.....And Peru is such a paragon of "human rights"
and "democracy" too. The U.S is really scraping
the bottom of the barrel this time.
mart
From:"Karen Lee Wald" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject:Reuters coverage of US attempts to
Subject:Reuters coverage of US attempts to
censure Cuba
Date:Mon, 18 Mar 2002 20:06:35 -0800
Peru mulls position on U.N.
Date:Mon, 18 Mar 2002 20:06:35 -0800
Peru mulls position on U.N.
resolution against Cuba
By Jude Webber
LIMA, Peru, March 18 (Reuters) - Peru, which hosts
By Jude Webber
LIMA, Peru, March 18 (Reuters) - Peru, which hosts
U.S. President George W. Bush in Lima this
weekend, said on Monday it had not decided where
it stood on a possible censure vote against Cuba at
an annual U.N. Human Rights commission session
but denied it was under American pressure to give its
support.
Meanwhile, 50 Peruvian lawmakers -- nearly half the
Meanwhile, 50 Peruvian lawmakers -- nearly half the
120-strong Congress -- urged the government not to
back any censure, which Washington cannot sponsor
since it lost its seat last year on the rights body it
helped found in 1947.
Peru's role came into the spotlight after it was
Peru's role came into the spotlight after it was
reported last week to be under U.S. pressure
to present a resolution against Cuba at this year's
session of the 53-nation commission, which began
in Geneva on Monday and ends in April.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, whose country
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, whose country
sponsored a motion to censure Cuba last year that
was passed by 22 votes to 20 after a diplomatic
tussle, wasin Lima last week and said Peru was
conducting "informal negotiations" on the subject.
Referring to Peru's return to democracy after the
Referring to Peru's return to democracy after the
hard-line 1990-2000 rule of disgraced former
President Alberto Fujimori, the lawmakers who
opposed the censure said in a statement:
"Because of its history and own experience Peru,
which has never voted against Cuba even under its
worst governments, could not now condemn it."
They said Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and
They said Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and
Ecuador had already counted themselves out of
any censure of the Caribbean island, the
hemisphere's only communist country, which is
subject to a four-decades-old U.S. embargo.
"The Peruvian government will take the decision it
"The Peruvian government will take the decision it
considers most appropriate in the light of its own
evaluation of the facts, its relations with other Latin
American countries and of what it can do most
conveniently and efficiently to promote an improvement
in the human rights situation in Cuba," Foreign Minister
Diego Garcia Sayan told a news conference.
"There is enough time, in such a delicate subject as
"There is enough time, in such a delicate subject as
this, for a country like Peru to act in good measure
in coordination and in line with our Latin American
brothers," he said.
U.S. WORKING WITH 'MANY COUNTRIES'
The Washington Times reported last week that the
U.S. WORKING WITH 'MANY COUNTRIES'
The Washington Times reported last week that the
Bush administration had asked Peru to sponsor a
resolution condemning Cuba, but Garcia Sayan said
Peru would not make decisions "based on pressure,
from whatever quarter" and the subject of Cuba was
not on Bush's agenda.
Asked if the United States had been leaning on Peru,
Asked if the United States had been leaning on Peru,
which sees itself as a key regional ally of Washington
and a promoter of human rights, a Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman said: "No."
Under Fujimori, Lima twice sided with Cuba in similar
Under Fujimori, Lima twice sided with Cuba in similar
U.N.votes. It has otherwise abstained, including last
year when Peru was ruled by a transitional government,
the Cuban Embassy said. Despite criticism that it
represses free statement, harasses and jails opponents,
Havana denies it abuses human rights.
A U.S. Embassy official said Washington saw censure
A U.S. Embassy official said Washington saw censure
of Cuba as "essential" because of what it considered
its "abysmal" rights record. The United States was
working with "many countries ... on the possibility of
sponsoring a resolution, " the official added, declining
to say if Peru was one of them.
Kavan said last week the Czech Republic would back
Kavan said last week the Czech Republic would back
any Latin American initiative against human rights
violations.
"We greatly appreciate the attitude of the Republic of
"We greatly appreciate the attitude of the Republic of
Peru in this subject of human rights because we know
that it has conducted, and will continue to conduct, a
series of informal negotiations on the subject," he said.
But he added: "The Czech Republic does not think it
But he added: "The Czech Republic does not think it
possible to present any resolution on the subject if it
cannot count on backing from the European Union and
other friends."
==========================
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
==========================
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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