David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Friday 20 June, 2008

Engagement with Cuba

I have sat through a discussion in Brussels about next steps on engagement with Cuba. The number of political prisoners (229 in June 2008) and prisoners of conscience (62 according to Amnesty) are a stain on the reputation of the country. But there is consensus in the EU that renewed engagement with the new government is worthwhile. I support that. And there are tentative signs of opening up.

But the discussion was striking for the experience around the table of living with dictatorial regimes: not just in Eastern Europe where the memory is recent, but in Spain and Portugal and Greece. The discussion was not romantic or rose tinted: human rights abuse casts a long shadow. 

The EU will review its process of engagement in a year's time to check on progress before taking it further forward.

 

Posted at 10:38 20 June 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

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Fidel Castro is a hero of socialism who no doubt inspired many Labour Party activisists including many of the Labour Party's present MP's with his stand against the tyranny that had engulfed his country. He othertherew Batista and stood up to the money grabbers in Washington. Does this condone holding political prisoners? No. But lets look at in context. We trade with Libya despite the horrific Lockerbie bombing. We trade with Saudi Arabia despite their appaling human rights record. We trade with China despite their appaling human rights record, their harbouring thousands of political prisoners and their immoral approach to Tibet. We trade with many countries far worse than Cuba. Less of the double standards.

Posted by Justin on June 21, 2008 at 12:10 PM BST #

It's useful to remember that Spain and Portugal and Greece were until quite recently dictatorships - in my adult lifetime even if not in yours. One of the many advantages of the EU and its predecessor the EEC is that they’ve provided countries with a real incentive to become democracies another reasonably important! one is that they've provided a real incentive for European countries not to go to war with each other - something they were rather too keen on before 1950.

Posted by Brian Hughes on June 21, 2008 at 12:17 PM BST #

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