|
Anti-Cuban maneuver in context of Ibero-American
Summit frustrated
SAN JOSE.—Dozens of Costa Ricans
have frustrated an anti-Cuban maneuver in the
legislative assembly by preventing a so-called
international forum for democracy on the island.
Convened by organizations and
politicos financed by the United States, the forum
was suspended minutes after it began as a result of
its repudiation by members of groups of solidarity
and friendship with the Cuban people, trade unions
and parliamentarians.
Barely two speakers had finished
when a large group began to shout slogans of support
for Cuba and to demand an end to the forum,
organized in the context of the 15th Ibero-American
Summit.
Some of those present informed
Prensa Latina that the real sentiment of Costa
Ricans was bravely demonstrated in the face of a
politicking and terrorist minority of Washington
mercenaries.
One of the provocateurs, of Cuban
origin and a U.S. pupil, acknowledged that there was
no way to repay the enormous aid received by the
counterrevolution.
As Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister
Rafael Daussá exposed in a press conference, Abel
Pacheco’s government maintained a hermetic silence
over the diplomatic note from the Havana government
referring to the extraterritoriality of the
Helms-Burton Act being applied in Costa Rica.
It has not uttered a word on the
decision of the Siemens subsidiary not to repair the
Cuban Consulate telephone center in this capital due
to known pressure from the United States.
In a clear manner, the
authorities allowed the so-called International
Forum for Democracy to go ahead, but never
authorized or responded to official requests from
the Cuban government.
Information from the island’s
authorities revealed that in 2003, approval for a
tribute marking the 150th anniversary of the birth
of José Martí was requested, as well as the go ahead
for a book to be launched in the Costa Rican
Parliament, to no avail.
That same legislative assembly
has now permitted the entry of a minority of
politicos and terrorists, as Daussá qualified them.
The Costa Rican Parliament failed
to respond to a Cuban deputy’s interest in meeting
with a senior Costa Rican parliamentary official and
on one occasion the then consul asked him to leave
his office.
For the deputy minister the San
José administration has demonstrated its double
standards and its complicity in actions against the
Caribbean nation.
The so-called forum was
frustrated by the people after the government headed
by President Abel Pacheco refused to prevent what
Havana qualified as an anti-Cuban farce.
Two diplomatic notes from Havana,
meetings requested with the Costa Rican consul and
other conversations were ignored.
Speakers invited to the “show”
included CIA agent and terrorist Carlos Alberto
Montaner; members of counterrevolutionary groups;
and former presidents Luis Alberto Monge (Costa
Rica), Luis Alberto Lacalle (Uruguay) and Armando
Calderón (El Salvador).
Questioned by Prensa Latina, the
counterrevolutionaries eluded any direct response on
the issue of the forum’s funding by the United
States and hurriedly left the Parliament.
At the same time, the National
Public and Private Employees Association published a
strong condemnation of the disrespectful act against
a member country of the Ibero-American community,
and stated that the nation had been totally
ridiculed by the attitude of its government.
The executives of a large number
of trade unions, the Solidarity with Cuba Committee,
former deputies and the Cuban Residents Association
joined in the protest to prevent the meeting going
ahead. (PL)
CUBA CONDEMNS THE COMPLICITY
OF THE COSTA RICAN GOVERNEMNT
In a statement released on
November 16, the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that
“by not preventing the utilization of its territory
for a maneuver financed by the United States,
despite the solid arguments reiterated by Cuba, the
government of Costa Rica has made itself an
accomplice of this farce.”
“The Revolutionary Government of
Cuba condemns the Government of Costa Rica falls
upon it as the host of the Summit, which includes
adopting appropriate measures to ensure that a
fitting climate for such an event prevails,” the
text notes.
It adds that it was evident that the farce organized
by a supposed “Costa Rican Solidarity with Cuba
Committee” was deliberately aimed at creating
difficulties in terms of the island’s participation
and, in fact, the very celebration of the
Ibero-American Summit.
|
