Visit to Cuba
Freedom House, April 7, 2007.
April 6, 2007 - Freedom House sent a letter today to the Foreign
Minister of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, expressing disappointment
that the official met with Cuban authorities during a recent visit to
the island but not with members of the country's dissident movement.
Mr. Moratinos' visit, the first by a European Union Foreign Minister
since Cuba's human rights crackdown in 2003, occurred April 2-3, 2007.
During the visit, he met with several high ranking Cuban officials,
including acting President Raúl Castro, as well as the vice-president
and the Cuban foreign minister. However, Mr. Moratinos' schedule did not
include meetings with any of Cuba's democracy advocates. Instead, he
tasked a lower ranking official to meet with dissidents after his
departure, in a move possibly designed to avoid upsetting Cuban
authorities. In response, four of the six dissident leaders invited
boycotted the gathering.
"Spain has long served as a model of a peaceful democratic transition
and has played an important role in encouraging democratic reform around
the world," wrote Jennifer Windsor, Executive Director of Freedom House,
in the letter. "The decision not to personally meet with those
individuals on the front-lines of the peaceful struggle from democratic
freedoms sent an unfortunate -- if unintended -- message that issues of
human rights are not a top priority in Spanish foreign policy."
During the visit, Spain and Cuba agreed to re-launch bilateral
cooperation programs suspended after the 2003 crackdown, and agreed to
regular political talks that reportedly may include discussions on human
rights issues. In the letter to Mr. Moratinos, Freedom House urged the
Spanish government to reject demands by the Cuban Foreign Minister that
the agenda for talks with Spain not include discussions regarding the
political prisoners.
Spain is a member of the European Union as well as of the Community of
Democracies, an organization of countries that have pledged to uphold
democratic ideals and promote human rights.
The text of the letter follows.
April 6, 2007
His Excellency Miguel Angel Moratinos
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Plaza de la Provincia, 1
28071 Madrid
Spain
Excellency:
Spain has long served as a model of a peaceful democratic transition and
has played an important role in encouraging democratic reform around the
world. The Spanish government, as a member of both the European Union
and the Community of Democracies, has committed itself to the promotion
and protection of fundamental individual freedoms.
Your recent visit to Cuba was the first by a European Union Foreign
Minister since the human rights crackdown in 2003. During your trip, you
conducted meetings with several high ranking government officials, but
unfortunately decided not to meet with any of Cuba's democracy
advocates. Instead, after your departure, a lower ranking member of your
delegation met with some representatives of the community. This decision
not to personally meet with those individuals on the front-lines of the
peaceful struggle from democratic freedoms sent an unfortunate - if
unintended -- message that issues of human rights are not a top priority
in Spanish foreign policy. It also reinforced the perception - advanced
by the government of Cuba -- that those who are working for reform in
the country are not legitimate interlocutors to consult on the future of
Cuba.
Freedom House encourages that human rights issues - especially the
status of political prisoners - play an official part of the announced
ongoing political dialogue. Freedom House strongly urges the Spanish
government to make all efforts possible to ensure that the independent
voices for democracy on the island are included in the process of
dialogue on the ongoing transition.
Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Windsor
Executive Director
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