Russia: US Violates Cubans' Human Rights

AP ^ | Nov. 3, 2006

[Tailgunner Joe]

MOSCOW — Russian lawmakers on Friday called for international condemnation of the United States' economic blockade of Cuba, calling it a "massive human rights violation."

Members of the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house controlled by Kremlin's loyalists, unanimously voted in favor of an appeal to parliaments worldwide to condemn the sanctions and urge the U.S. to end the blockade.

"The United States ... in recent years has further strengthened its policy of interfering with the affairs of a sovereign state with the aim of a forcible change of the constitution regime of the Republic of Cuba," the statement said.

The move came as Cuba's Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon visited Moscow and met with Russian lawmakers.

Cuba has been under a U.S. financial embargo since 1961, two years after Fidel Castro came to power with the ousting of then-President Fulgencio Batista.

The Soviet Union had been a staunch supporter of Communist Cuba for decades, heavily subsidizing its economy. Relations between Russia and Cuba chilled after the Soviet collapse but warmed with President Vladimir Putin's visit in 2000.

Meanwhile, Moscow's ties with Washington have deteriorated amid differences in approach to global crises and U.S. criticism of a rollback on political freedoms in Russia under Putin.

[tet68]

If the russians want they can blockade us, go ahead, I dare them.

[Gay State Conservative]

Russia is not our friend,boys and girls.

[darkwing104]

I guess the old empire is turning into the U.N.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

What about the violations of Cubans killed or tortured by Castro? More hypocrisy from Mother Russia.

[DoughtyOne]

I don't even think the Russians are their own best friends.

For all the dissension between Russia and the U.S., they have more in common with us than just about anyone else.

Europe is so screwed up, they're of no use to anyone. China is on the rise and is not going to look out for Russia's interests. The Muslim problem isn't going to be any easier on Russia than it is on us. And as for Iran, North Korea or any other rogue states, they want more from Russia than it will ever be able to give them.

Sooner or later Russia should wake up and realize their future would be brighter with a close relationship with the United States.

What bothers me, is that it doesn't seem that we nurture a relationship with Russia. Thus Russia goes shopping around. I'm not blinded to the problems with Russia's leadership. I'm just not convinced that we couldn't be an asset to each other. And I am not convinced that Russia cannot or will not see that over time.

In the interim, we should work toward better relations. Otherwise we'll see relations deteriorate, and I am not convinced that is inevitable.

[Argus]

When are they going to get it over with and just rename themselves the USSR?

[Seruzawa]

Russia ain't changed in hundreds of years. Why would anyone to expect them to now?

[CubaninMiami]

Cuban embargo?

What Cuban embargo? The whole thing is a convenient propaganda slogan used by enemies of the U.S.

The European Union and Canada have invested billions of dollars in Cuba. That money has solely benefited Castro and his cronies.

The embargo does not prohibit the sale of medicine or medical supplies and Cuba purchases large quantities of food from the U.S.

Again I ask, what embargo?

Would somebody for once stand up, tell the truth and shut these commie bastards up?

Mr. John Bolton, please?

[Recon Dad]

Must be working!

[rmlew]

Isn't KGB retread Puting using Russia to blockade Georgia?

[MarMema]

Yes, and this appears to be his reply to the Georgians, whom we are heavily supporting. The Georgians have spoken of reporting Russia for human rights violations when they deported a bunch of Georgians. One died after being denied medical treatment. Others were denied a glass of water and told to drink from the toilet.

What Putin cannot get through his thick skull is that the Georgians want to be aligned with us. He thinks everything they do is puppetry from us.

[Liberty Valance]

We should tie a strategic bottle of rum every 50 feet of line from Cuba to Miami Beach....

CUBA LIBRE!!!

[Thunder90]

Russia/Soviet/Coldwar2 PING!!!

To be added or removed from this list, please FReepmail me!!

Also ping to St. Jacques and Proudyank

[RightWhale]

Russia? Builders of the Berlin Wall?

[asd145]

Russia's mimicing the US's response to the blockade of Georgia.

[GSlob]

"What Putin cannot get through his thick skull... "
he cannot get it through his skull - if he ever did, he wouldn't be able to get to where he is now. And those who are capable of getting it through their skulls [think the late Politkovskaya] not only are not allowed anywhere near the power in that civilization, but are hunted there like beasts.

[GodGunsGuts]

Putin cares nothing about logic, or doing the right thing. It has everything to do with aligning as much of the world against the US and its allies as possible. It is all about a will to raw power.

[spanalot]

"United States' economic blockade of Cuba,"

there s no blockade - Cuba can trade with whoever it wants - except the US.

[Big Horn]

Some Russian said "we have many bad laws, but we do a poor job of enforcing them".