Cuba knows its diplomacy

Cuba's human rights policy is simple:

First, violate the basic rights, the basic freedoms, of the Cuban people.

And then use its considerable diplomatic skill — Havana deserves the praise, because its approach usually brings results — to try to emasculate any international entity that seeks to hold the Castro dictatorship accountable for its horrid human rights record.

Last month, Cuban diplomats lead efforts at the United Nations Human Rights Council, of which it is a member, to limit its authority to investigate human rights abuses.

And now Havana has targeted the European Union, starting with Spain.

The Cuban intent to pull another fast one was revealed Tuesday when foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque, in sending off his Spanish counterpart back to Madrid after two days of talks, said Cuba does not have political prisoners, only imprisoned "mercenaries" for the United States.

This came after Perez Roque and Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos reached a deal under which Spain will resume development aid to Cuba in exchange for bilateral talks on human rights. Observers said the agreement could serve as a framework for a broader deal between Cuba and the European Union.

But that won't happen, said Perez Roque, until the EU gets off Cuba's case.

Expatica reports:

"Cuba is willing to do so (talk with Spain about human rights) at this time. With the European Union, there would have to be conditions like the full elimination of the sanctions against Cuba, the elimination of the common position," he said.

Presumably, Perez Roque's statment means Moratinos told his Cuban hosts that Spain would do just that, and roll over for Havana. And that Cuba's agreeing to twice yearly talks on human rights in exchange for the resumption of Spanish aid is just another shell game by Havana so it can get away with its crimes.

As a post script, the Cuban refusal to link improved ties with Europe to its human rights record should serve as a lesson for American government officials and others seeking to lift what remains of the United States' embargo on Cuba.

Properly enforced, the embargo can be a bargaining chip to force the dictatorship to change its behavior, especially towards its own people. Those wanting the United States to abandon the embargo without first any such assurances, only strengthen the dictatorship's hand.