London, March 7: Around 200 people filled Committee Room 10 of the House of Commons tonight to hear the Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez speak on the question of the UK's and Europe's relations with his country. With 50 more people unable to gain entrance, the meeting showed the depth of feeling in Britain towards the question of Cuba's, and indeed Venezuela's, sovereignty and US aggression towards the two countries.
The minister, who is on the start of a tour of Europe and Asia, said he was heartened and optimistic by his visit and the results of a meeting that he had held with his British counterpart Lord Triesman.
He was also very grateful on behalf of his government and people for the work that is being done in solidarity with Cuba in Britain by the CSC and the All Party Cuba group of MPs, but warned that as June approached the work of the campaign was even more decisive as it is then when the EU's policy on Cuba is up for review.
Colin Burgon, MP for Elmet in Yorkshire, spoke about his campaign to elicit from the Foreign Office the contents of a meeting that the so-called US 'Cuba Transtition Coordinator' Caleb McCarry had with FCO officials in November.
For CSC, Dr. Francisco Dominguez of Middlesex University, told the meeting that the main objective of the camapign presently was to press for the contents of that meeting to be revealed and the extent of discussions held between our government and the Bush Administation's "Transition Co-ordinator for Cuba" Caleb McCarry.
"We have the Freedom of Information Act and we will use it if we have to," he said, "If there is nothing to hide, they should not be afraid to tell us what they said to Mr McCarry."
CSC has been campaigning hard on this issue making it clear to the British Government that there is no compatability between the stated UK policy of 'constructive engagement' and the dangerous US policy of interference and aggression. While the Government seems willing to privately state that there is no change to UK Cuba policy in the run up to the reveiew in June the FCO must make their position clear publicly to assuage the fear that the UK is being dragged into a disastrous US led policy of aggression towards the island.
http://www.cubaminrex.cu/English/current.../Solidarity.htm
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Solidarität mit Kuba im englischen Parlament!
