Cuba Denounces Presence of 'Mercenaries' in Americas Summits
News from Cuba | Tuesday, 7 April 2015
The official Cuban delegation to the parallel forums for the Summit of the Americas denounced the presence of people who have “betrayed” the country in those forums, saying that their participation was not acceptable.
The delegates were referring to Cubans paid by the United States to “distort Cuba’s reality.”
“We recogize the short comings of our country, but Cuban issues should be discussed in Cuba, not outside it,” the delegates stated.
The Cuban delegation made the statement in a press conference ahead of the start of the VII Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama, on Friday. The summit will be preceded by various forums for social sectors including the II Business Summit of the Americas, the first Meeting of Regional University Presidents, the Hemispheric Forum of Civil Society, and the Youth summit.
This year’s gathering of the heads of state and government from the hemisphere will mark the first time Cuba will participate in a Summit of the Americas.
The Cuban delegation, which arrived in Panama on Tuesday, also stated that Cuba was attending the forums in order to promote cooperation, and that the “mercenaries” attending the forum had accreditation to participate and were well known. The delegates said they were offended by their attendence and openly expressed their anger during the press conference.
“Its offensive that such people who have made betraying the homeland a profession, are here attending forums,” the delegates told the press.
One spokesperson, the president of instructive arts in Cuba, said the official Cuban delegation wouldn’t give legitimacy to “mercenaries who try to represent the Cuban people.” Representatives explained that Cuban community organizations were the “true voice” of Cuba.
Delegates also rejected the decree made by Obama against Venezuela, saying, “This decree doesn’t reflect the interests of the people of Latin America.”
More than 100 Cubans will be participating in the summit through the parallel forums being held as well as the People's Summit, organized by grassroots social movements. Cuba’s three million strong trade union was denied a space for presentation at the civil society forum.
Much of the world's attention will be on Cuba and the United States, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro will meet face-to-face for the first time since the two announced in December their intention to restore diplomatic relations.
