Cuba-US talks in Washington D.C.

Havana protests Trump’s speech at United Nations

By CafeFuerte

HAVANA TIMES — Cuban representatives emphatically denied on Tuesday allegations that Cuba has perpetrated sonic attacks on US diplomats in Havana, and have claimed that the “highest level” of government has expressed its interest in working with the United States to clear up this subject.

The Cuban government’s statements came at the end of the sixth bilateral meeting between delegations from both countries, which was held in Washington.

“With regard to the alleged incidents that have affected US officials in Havana and their family members, our delegation has repeated that Cuba strictly observes its obligations to protect foreign diplomats on its soil and has never perpetrated nor will it ever perpetrate actions of this nature, and has never permitted nor will it ever permit any third-party use of its territory for this purpose.”

Highest level of government

The message also highlighted the Cuban authorities’ great interest to clear up this subject and to end the investigation that is currently underway, “which has been stated by the highest level of government, and therefore the US authorities’ cooperation is essential.”

Recent reports indicate that Raul Castro himself has spoken to Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who is the head of the US Embassy in Havana, to show his concern for the events revealed and deny the Cuban government’s involvement with these.

The Cuban delegation was headed by Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, the US managing director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MINREX) and her US counterpart John Creamer, the Deputy Assistant for the US Department of State’s Western Hemisphere. Even though Vidal was named the Cuban Ambassador in Canada last July, her participation at this meeting was key, given the fact that sonic attacks on at least 21 diplomats would have taken place since mid-2016, when she was still holding office as the person responsible for Cuba’s relations with the United States.

The case of attacked diplomats has unleashed a crisis in Washington-Havana relations and the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has said that the United States is currently considering closing down its embassy in Cuba.

Protest on Trump’s Statements at the UN

Conversations were somewhat secret and it was only in the night that the official MINREX message was made public.

The statement also labels President Donald Trump’s statements during his speech in front of the United Nations’ General Assembly “disrespectful, interfering and unacceptable”, which coincided with the bilateral committee’s meeting.

“The Cuban delegation has emphatically protested,” the message pointed out.

Corrupt regime

In his speech before the United Nations’ plenary session, Trump said that the United States opposes the “corrupt destabilizing regime in Cuba and has embraced the Cuban people’s long-lasting dream of living in freedom.”

“My Administration has recently announced that we won’t lift sanctions on the Cuban government until substantial reforms are made,” the US president added, who made an extensive reference to the “socialist dictatorship” imposed by Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

However, in an unusual gesture, the government’s official newspaper Granma published all of Trump’s speech on Wednesday.