Pope Criticizes U.S. Embargo Against Cuba (again)

[Mika]

Pope Criticizes U.S. Embargo Against Cuba
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul repeated his condemnation of the U.S. economic embargo against Communist-ruled Cuba on Saturday, saying the island nation needed proper conditions for its development.

The Pope, who has spoken out against the embargo in the past, made his comments at a ceremony at which Havana's new ambassador to the Vatican presented his credentials.

"The Holy See strongly desires that obstacles which block free communication and exchange between the Cuban nation and part of the international community be overcome soon, thus reinforcing through respectful and open dialogue with everyone, the conditions necessary for real development," he said.

The Bush administration intensified Washington's embargo against Cuba last year, restricting visits by Cuban emigres to their families. Havana responded by banning the use of the U.S. dollar in Cuba.

The 84-year-old Pope, who made an historic visit to Cuba in 1998, also made a reference to human rights, calling for a dialogue among "all groups that make up the Cuban people."

[phantom power]

1. On a tangent: do these statements by the Pope have any impact

at all? It's not a rhetorical question. For instance, do Catholics hear these statements, and then back them up?

[damntexdem]

6. No, only pronouncements on abortion mean anything.

The rest is window dressing. There have been American bishops who have said as much, with regard to the Pope's having opposed the invasion of Iraq.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Hi, Mika. Here's an AFP version of the story you posted:

Pope calls for lifting of US embargo on Cuba
01-08-2005, 15h35




Paolo Cocco - (AFP/File)
VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Pope John Paul II implicitly called for the lifting of the US embargo on Cuba, when he received the credentials of the communist Caribbean state's new ambassador to the Vatican, Raul Roa Kouri.
(snip)

John Paul II also called on the Cuban authorities "to continue their sustained efforts in the fields of health, education and culture," which he said were "among the pillars of the edifice of peace, which is not merely the absence of war."
(snip/)

http://www.turkishpress.com/world/news.asp?id=050108153...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's hard to believe it has been 7 years since the Pope visited Cuba. I'm sure you're completely aware that as soon as the Pope got to Cuba, someone broke the Monica Lewinsky story here, and all the U.S. media reporters left IMMEDIATELY to get back to start covering that story. Our national attention was totally refocused here, and no one really heard what happened in Cuba, despite the fact that some of our Congresscritters were there for the occassion, as well as tons of other people from this country.

Wierd, isn't it?

The Cuban beach shots you posted are so beautiful. (~sigh~)

Prompted me to go looking for some new views, too:



View of the mountains from Trinidad, Cuba.

[Mika]

4. Regarding the critters who published the porno Clinton testimony

Judi Lynn, remember that it was Dan Burton and Bob Smith who rushed the pornographic transcript out on the same day that the Pope arrived in Cuba.

As you know, Dan B and Bob S were the repuke impeachment managers as well as ardent Miami's Batistano exile supporters. They killed two birds with one stone, because they (1) got the US press out of Cuba at that critical time when the press could have shown some of Cuba (other than the crumbling historical buildings in old Havana) so they could (2) pour and drool over Clinton's penile escapades.



Mission accomplished

[Judi Lynn]

5. I'm stunned! You're absolutely right, Mika. How obvious, now!

They were right in the thick of it, weren't they? Couldn't have been more conspicuous, either. Damn.

Yep, they are both men who benefited ENORMOUSLY from vast Cuban "exile" campaign contributions, and loud support from that right-wing faction. Burton gets more financing from outside Indiana than from within it. He's a real tool for the Cuban American rightwingers. (Don't know how they'll ever get along without Jesse Helms, however! He really did them some favors.)

[goforit]

3. This man has lost all credentials.

[saltpoint]

7. I resent John Paul when he's fucking around with --

-- people's genitals when they aren't his to fuck around with.

But I have to give the man credit on his criticism of U.S. foreign policy embargo against Cuba.

We've had the Cuba thing wrong for decades now.

I realize that "lightening up" on Castro will piss off a lot of Republican voters in greater Miami, but I say, piss 'em off.

It's time we stopped behaving like a 4-year old to such a close neighbor.

[TahitiNut]

8. If Cuba were opened to tourism from the US ...

... I'd go in a trice. (If I could find one that fit. )

More interestingly, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caymans, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Florida, Mexico, and even Hawaii would lose tourism. There's more than a little political clout (and corporate interest) from those locales.

[Vidar]

9. He's right, but never mind.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Group funds gifts for children of Cuban dissidents

Group funds gifts for children of Cuban dissidents
Sunday, January 9, 2005 Posted: 0125 GMT (0925 HKT)

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Wives of jailed Cuban dissidents held a holiday party Saturday for the children of political prisoners, handing out gifts paid for by a powerful exile group in Miami.

Balloons, holiday wreaths and a Christmas tree surrounded about a dozen children, who opened up presents containing dolls and toy cars.

According to the hostess of the party, Laura Pollan, the money for the gifts came from the Cuban-American National Foundation, a lobbying group dedicated to undermining Fidel Castro's government.
(snip)

The dissidents were accused of getting money from U.S. officials to undermine the island's government -- a charge the activists and Washington denied. The government has since freed 14 of the prisoners for health reasons, leaving 61 still behind bars.
(snip)

Also included in the total are three babies who were conceived during conjugal prison visits since the crackdown, Pollan said.
(snip/)

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/01/08/cuba.d... /