EU envoys target Castro on human rights abuse

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 08/06/06

Cuba should face greater pressure to explain its violations of human rights, according to a report by European Union member states' diplomats in the country.

They are pressing for measures to be taken against Fidel Castro's regime in the face of continued human rights abuses.

The EU's position towards Cuba will be discussed at a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday

According to the report, drawn up by the so-called EU heads of mission, the EU should increase contacts with the opposition and provide more uncensored information to Cuba's citizens.

The measures could also see Cuban diplomats summoned by member states to explain incidents of human rights abuse.

These measures were foreseen in a mid-term review of policy drawn up by the secretariat of the Council of Ministers in January, but have not so far been implemented.

Following a wave of mass arrests in 2003, the EU imposed diplomatic sanctions on the Castro regime, which were later revoked after the release of some prisoners.

The US authorities and human rights groups criticised the EU for rescinding the sanctions despite only 15 of the 75 arrested being conditionally released.

EU diplomats believe the end of the Austrian presidency may give fresh impetus to those seeking a harder stance. Vienna had been concerned that discussing measures to boost contacts with the opposition would hamper preparation for the EU-Latin America summit.

The summit, which was held in Vienna on 12 May, was a major foreign policy set-piece of the Austrian presidency.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have been vocal in calling for Finland, which takes over the EU presidency in July, to take up the issue of Cuba's human-rights record.

Other member states, notably Spain and France, have argued that censuring the regime too strongly would reduce the EU's influence.

Some other member states are sympathetic to this stance, fearing that fierce criticism would result in the Cuban authorities cutting some diplomatic ties and perhaps even expelling embassy and consular staff.

But former Czech Prime Minister Václav Havel, who visited Brussels last week, rejected these views.

He told European Voice: "We should not accommodate Castro's regime. There is ample evidence that Castro did not change his ways after the EU tried to appease him by suspending diplomatic sanctions.

"Free-thinking Cubans are attacked and intim-idated by the secret police and their families are harassed."

Human rights groups say the situation has changed in the last year but remains bad.

Kristina Prunerová of People in Need, a Czech-based NGO that makes frequent visits to Cuba, said that arrests had slowed but other forms of repression remained.

"Repression using the method of imprisonment has been exchanged for acts of repudiation," she said.

According to Prunerová this often takes the form of paid demonstrators protesting in front of dissidents' houses or the houses of their families.

But other observers have warned that Cuba's increasingly deep ties with Hugo Chávez's Venezuela and Evo Morales's Bolivia are reducing the EU's influence and the EU must remain engaged.

Cuba already receives much of its energy supplies from Venezuela, although European trade remains essential to the country.

Article reports that EU heads of mission in Cuba were calling for the EU to put greater pressure on the Castro regime to explain its violations of human rights.

European Commission: DG Development: Countries: Cuba https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/countries/cuba_en

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