EU commissioner criticized for snubbing Cuba's civil society
The European Union's development and humanitarian aid chief has come under fire
after failing to meet with independent groups during his recent visit to Cuba.
It is the policy of the European Council, the EU institution representing
member states, that dialogue with Cuba should include the democratic
opposition and civil society.
But Louis Michel, the
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, reportedly refused to meet with the dissidents' relatives
group Women in White (Damas de Blanco) and declined requests to raise
the issue of political prisoners. The Women
in White, recipients of the European Parliament's Sakharov prize, were recently harassed by government supporters.
Another delegation member,
Spanish socialist Miguel Martinez, a Vice- President of the European Parliament
not only refused to meet the dissidents' relatives but happily meet with
families of Cuban agents imprisoned in the United States.
Slovakia's Pontis
Foundation, which actively supports Cuba's civil society and political prisoners, initiated the protests against Michel's snub. Ignacio Salafranca, a member of the European Parliament,
raised the issue with the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso who
has promised to pursue the matter.
Announcing an additional
7.5 million euros (US$10m) in hurricane response assistance to the communist
state, Michel described the relationship between Cuban and the EU as "a fundamental one that will only improve".
Michel met with Havana's
new Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez six years after the 27-nation EU partially
suspended diplomatic relations in response to Cuba's "black spring when the communist regime arrested 75
dissidents and independent journalists who subsequently received prison
sentences ranging from six to 28 years.
Rodriguez said the regime
was willing to discuss human rights with the EU but quickly
backtracked when Michel referred specifically to Cuba's prisons.
Source: http://www.demdigest.net/blog/1862/eu-commissioner-criticized-for-snubbing-cubas-civil-society.html