Politically diverse group calls for ties with Cuba***The conclusions of the 16-page report, "U.S.-Cuba Relations, Time for a New Approach," aren't unique. But the makeup of the commission and the people articulating the message of normalizing ties with Cuba are new. The commission's members include Peter Magowan, president and managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants; former Texas Gov. Ann Richards; Carlos Saladrigas, chairman of Premier American Bank in Miami; Thomas Wenski, auxiliary bishop at the Archdiocese of Miami; and William Frenzel, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1991.***
Venezuela gets a hand from nimble Castro***The Cuban regime is extending its influence by sending thousands of government employees - among the health workers and sports trainers are intelligence officers - to Venezuela for extended periods. Meanwhile, large numbers of Mr Chávez's supporters are being sent to the island for training. Commenting on the aborted coup, one European ambassador in Caracas said: "I don't know which was a bigger factor in returning Chávez to power - the ineptitude of his enemies or the effectiveness of the Cubans - but I do know that both played a role." ***