Diplomatic lessons
This week’s much-anticipated visit to Spain by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is likely to produce a few diplomatic fireworks.
And yes, some of them will involve our old pal Fidel Castro.
According to this Reuters report, Ms Rice has already made it clear that when it comes to dealing with the ailing 80-year-old dictator, she doesn’t see “eye to eye” with the Spaniards' policy of dialogue with the Communist regime.
Speaking in Berlin before her trip, she said she had hoped that a country like Spain - which had overcome its own "authoritarian past" - would be well aware of the need for democracy in a nation such as Cuba.
"The Cubans deserve better,” she added.
We shall see.
And yes, some of them will involve our old pal Fidel Castro.
According to this Reuters report, Ms Rice has already made it clear that when it comes to dealing with the ailing 80-year-old dictator, she doesn’t see “eye to eye” with the Spaniards' policy of dialogue with the Communist regime.
Speaking in Berlin before her trip, she said she had hoped that a country like Spain - which had overcome its own "authoritarian past" - would be well aware of the need for democracy in a nation such as Cuba.
"The Cubans deserve better,” she added.
We shall see.
posted by Luis M Garcia at 9:27 am
1 Comments:
I doubt anybody expects much to come out of this visit. Looks like a formality or "gesture." People like Zapatero and that utter slimeball Moratinos will never do the right thing, because it's not in their nature (assuming they even know what the right thing is). Their hand would have to be forced. Besides, the Spanish have serious US issues (since 1898), so unless they get a Sarkosy, I'm not holding my breath.
As for Rice meeting with the king, well, I suppose it's a photo opportunity, if nothing else. The guy does a great job as a bon vivant, and I guess he's smart enough to know which way the wind blows and go with it, but he's totally discredited himself when it comes to Cuba. Maybe Rice can ask him what was the latest gift he accepted from Castro (which was almost certainly either part of Cuba's patrimony or stolen property), so one day he can be sued into returning it (along with previous gifts).
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