>Subject: [Cuba SI] Cuban Foreign Minister speaks with Pope about Elian >Cuba Slams U.S., Denies >Making Elian a Pawn > >Monday, January 17, 2000 >By Jude Webber > >ROME (Reuters) - Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque >Monday attacked constant U.S. manipulation of 6-year-old >shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez and denied the communist island >nation was using the boy as a political pawn itself. > >Perez Roque, beginning a European tour to drum up support for >Gonzalez to be returned from his "kidnap" in the United States, >raised the issue with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. > >He criticized U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, who tightened Washington's >blockade of Cuba with a 1996 law, saying he was trying to impose >U.S. citizenship on the child. > >"A child is the most important thing there is in Cuba. The Cuban >people do not make a political issue out of children. They demand >that the boy return to his father," Perez Roque told reporters after >meeting Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema. > >U.S. immigration authorities have ruled Gonzalez must be sent >back to Cuba from Miami, where he has been living with relatives >since he was plucked from the sea on Nov. 25. > >But his return has been delayed by court proceedings in a bitter >custody battle played out between President Fidel Castro and >Miami's politically powerful Cuban exile community. > >"I believe that international public opinion is very important, that >international public opinion should be expressed against this >flagrant violation of human rights of this boy. > >"We hope that the international community will back ... the boy >being sent back to his father as the law demands ... and as the >U.S. government itself has decided," Perez Roque said. > >He chided Washington further by saying Elian's plight was the >result of U.S. immigration policy. > >"If the boy was from Haiti, he would have been sent back >immediately. If he was Mexican, they would have thrown him over >the wall between the United States and Mexico," he said. "If it >were any other country, this would not be happening." > >In a bid to block the Elian's repatriation, Republican Sen. Jesse >Helms has vowed to introduce a bill granting Gonzalez immediate >U.S. citizenship. > >"They have kidnapped him. I hope my contacts and my visits in >Europe, where the subject of the family and human rights is taken >so seriously, will rally public opinion ... in favor of his immediate >return to his family in Cuba," Perez Roque said. > >The minister declined to say whether the pope agreed that >Gonzalez, who survived the shipwreck that killed his divorced >mother, should be sent back to Cuba. > >"It's a question of the separation of families that has been a great >concern of His Holiness," the minister said. But he said Cuba and >the Polish pontiff saw "eye to eye on opinions (the pope) has repeatedly >raised on the need to globalize solidarity and expand >social justice in the world." > >In particular he cited debt relief. The pope is crusading for rich nations to >write off Third World debt. > > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >Daniel Christer Krook >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.krook.net >AOL Instant Message: Radio Rebelde > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Cuba SI: http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi/ >Imperialism NO! Venceramos! >Information and discussion about Cuba. >Discussion of the path of Ernesto Che Guevara. > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >For the fastest and easiest way to backup your files and, access them from > >anywhere. Try @backup Free for 30 days. Click here for a chance to win a > >digital camera. >http://click.egroups.com/1/337/0/_/30563/_/948217915/ > >eGroups.com Home: http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi/ >http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications > > ><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> ><HTML><HEAD> ><META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> ><META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> ><STYLE></STYLE> ></HEAD> ><BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2><STRONG>Cuba >Slams U.S., Denies<BR>Making Elian a Pawn</STRONG></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>Monday, >January 17, 2000<BR>By Jude Webber </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>ROME >(Reuters) - Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque<BR>Monday attacked >constant U.S. manipulation of 6-year-old<BR>shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez >and denied the communist island<BR>nation was using the boy as a political >pawn >itself. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2><STRONG>Perez >Roque, beginning a European tour to drum up support for </STRONG></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2><STRONG>Gonzalez to be returned from his "kidnap" in the United >States,<BR>raised the issue with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. ></STRONG></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>He >criticized >U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, who tightened Washington's<BR>blockade of Cuba with a >1996 law, saying he was trying to impose<BR>U.S. citizenship on the child. ></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>"A child is >the most important thing there is in Cuba. The Cuban<BR>people do not make a >political issue out of children. They demand<BR>that the boy return to his >father," Perez Roque told reporters after<BR>meeting Italian Prime Minister >Massimo D'Alema. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>U.S. >immigration authorities have ruled Gonzalez must be sent<BR>back to Cuba from >Miami, where he has been living with relatives<BR>since he was plucked from >the >sea on Nov. 25. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>But his >return has been delayed by court proceedings in a bitter<BR>custody battle >played out between President Fidel Castro and<BR>Miami's politically powerful >Cuban exile community. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>"I believe >that international public opinion is very important, that<BR>international >public opinion should be expressed against this<BR>flagrant violation of human >rights of this boy. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>"We hope >that >the international community will back ... the boy<BR>being sent back to his >father as the law demands ... and as the<BR>U.S. government itself has >decided," >Perez Roque said. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>He chided >Washington further by saying Elian's plight was the<BR>result of U.S. >immigration policy. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><STRONG>"If >the boy was from Haiti, he would have been sent back<BR>immediately. If he was >Mexican, they would have thrown him over<BR>the wall between the United States >and Mexico," he said. "If it<BR>were any other country, this would not be >happening." </STRONG></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>In a bid to >block the Elian's repatriation, Republican Sen. Jesse<BR>Helms has vowed to >introduce a bill granting Gonzalez immediate</FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>U.S. >citizenship. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>"They have >kidnapped him. I hope my contacts and my visits in<BR>Europe, where the >subject >of the family and human rights is taken<BR>so seriously, will rally public >opinion ... in favor of his immediate<BR>return to his family in Cuba," Perez >Roque said. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>The >minister >declined to say whether the pope agreed that</FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>Gonzalez, >who >survived the shipwreck that killed his divorced<BR>mother, should be sent back >to Cuba. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2><STRONG>"It's >a question of the separation of families that has been a great<BR>concern of >His >Holiness," the minister said. But he said Cuba and<BR>the Polish pontiff saw >"eye to eye on opinions (the pope) has repeatedly raised on the need to >globalize solidarity and expand<BR>social justice in the world." ></STRONG></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>In >particular >he cited debt relief. The pope is crusading for rich</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2> nations to write off Third World debt. </FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2></FONT> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma >size=2>-----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>Dan >iel >Christer Krook<BR><A >href="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>, ><A href="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A></FONT></DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> </DIV> ><DIV align=left style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><A >href="http://www.krook.net">http://www.krook.net</A><BR>AOL Instant Message: >Radio Rebelde</FONT></DIV></FONT> > > ><hr> >Cuba SI: <a href="http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi/" target="_top" >>http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi/</a><br> >Imperialism NO! Venceramos!<br> >Information and discussion about Cuba.<br> >Discussion of the path of Ernesto Che Guevara. > > ><hr><center> ><!-- begin banner runid: 729 crid: 453 --> ><center> ><a target="egnewwin" >href="http://click.egroups.com/1/729/0/_/30563/_/948217915/"> ><img width="468" height="60" > border="0" > alt="" > >src="http://adimg.egroups.com/img/729/0/_/30563/_/948217915/468x60.AG1242-71932 >.gif"></center><center><font color="white"></font></center></a> ><!-- end banner --> ></center> > >eGroups.com Home: <a >href="http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi">http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi< >/a><br> ><a href="http://www.egroups.com">www.egroups.com</a> - Simplifying group >communications<br> ></body></html> > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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