The Hindu : International : "They are not dissidents"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004

International

International

"They are not dissidents"

Juan Carretero Ibañez, Ambassador of Cuba in India, writes in response to a Reuters report published in The Hindu of December 16:

The Embassy of Cuba has considered The Hindu not only as the best political newspaper in India, but also as the best friend of the Cuban Revolution, among the biggest newspapers in English. It is sad for us to see in its pages news about Cuba that reflects the point of view of the United States Government and its allies about the Cuban American exile `mafia' in Miami. On December 16, 2004, in the international pages, a Reuters news story from Havana was published containing the latest information of the last provocation against Cuba made by the Chief of the United States Interest Section in Havana, James Cason.

Under the pretext of celebrating Christmas, which is respected like all other religious festivals in Cuba, Mr. Cason, along with the symbols of the nativity inside the premises of the United States interest section, placed the number 75. According to Mr. Cason, this number pays homage to the 75 Cubans, the so-called `dissidents,' who were sentenced to prison last year.

These who were prosecuted in Cuba are not dissidents. They are mercenaries on the payroll of the U.S. interest section in Cuba. The use of diplomatic premises to commit a political provocation against the legitimate Government of the country constitutes a violation of the diplomatic norms established by the Vienna Convention. The activities of these criminals, probed by the prosecutors during the trials, cannot be compared with the actions of objectors of conscience or peaceful freedom fighters in the history of India. It is incompatible with the behaviour of a patriot to receive a salary from the Government of the superpower that, historically, is the first and worst enemy of the Cuban nation.

We would like to recall that the U.S. Government had allotted a budget of $ 59 million to promote the activities of these so-called `dissidents.' In our historical battle with the establishment of American imperialism, the Cuban revolution always faced the attacks of the so-called free and objective media, permanently in alliance with the American Government. Reuters has been an example of this kind of `objectivity'!

The people who were sentenced to prison last year were prosecuted in trials with all the guarantees of the Cuban law. It was proved that they are mercenaries who received a salary from the Bush administration - as a reward for their subversive activities against their own country. Mr. Cason is the person who, on behalf of the Bush Government, paid the salaries.

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