DATE=11/13/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CUBA - DISSENT (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-256120
BYLINE=GREG FLAKUS
DATELINE=HAVANA, CUBA
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: In Cuba a private meeting of disident groups
took place in a house on the outskirts of Havana on
Friday without incident. But as V-O-A's Greg Flakus
reports from Havana, it's not clear what impact the
opposition political groups will have on the Ibero
American Summit, which takes place in the Cuban
capital Monday and Tuesday.
TEXT: The so-called assembly of non-governmental
organizations went ahead on Friday in spite of the
detention of some disident leaders and they expressed
disapproval of Cuban president Fidel Castro. About
twenty people took part in the meeting.
The leaders of the disident groups are hoping to gain
access to officials from Spain, Portugal, and nineteen
Latin American nations attending next week's summit.
But their impact is likely to be limited by the
measures taking by Cuban authorities in recent days.
Around forty disidents have been detained in recent
days and a number of others have been prohibited from
traveling to Havana from various parts of the island
nation.
In addition, President Castro has derided various
disident leaders by name, calling them agents of the
U-S government and U-S based Cuban exile groups.
The Cuban leader says they are financed by the United
States and do not have any support inside Cuba. He
has warned that his government will not allow these
groups to act outside the law regardless of the fact
that foreign leaders and hundreds of foreign
journalists will be here in Havana for the summit. In
the speech this week, Mr. Castro said the Cuban
revolution will not be held hostage by the summit.
In spite of Mr. Castro's disapproval, however,
representatives of at least few nations taking part in
the Ibero American Summit do plan to meet with
disident leaders and human rights activists in the
coming days.
Spanish president, Jose Maria Aznar will reportedly
meet with some disident leaders on Monday. In
addition, Mexico's Excelsior Newspaper reported Friday
that Mexican foreign minister Rosario- Green is
planning to meet with Elizardo Sanchez, director of
the Independent Cuban Human Rights Commission, at some
point during the summit.
Disident leaders denied that they're trying to
undermine the summit as Mr. Castro has charged. They
say they only wish to express their opinions and offer
their solutions to the problems their country
currently faces.
Cuban officials, meantime, say next week's summit will
provide an opportunity for regional nations to examine
the theme of economic globalization and how developing
countries are affected by shift in world markets.
President Castro has expressed the hope that Latin
American nations might seek closer ties with Spain,
Portugal, and other European nations in order to
escape what he refers to as domination by the United
States. (Signed)
NEB/GF/TVM-T/PT
13-Nov-1999 19:45 PM EDT (14-Nov-1999 0045 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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