortes en la plantilla de empleados estatales y la preparación para eliminar la doble moneda. A la vez, podría avanzarse en la renegociación de la deuda para aliviar las tensiones financieras.
19 de julio
·Una delegación del Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) podría viajar a Cuba en septiembre próximo, informó a la prensa en Madrid Elena Valenciano, secretaria de Política Internacional y Cooperación de esa organización. La funcionaria expresó su confianza en que “el camino de las reformas se abrirá paso en la Isla”, luego de la liberación de los presos anunciada por las autoridades cubanas.
·El secretario general de las Naciones Unidas, Ban Ki-Moon, saluda la liberación de presos políticos cubanos e instó a Cuba a tomar más “medidas de reconciliación”. “Seguí de cerca la reciente liberación de presos (...) y se trata de buenas noticias”, dijo a los periodistas Ban Ki-Moon.
20 de julio
· La Oficina de Intereses de Estados Unidos en Cuba anuncia que acogerá una serie de encuentros con familiares de los presos políticos liberados que no desean viajar a España, con el objetivo de informarles sobre los trámites consulares necesarios para entrar al país norteño.
· El jefe del Parlamento cubano, Ricardo Alarcón, afirma a la Agencia Francesa de Prensa en Ginebra, que podría haber más liberaciones de presos políticos que las 52 anunciadas y que los ex detenidos, si lo desean, pueden permanecer en la Isla. Alarcón recordó que en las conversaciones entre el gobierno de Raúl Castro y la Iglesia Católica “quedó claro que la voluntad del gobierno cubano es la de sacar de la cárcel a todas las personas” sobre las que no pesen crímenes de sangre. “Según Su Eminencia el Cardenal, en las conversaciones quedó claro que la voluntad del gobierno cubano es la de sacar a todas las personas” a condición de “que no pesen sobre ellos responsabilidades de la vida de otras personas”, dijo Alarcón, que participa en Ginebra en una reunión de líderes parlamentarios de todo el mundo. Al preguntársele si podía confirmar la posibilidad de liberar a personas que no estuvieran vinculadas a ese tipo de crímenes, Alarcón respondió: “Claro”.
21 de julio
·Otro preso político cubano y sus familiares llegan a Madrid, con lo que suman 12 los opositores excarcelados que emigraron a España en los últimos ocho días, informó una fuente del ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores español.
La revista Espacio Laical puede ser vista en www.espaciolaical.net
y adquirida en la Casa Laical, sita en Teniente Rey #152 (tercer piso)
e/ Bernaza y Villegas, La Habana Vieja.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Was Machado Laying the Groundwork for Change on July 26th?
Cuba is not Afraid of Challenges Ahead says First VP
HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 26 (acn) Cuban First Vice President José Ramón Machado Ventura said that the Cuban people is not afraid of the challenges that lay ahead in the main speech at the ceremony marking Cuba's National Rebellion Day held this Monday in the central city of Santa Clara, Villa Clara
In front of a crowd of more than 90,000 people, headed by Cuban President Raúl Castro, Machado said "We are not afraid of the difficulties or challenges in front of us. To this end we count on the invincible strength of our people."
In his speech Machado said that the martyrs of July 26 did not die in vain, because we will continue to being faithful to the ideals they died for.
"In this historical moment, we will change everything that should be changed, without accepting external pressures, or our sovereignty being reduced, or renouncing a single one of our dreams of justice for Cuba and the world."
Machado also said that we will continue to study and analyze to overcome our deficiencies, but will act without populist or demagogic solutions because we will do so with a high sense of responsibility, without improvisations, or rushing, not to miss anything or take measures that do not meet the current conditions.
He added that food production is a top priority because it is one of the main aspects of the economic struggle that sustains our social system.
Machado said that saving, the reduction of expenses and the rational use of resources are of paramount importance in all sectors. "The sphere of Education has shown that costs can be reduced, without affecting the quality of the process, but the field of Health should continue to advance towards this end," he said.
Machado also said that Cubans have to continue saving energy and spoke about the systematic checks and discipline as indispensable principles to achieve this goal.
The Cuban first vice president spoke about the difficult circumstances Cuba is facing in the middle of the this economic struggle, the damage caused by the last three hurricanes that hit the island, and the impact of the economic and financial crisis, added to the anachronistic US blockade against Cuba and the effects of climate change.
Machado acknowledged the provinces of Ciego de Ávila, Granma and Havana for having achieved great results in the provincial emulation for July 26 and congratulated Villa Clara for the results that deserve it the venue for the celebrations of National Rebellion Day.
HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 26 (acn) Cuban First Vice President José Ramón Machado Ventura said that the Cuban people is not afraid of the challenges that lay ahead in the main speech at the ceremony marking Cuba's National Rebellion Day held this Monday in the central city of Santa Clara, Villa Clara
In front of a crowd of more than 90,000 people, headed by Cuban President Raúl Castro, Machado said "We are not afraid of the difficulties or challenges in front of us. To this end we count on the invincible strength of our people."
In his speech Machado said that the martyrs of July 26 did not die in vain, because we will continue to being faithful to the ideals they died for.
"In this historical moment, we will change everything that should be changed, without accepting external pressures, or our sovereignty being reduced, or renouncing a single one of our dreams of justice for Cuba and the world."
Machado also said that we will continue to study and analyze to overcome our deficiencies, but will act without populist or demagogic solutions because we will do so with a high sense of responsibility, without improvisations, or rushing, not to miss anything or take measures that do not meet the current conditions.
He added that food production is a top priority because it is one of the main aspects of the economic struggle that sustains our social system.
Machado said that saving, the reduction of expenses and the rational use of resources are of paramount importance in all sectors. "The sphere of Education has shown that costs can be reduced, without affecting the quality of the process, but the field of Health should continue to advance towards this end," he said.
Machado also said that Cubans have to continue saving energy and spoke about the systematic checks and discipline as indispensable principles to achieve this goal.
The Cuban first vice president spoke about the difficult circumstances Cuba is facing in the middle of the this economic struggle, the damage caused by the last three hurricanes that hit the island, and the impact of the economic and financial crisis, added to the anachronistic US blockade against Cuba and the effects of climate change.
Machado acknowledged the provinces of Ciego de Ávila, Granma and Havana for having achieved great results in the provincial emulation for July 26 and congratulated Villa Clara for the results that deserve it the venue for the celebrations of National Rebellion Day.
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