Canadian foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy met with Castro the other day for 6 hours. A CBC interviewer asked him about US concerns with human rights in Cuba. The wily Ax pointed out that US policy in China was not to use trade sanctions as a weapon to force changes in human rights, and that this was a policy with which Canada agreed and followed as well in Cuba. He also pointed out that he did get some agreements on human rights from Castro, whereas US policy achieved nothing except to anger its allies. Finally he really socked it to the US. He said that one some human rights issues Cuba was better than other countries in the area. He said , for example, that they have a universal medical care system that provides free care for all citizens. I wonder what other countries he had in mind ! Cheers, KEn Hanly
