• Cuban leader pressured to leave Monterrey Summit in conversation between the presidents of Mexico and Cuba, the recording of which was played at the press conference • If they so wish, reporters can immediately call Fox or Castañeda, and ask them whether it is true or not that this conversation took place and whether these were exactly the words spoken • The promise not to sponsor, promote, or support a resolution against Cuba, made by both Castañeda and by President Fox during their visit to Cuba, had been despicably betrayed

POLITICAL STATEMENT BY DR. FIDEL CASTRO RUZ, PRESIDENT OF THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA.

I was reluctant to expose the evidence of what developed in Monterrey, which obligated me to leave the same day I addressed the Summit, because Mr. Castañeda had dragged President Vicente Fox in his shameless adventure, and I could not disclose the evidence without implications for the Mexican Head of State.

Mr. Castañeda in Washington had hatched the recent conspiracy against Cuba in Geneva. The Checkian government was already weary of its costly and discrediting role of mercenary.

Last year, after the resolution forcibly imposed against Cuba in Geneva, the U.S. government was deprived of its membership in the Commission on Human Rights through a humiliating but well-deserved punishing vote cast in secret ballot at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was the most shameful defeat ever sustained by that country since the establishment of that institution in 1945.

Then, Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda volunteered to give a Latin American face to the new treacherous maneuver. A cynical, rigged and misleading proposal had to be promoted by Latin American delegations in the Commission on Human Rights. That is what he did for the rest of the year 2001, thus creating several incidents with Cuba, which were severely criticized by political figures and members of the Mexican House of Deputies and the Senate.

On April 20, 2001, one day after the resolution against Cuba was voted, in which Mexico abstained, our country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs comrade Felipe Pérez Roque stated that Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda had done everything possible to change Mexico’s position and have Cuba condemned. All throughout that year, Mr. Castañeda schemed and conspired to that end.

At the beginning of this year, and following a Mexican initiative, arrangements were made for a high-level delegation to visit Cuba, headed by Fox. The pretext was to improve relations between our two countries. The Monterrey conference was afoot.

Just like Reagan had done in 1981, on the occasion of a North-South Summit of Heads of State or Government that would be held in Mexico on October that same year, Mr. Bush threatened not to attend if Cuba was there. Again, the honor and duties of the Mexican government came into conflict with its interests. It should be clear that I mean the government of Mexico; I am not referring to our brother, the Mexican people.

Mr. Fox’s and Castañeda’s trip to Cuba, where they arrived on February 3, at 10:30 am, was thoroughly designed. It was full of duplicity and calculation. We were perfectly aware that one of the purposes was to request that we did not participate in the conference. They did not dare. The first hour, practically the first minutes, of the meeting that began at 11:14 am, sufficed. I started by reminding them of the invitation extended to our country by the United Nations to take part in that Summit and went on to analyze in depth the perfidious and hypocritical maneuvers against Cuba in Geneva.

Subsequently, the exchange with Fox and other members of his entourage that morning grew serious and fruitful on various subjects. Castañeda grew nervous and uneasy; you should not think that I have anything against him. After that first meeting, I shared a light lunch with Fox and his delegation. Later, he laid a wreath at José Martí’s memorial and began an extensive tour in which I accompanied him. We talked seriously and intimately on various issues while we drove to places. We visited Old Havana and a power plant in the east of the capital, which operates with oil-accompanying gas using a combined cycle technology. I then suggested that we go to the house of Dr. Eusebio Leal, Historian of the City, whom Fox had just decorated, to visit his convalescent mother.

Our tour ended at the International Neurological Restoration Center, where numerous Mexicans are successfully treated.

On the other hand, at 4:00 pm that same afternoon, our Minister of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with Mr. Castañeda, who did not dare raise with Felipe the issue of the projected resolution against Cuba in Geneva, neither he mentioned the Monterrey Summit. He did promise, however, that Mexico would not sponsor, promote or support any motion against Cuba in Geneva.

At 8:00 pm there was an official welcome ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution and at 8:53, Fox and I met privately in my office. When we came to the Geneva issue, after various explanations, he literally assured me that Mexico would never do anything against Cuba since there was a longstanding relationship between Mexico and Cuba that he did not want to harm in any way. Later, and according to the itinerary, we had a dinner that developed in a friendly atmosphere. The visit left us with a positive impression. We had many hours of respectful and seemingly sincere exchanges.

