Our European friends
This is what you get for trying to be nice to the Castro brothers: a kick up the backside.
As you know, the European Union has been trying hard for the past couple of years to “repair” its relations with Havana, which went into a nosedive in 2003 following the Castro regime’s violent crackdown on 75 prominent dissidents.
Largely at the insistence of the hapless Spanish prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, most EU members have been careful not to upset the regime too much as part of their "repair" strategy.
Member nations have generally toned down their criticism of human right abuses, with some members going as far as stopping all contact with the small but active Cuban dissident movement.
Well, if the EU was expecting the regime to give them a big thank you hug, they are sadly mistaken. Again.
According to media reports today, the Cuban deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eumelio Caballero, has told reporters that the EU is nothing but a pawn of those nasty American imperialists.
"Sadly it has been impossible for the EU to develop its own Cuba policy because it is vulnerable to pressures from the United States," Mr Caballero said.
And like the good apparatchik he is, he singled out for criticism the three EU member nations who have bucked the trend and continued to criticise the Castro regime: the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.
For the record, let's repeat that: the three EU nations that have continued to take the Castro regime to task are the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary - and Cubans everywhere, in and outside the island, should be eternally grateful.
As you know, the European Union has been trying hard for the past couple of years to “repair” its relations with Havana, which went into a nosedive in 2003 following the Castro regime’s violent crackdown on 75 prominent dissidents.
Largely at the insistence of the hapless Spanish prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, most EU members have been careful not to upset the regime too much as part of their "repair" strategy.
Member nations have generally toned down their criticism of human right abuses, with some members going as far as stopping all contact with the small but active Cuban dissident movement.
Well, if the EU was expecting the regime to give them a big thank you hug, they are sadly mistaken. Again.
According to media reports today, the Cuban deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eumelio Caballero, has told reporters that the EU is nothing but a pawn of those nasty American imperialists.
"Sadly it has been impossible for the EU to develop its own Cuba policy because it is vulnerable to pressures from the United States," Mr Caballero said.
And like the good apparatchik he is, he singled out for criticism the three EU member nations who have bucked the trend and continued to criticise the Castro regime: the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.
For the record, let's repeat that: the three EU nations that have continued to take the Castro regime to task are the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary - and Cubans everywhere, in and outside the island, should be eternally grateful.
posted by Luis M Garcia at 4:35 pm
2 Comments:
Luis,
it is no coincidence that these 3 same nations in Eastern Europe were victims of Soviet agression during the Cold War. Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Poland in the 80's when it was threatened by an military invasion from the Soviet Union and General Jarulseski had to impose martial law to forestall the invasion.
They know what Communism means and what it can do to a country. That may explain why they seem to be the "hardliners" in the EU with respect to Cuba. They know Cuba is a stalinist tyranny because at one time they had very close relations with their Communist Party and the State Security apparatus. As the saying goes: it takes one, to know one. May God bless Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland for being on our side now. We can sure use some friends in the EU. God knows Mr. Bean (Mr. ZZZZ)the self-appointed mediator between Cuba and the EU, is not our friend.
It is beyond sad, beyond disgusting, beyond appalling that Spain, of all countries, is not doing AT LEAST as well by Cuba as the Czechs, Hungary and Poland. It is absolutely obscene. There is no conceivable excuse for this. NONE.
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