Spain and Cuba want to give stability to the reunion politician who represents the visit this Thursday has started Pedro Sanchez in Havana, the first of a Spanish president in 32 years. With this objective, both countries have agreed to establish a framework for regular high level political consultations similar to that which Cuba has already with the EU, according to diplomatic sources in spain.
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it Is that at least once a year meetings between Foreign ministers and more frequently at a technical level. Spain wants that the agenda of these consultations to include all issues, including human rights, as was the case at the stage of Cobbler and left with Rajoy. “It is not logical that the EU will have a channel of political dialogue with Cuba and not Spain”, claim the sources consulted.
The cooperation agreement between the EU and Cuba, which entered into force a year ago, provided for the holding of regular political consultations on human rights, sustainable development goals or unilateral measures of coercion (a euphemism to refer to the us embargo). The last meeting was held in Brussels last Tuesday.
The aim of giving stability to the bilateral relationship stumbles, however, with the instability of Spanish politics. The main problem is not the fragility of the Government, but the lack of consensus with the opposition regarding policy towards Cuba. The last test are the harsh criticisms of PP and Citizens to travel to Sanchez in Havana. Paul Married he has been accused of “cynicism” by putting the focus on Frank, who is dead, while a visit “to a dictator live”, in allusion to the cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel; while Rivera was criticized 1xbet for his “lack of courage” by not meeting with dissidents in Havana.
Sources of Moncloa ensure that what is effective is not a “get the picture” with the dissidents, but to work discretely to advance human rights in Cuba, but avoided to disclose whether Sanchez is going to ask for Diaz-Canel to the release of Eduardo Cardet Concepción, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), as has been asked by Amnesty International, by means of a letter and the full Senate in a motion passed Wednesday.
The fact that relations with Cuba have become a weapon of the domestic debate makes it very difficult for the new stage of dialogue can be maintained if you change the most in Spain. After that Sanchez has opened the door to an early election, the visit of the Kings to Cuba, which is expected for November 2019, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Havana, will depend on the political colour of the Government which has then in Spain.
Despite this, Díaz-Canel receives Sanchez with open arms. Spanish is the first representative european to visit Cuba after the relay in the head of State, last April. While international leaders, except the spaniards, were queuing up to visit Havana between 2015 and 2017, now the cuban regime is living a delicate moment. The arrival of Trump at the White House and the fall of some of its major allies in Latin america, such as brazil’s Lula, will have left more isolated. The economic collapse of Venezuela has reduced deliveries of oil and the withdrawal of the more than 8,000 cuban doctors exported to Brazil assumes a strong decline in the inflow of remittances. Although the sanctions Washington are still limited, inhibit the arrival of foreign investment.
On his first international tour, Diaz-Canel visited earlier this month Russia, China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and France. Unlike other countries, in Paris received him not Macron, but the prime minister.
in Addition to the reforms in Cuba and economic relations, Sánchez, who travels accompanied by the ministers of Foreign affairs and Industry, Josep Borrell, and Reyes Maroto, will discuss with the cuban authorities, the situation in Latin America, especially Venezuela, Nicaragua and Colombia. In the first two countries, the cuban regime continues to have a strong influence, while The Havana has been the venue for peace talks with the FARC first, and now with the National Liberation Army (ELN), in which Spain has been offered as a “facilitator”. These negotiations are, however, in the pillory, after Bogotá, has denounced the presence in Cuba of the guerrilla leader of the ELN, Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, and demanded his arrest.