By this measure of self-organized and self-mobilized popular participation, I think, Venezuela is the most democratic nation in the world today. Bolivarians have successfully overturned the coup by the elite and overcome sabotages by the rich. Impressive!
At 8:10 PM +1000 4/24/03, Thiago Oppermann wrote:
>spread the revolution internationally
The revolution has yet to spread internationally, but Cuba is not without allies:
***** Cuba Feels Vindicated On Human Rights HAVANA, April 18, 2003
(AP) The U.N. Human Rights Commission's failure to condemn Cuba for its recent crackdown affirmed the island leadership's belief in the right to defend itself from attempts to subvert its system, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said Friday.
"The unquestionable majority vote is a clear signal from the Human Rights Commission that Cuba has the right to apply its own laws," Perez Roque told a news conference. "`This was a resonant victory for Cuba, and we express our profound satisfaction."
The top United Nations watchdog on Thursday rejected a proposed amendment criticizing Cuba's recent crackdown on opponents, instead approving a milder resolution calling for a U.N. rights monitor to visit the island.
The 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission, which regularly criticizes Cuba on its rights record, voted 31-15 during its meeting in Geneva against condemning the communist state's month-long drive against dissidents and other opponents.
Cuban tribunals earlier this month sentenced 75 dissidents to prison terms ranging from 6 to 28 years on charges of being mercenaries who worked with the American government to harm the island's socialist system. The dissidents and the U.S. government deny the accusations.
The rejected amendment expressed "deep concern about the recent detention, summary prosecution and harsh sentencing of numerous members of the political opposition" and called for them to be released.
Governments and human rights groups around the world have condemned Cuba for jailing dozens of dissidents. The crackdown was followed by the April 11 executions of three men convicted of the hijacking nine days earlier of a ferry filled with passengers.
Perez Roque accused the U.S. government of concocting the failed attempt to condemn the communist-run island and questioned the human rights records of those countries that backed the measure.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Thursday that despite the measure's defeat, the United States was pleased that the commission passed a Cuba resolution.
"It sends a strong message of support for the courageous Cubans who struggle daily to defend their human rights and their fundamental freedoms," Boucher said.
Although Perez Roque acknowledged that the final measure was not a condemnation of Cuba's, he said his country would not comply with it.
The milder resolution, passed 24-20, urged the Caribbean nation to accept a visit by U.N. human rights investigator, French jurist Christine Chanet. There were nine abstentions.
Cuba has previously refused to allow Chanet to visit, claiming such a visit could infringe on its sovereignty.
Latin American countries voting in favor of the resolution that passed included Mexico a longtime Cuban ally as well as Paraguay, Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Argentina and Brazil abstained on the resolution that was approved. Venezuela, a strong political ally of Cuba, voted against it.
The commission also turned down a proposal 26-17, brought by Cuba itself, that criticized the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba.
By Anita Snow
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/18/world/main550099.shtml> *****
***** U.S. fails to pass anti-Cuba resolution at OAS Reuters, 04.23.03, 8:07 PM ET By Pablo Bachelet
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies Wednesday failed to pass a resolution condemning rights abuse in Cuba in the Organization of American States but vowed to come back with a revised text soon.
Reflecting deep divisions over President Fidel Castro's Cuba within the Americas, many OAS members voiced skepticism over the resolution, including Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico.
The proposed text, presented before the OAS' Permanent Council by Nicaragua and co-sponsored by the U.S. and Costa Rica, called on Havana to "immediately free all unjustly arrested Cubans."...
The resolution, which was also backed by Canada and Chile, will be presented again, after a round of further talks. Permanent Council resolutions must obtain consensus to pass.
Carmen Marina Gutierrez, the Nicaraguan ambassador, said countries needed more time to consider the text.
"I am requesting that the project be remitted to the General Commission next week so that delegations continue the consulting process, since I consider they need more time."
The General Commission is part of the Permanent Council, and the U.S. and its allies will try and hash out a consensual text there, before returning it to the Permanent Council.
The U.S. ambassador, Roger Noriega, said it was "essential" to move quickly on the resolution.
While most OAS ambassadors condemned the recent abuses in Cuba, objections hinged on the procedural issue of whether Cuba could be condemned by a body from which it was ejected in 1962.
Venezuelan ambassador Jorge Valero said he proposed to initiate a debate on Cuba "free of prejudice."
But some went further, questioning Washington's human rights policies and its continuing embargo against Cuba.
Valter Pecly Moreira, the Brazilian ambassador, said flatly that "Brazil cannot support this project" and spoke out against what he called a "selective" policy on human rights, in a reference to the U.S. effort to pass resolutions condemning Cuba in multilateral organizations such as the OAS and the U.N., while other rights abusers are ignored....
<http://www.forbes.com/work/newswire/2003/04/23/rtr949277.html> *****
The level of Latin American solidarity is not what it should be, but it beats the sorry state of Arab solidarity. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://solidarity.igc.org/>