However, that nice impression would not last long. Castañeda took to making enigmatic and bizarre statements: “Mexico’s relations with the Cuban Revolution have ceased to exist, and relations with the Republic of Cuba have begun…” “Mexico’s position today is different from that of the past”, etc. A short time later he traveled to Miami to dedicate, on February 26, a Mexican Cultural Institute. His guests were a curious fauna of terrorists and counterrevolutionaries of Cuban descent that have never had any interest in culture.

Again, he took to his theoretical lucubration on Mexico’s relations with the Revolution or the Republic of Cuba, using sweet words to address his “selective” audience. He said: “The doors of the Mexican Embassy in Havana are open to every Cuban, the same way Mexico is.” Then, the editors of the subversive and ill-named Radio Marti station manipulated his statements and spent the entire following day repeating that relations between Mexico and Cuba had been severed and the doors of that country’s embassy in Havana were open to all.

A grave incident occurred late in the night, which was solved only thanks to the earnest and efficient cooperation of Cuba requested by the Mexican government. Again, malicious rumors and rude slanders were spread. It was even said that it was all a Cuban provocation. This is now the beginning of March. The Monterrey Summit is very close.

For obvious reasons, I usually do not announce my decision to attend, or not, such gatherings. And, if I decide to go, it is only at the last minute that I inform the concerned authorities. Some people arrive in these conferences without previous notice, and they have never had any difficulties with the hosts. This time, when the decision was made about three days before the meeting, I announced my arrival 24 hours in advance, on March 19. I had two reasons for that: Bush did not want me there neither did Fox. On the other hand, I did not wish to get involved in a lengthy discussion with Fox and Castañeda, who would try to persuade me and beg me not to go.

When President Reagan threatened to boycott a meeting in 1981, I found myself in the need to oblige to President José López Portillo. But, in his embarrassment, this man behave like a gentleman and had an elegant gesture; he invited me to Cozumel and very candidly explained his tragedy. I obliged.

Presently, the men and the times are different. The international situation is today extraordinarily grave and complicated. The main issue to be discussed in that conference was of crucial importance to every country from the poor and exploited world. It was my right to attend and I decided to do just that. I knew that as soon as I informed my decision to participate, it would take less than a minute before the President of the United States learned about it, and the unavoidable pressures would come on Mexico. I did not want to give them much room for that. Therefore, I wrote a short letter and instructed our ambassador there to deliver it to the President of Mexico at 7:00 pm Cuba time, 6:00 pm Mexico time.

Although Monterrey was by then full of delegates, our delegation had earlier booked half of the 40 rooms in a small recently opened hotel. Due to the uncertainty about the trip they had not booked them all. On the other hand, we wanted to misinform the perennial and omnipresent terrorists, trained, spoiled and protected by the United States. Eventually, I would only need half the rooms in that small hotel.

The content of my letter, already published by Mr. Castañeda with the aim to manipulate a phrase he would use in his arguments to try explaining my swift return, literally reads:

Havana, March 19, 2002

His Excellency Mr. Vicente Fox Quesada

President of the Mexican United States

Dear President:

I have read again your kind letter from January 28 this year, in which you invite me to take part in the International Conference on Financing for Development, convened by the United Nations, and to be held in Monterrey. Before that, on December 21, 2001, I had received an invitation from ambassadors Shamshad Ahmad and Ruth Jacoby, co-chairpersons of the UN Preparatory Committee.

The enormous amount of work I have had in the last few weeks would not allow me to be certain of attending such a Conference. That made me feel bad about Mexico, the venue of that important meeting, and about the United Nations, which has showed great interest in the event.

Therefore, I have taken the decision to make a special effort to participate in that conference, even if for the minimum time possible. It is a pleasure for me to communicate this decision to you first.

I hope to be able to contribute with a constructive spirit to the success of that Conference for which Mexico has worked strenuously.

I wish you every success, dear President Fox, as I reiterate the testimony of my personal friendship and consideration.

Fidel Castro Ruz

When I said that it would be a short stay, I clearly meant that I would limit myself to the two days of the conference --that was really my intention-- and that I would not pursue any additional itinerary in Mexico.

At the time our ambassador delivered the letter to the President’s personal secretary, he was told that Fox would be leaving for Monterrey shortly. After our representative had completed that mission, he went to the offices of the Home Minister, whom he informed of the same in order to make the necessary arrangements. We would be arriving in Monterrey 24 hours later.

Around 11:00 pm that night, Cuba time, a telephone call from Mexico was received in my office. They said that President Fox wanted to talk to me as soon as possible. As I was not there, they were asked to retry a little later. At 11:28 they were calling back again. At that moment I was meeting with several comrades in a room not far from my office. (The call) I instinctively felt something was wrong.

II PART