Wednesday, April 18, 2007

In Madrid

Needless to say, not every one in Spain thinks like prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero when it comes to cosy relations with Fidel Castro.

Mariano Rajoy, head of the largest opposition party, the Popular Party, has had a go at the Socialist administration over its policy towards Havana and in particular, the recent and much-publicised visit to Cuba by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

In a speech to a conference in Madrid, Mr Rajoy said the Socialists' policy of sucking up to the Castro regime was "myopic".

Which is absolutely right, except I would add the words "shameful" and "dishonourable" and "pathetic" and ...

More importantly, he accused Zapatero and Co. of forgetting what it was like in Spain for those calling for democratic change during the final years of the Franco dictatorship, in the early and mid 1970s.

Mr Rajoy is right about that, too.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Spanish mishandling of the Cuba-Castro problem goes back to Franco. It's nothing new, only more overt now that distinctly leftist elements are in power. Spain has never done right by Cuba. Ever.

Spain still resents and regrets losing its "property." It still hates the US for helping Cuba gain independence. It still wants to use Cuba for its own gain and benefit. I'm not interested in what any Spanish politician says. Only real, concrete, meaningful action is significant.

1:13 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It may be a trifle to some, but the lovely "get better soon" note from the Spanish king to Castro, delivered by Moratinos, only adds insult to serious injury. What, exactly, are Cubans supposed to make of such monumental lack of sensitivity toward their misery?

1:34 am  

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