Strasbourg, 11/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 March, the European Parliament adopted a joint resolution condemning political repression by Cuban authorities. Deploring the “avoidable and cruel” death of Cuban political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo after 85 days of hunger strike, it calls on the Cuban government for the “immediate and unconditional” release of all 200 political prisoners still held on the island of Cuba. Parliament invites Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, and Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to “immediately begin a structured dialogue with Cuban civil society and with those who support a peaceful transition in Cuba”. No reference was made to the policy of a helping hand recommended by the Spanish EU Presidency.
MEPs rejected the three amendments submitted by the GUE/NGL Group. One of them supported the efforts being made by the Spanish Presidency to normalise relations between Cuba and the EU, a process that is supposed to result in the full withdrawal of the European common position in application since 1996. Another amendment called for the embargo on Cuba to be lifted immediately.
The previous day, during the plenary debate, Zapata Tamayo's death was unanimously condemned by all three European institutions. “We must denounce violation of human rights wherever it occurs and we have done so for Cuba”, said Diego López Garrido, Secretary of State for European Affairs, who recalled the nature of EU/Cuba relations: - political dialogue with the authorities and civil society, development policy and cultural cooperation. “The worst solution of all for Cuba would be not to act”, Piebalgs said, underlining the importance of a European presence on the island with a view to consolidating political dialogue and working towards improving the living conditions of the Cuban people. Speaking on behalf of the EPP, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra of Spain urged the EP to support “all those who are fighting in the name of freedom” in Cuba. Luis Yáñez-Barnuevo García (S&D, Spain) took the view that the time had not yet come at this stage to discuss whether it is necessary to take forward the EU common position on Cuba. Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens/EFA, Spain) sounded a note of caution against the risk of “using” the death of the Cuban dissident and the “temptation to return to the time of the blockade” affecting the island. Edvard Kožušník (CRE, Czech Republic) hoped Zapata Tamayo would be the last Pavel Vonka Cuban, with reference to the Czech dissident who died in prison under the Communist regime. Willy Meyer (GUE/NGL, Spain) denounced the EU's inconsistency in its effort to promote human rights. “We have never voted to denounce the coup d'état in Honduras with its torture and assassinations”, he said. (M.B./transl.jl)