News

Cuba reiterated its call to speed up the reforms in the UN Security Council in statements by Rodolfo Benítez, the island’s representative, when speaking at the 5th round of intergovernmental negotiations on changes to that multilateral agency. Benítez expressed the support of his government and of other countries for a more balanced and effective relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly.

The archbishop of Chicago, Francis George, will travel to Cuba next week to reciprocate a visit by his Cuban counterpart Dionisio García, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, announced the archbishop of the city of Santiago de Cuba. The arrival of the also president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States is taking place in the midst of the dialogue between the Church and the island’s government.

The United Nations recognized Cuba’s cooperation with countries that have suffered natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti, in a message from John Colmes, assistant secretary general for humanitarian affairs and coordinator of the multilateral agency’s Emergency Aid. The message was read during the first day of the 8th International Congress on Disasters being held in the island’s capital.

Vatican Foreign Minister Dominique Mamberti said during a press conference in Havana that he was pleased with the results of the ongoing talks between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government. Mamberti pointed out that “one of the major objectives of the Holy See’s diplomacy is favoring the dialogue between local Churches and the authorities of the different countries.”

The Vatican foreign minister’s visit takes place in the midst of the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the government on the issue of political prisoners.

The defence attorney of Gerardo Hernández, one of the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States charged with espionage, will present today in the Federal Court of Miami a collateral appeal or habeas corpus with the aim of proving the irregularities which took place during the trial. Hernández was sentenced in 2001 to two life sentences and 15 years in prison, and the review of his case was rejected by the Supreme Court.

HAVANA TIMES, June 15 – The foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) decided Monday to postpone for next September the conclusions on their annual review of the policy toward Cuba, waiting for the results of the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the island’s government, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos reported IPS. Moratinos received his colleagues’ mandate to continue the talks with Havana.

Josefina Vidal of the North American desk at the Cuban Foreign Ministrys said in response to a report drafted by the US State Department that in Cuba “there is no trafficking of minors for sex, only an exemplary protection of children, teenagers and women.”