Specialist conference
Details
CONTEXT
Due to the death of the dissident Osvaldo Zapato Tamayo at the end of February, the
international attention was focused once more on Cuba. Osvaldo Zapato Tamayo died after 86
days of a hunger strike for better prison conditions. Whilst human rights activists in Cuba are
brave and still standing up with enormous personal risks for freedom and democracy, the
results of more than fifty years after the Cuban revolution are alarming. Facing the current
situation, the statement of Fidel Castro of 9 January 1959 sounds rather cynical, when quoted
nowadays, as he said: “There exists no censorship now, the press is free, and you can be
sure, that no censorship will ever be reintroduced. Today no torture exists, no assassination
attempts and no dictatorship. Today there is only joy…”.
Due to the attempt of the Spanish EU-Presidency to normalize the relationship with the Cuban government, regardless of the ongoing infractions on human rights, and because of the creation of new responsibility structures in the EU in the context of the Lisbon treaty – the new position of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and an empowered European Parliament - the question needs to be discussed again: How coherent is the EU’s policy towards Cuba? The expert roundtable with those interested and engaged in Cuban and Latin American affairs aimed to contribute to this discussion and to promote a value oriented Foreign Policy of the EU.
PROGRAMME
16:00 hrs Welcome and presentation of speakers
Andrea E. Ostheimer de Sosa
Programme Director, “Multinational Dialogue on Development Policy”,
European office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Brussels
The European Human Rights Policy – litmus test Cuba
Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, MEP
Former President of the European Parliament,
Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
16:30 hrs Questions and requisitions regarding the EU’s policy towards Cuba: a Cuban perspective
Julio Hernández, USA
Movimiento Cristiano Liberación
Yaxys Cires Dib, Spain
Christian Democrat Party of Cuba
17:00 hrs Cuba’s role and position in the Latin American context – What should the EU consider in her policy towards Latin America?
Frank Priess
Director, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Mexico
Rapporteur on Cuba
17:15 hrs Break
17:30 hrs The Cuba Policy of the EU: Diversity in Unity?
José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra MEP
Chairman of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Assembly of the European Parliament
Dr. Susanne Gratius
FRIDE, A European Think Tank for Global Action
18:00 hrs Panel discussion: Rapprochement or Political pressure – to normalise or to solidarise?
Moderation:
Stefanie Bolzen
Die Welt, Brussels
Arnold Vaatz, MP
Member of the German Bundestag,
Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU group at the Bundestag
Manuel Lopez Blanco
Director for Western and Central Africa, Caribbean and OCTs, DG Development, European Commission
D. Jorge Romeu
Sub-Director General for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean,
Spanish Foreign Office
Questions and answers
19:00 hrs Reception
