[Dictator] Castro Defies Fox of Mexico as Once-Warm Ties Sour

AVANA, April 22 — In a defiant challenge to President Vicente Fox of Mexico, President Fidel Castro of Cuba tonight released an audio tape of a phone call in which the Mexican leader tried to persuade him to cancel or cut short his attendance last month at the United Nations development summit meeting in Monterrey, Mexico, in order not to "complicate" Mexico's relationship with the United States.

Mr. Castro, at a news conference here to which he had urgently summoned foreign journalists, made public his private conversation on March 19 with Mr. Fox. During the late-night phone call, Mr. Fox and Mr. Castro agreed that the Cuban leader would leave the development meeting early, and would not make any criticisms of the United States.

"The conversation illegally made public by the president of Cuba speaks for itself," said Rodolfo Elizondo, a spokesman for Mr. Fox. "President Fox at no time asked his counterpart not to attend the Monterrey summit."

He added, "The only government that has pressured Mexico about its vote in Geneva on human rights in Cuba was the government of Havana."

Tonight, Mr. Castro accused Mexican officials of "lying, left and right," and even trying to buy Cuba's silence with much-needed oil supplies.

"If anyone can prove that such a conversation never took place, and that those were not President Fox's words, I would firmly offer my immediate resignation to all my positions and responsibilities at the head of the Cuban state and revolution," Mr. Castro said after playing the tape. "My honor would not permit me to continue at the head of this country."

Mr. Castro acknowledged that his disclosures could further strain relations between the two nations.

"The aftermath of telling these truths could be that diplomatic relations are severed," he said. "However, the fraternal and historical bonds between the peoples of Mexico and Cuba will last forever."

For decades, Mexico was Cuba's most steadfast ally in Latin America, consistently standing with Havana in its confrontation with the United States.

Mr. Castro made his unusual show of pique today three days after Mexico joined several other Latin American nations in criticizing Cuba's human-rights record at a meeting of the United Nations Humans Rights Commission in Geneva.

Mr. Castro's government regarded Mexico's human rights vote as a grave betrayal and accused the Mexican government of reneging on a promise not to support the resolution, which passed on Friday by a vote of 23 to 21.

The playing of the tape was the centerpiece of a two-hour discourse in which the Cuban leader criticized Jorge G. Castañeda, Mexico's foreign minister, whom he described as "diabolical and sinister."

Mr. Castañeda had angered Cuba in February when statements he made prompted 21 Cubans to crash a bus through the gates of the Mexican Embassy in Havana to seek political asylum.

The attacks on Mr. Castañeda increased as the United Nations human rights vote approached. Tonight Mr. Castro said Mr. Castañeda had lent himself to being manipulated by the United States.

He also said that after the failed ouster of his ally and oil supplier, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, the Mexican ambassador to Cuba had promised to supply oil if Venezuela's imports were cut off.

"It was a repugnant, cynical and misleading maneuver aimed at neutralizing our protest for their forthcoming felony in Geneva," Mr. Castro said.

While the tape played, Mr. Castro rolled his eyes, as if to mock the Mexican leader's comments. Mr. Fox, a conservative businessman, originally tried to say that Mr. Castro's late notice of attending the conference would not allow Mexico to provide enough security or attention.

Ultimately, the two agreed that Mr. Castro would attend a Thursday morning session, make his six-minute presentation and then sit next to Mr. Fox at a lunch. But when Mr. Fox asked him not to "attack the United States or President Bush," Mr. Castro cut him off.

"Listen Mr. President, I'm a person who has been in politics for about 43 years and I know what I should do and what I should not do," Mr. Castro said. "You don't need to have any doubts that I know how to tell the truth politely and with the proper elegance."

Mr. Castro issued a seven-minute tirade against capitalism and globalization in Monterrey, before some 50 heads of state, and then left in a huff.

While the tape played, Mr. Castro rolled his eyes, as if to mock the Mexican leader's comments. Mr. Fox, a conservative businessman, originally tried to say that Mr. Castro's late notice of attending the conference would not allow Mexico to provide enough security or attention.
Ultimately, the two agreed that Mr. Castro would attend a Thursday morning session, make his six-minute presentation and then sit next to Mr. Fox at a lunch. But when Mr. Fox asked him not to "attack the United States or President Bush," Mr. Castro cut him off.
"Listen Mr. President, I'm a person who has been in politics for about 43 years and I know what I should do and what I should not do," Mr. Castro said. "You don't need to have any doubts that I know how to tell the truth politely and with the proper elegance."

Mr. Castro issued a seven-minute tirade against capitalism and globalization in Monterrey, before some 50 heads of state, and then left in a huff.

Too funny.

As a matter of fact, two days before this conversation, Castro had told reporters he may not attend the conference and that Hugo Chavez could speak for him. ______________March 17, 2002 - Cuba's Castro Says Venezuelan Chavez Speaks for Him***"Even if I don't go, we, I, feel represented in your words," Castro told Chavez in a telephone call during a marathon live broadcast of the Venezuelan leader's weekly "Hello President" television and radio program. ***

November 23, 2001 - Most Latins disapprove of Castro, survey says***The finding comes days before this weekend's Ibero-American Summit in Peru, a forum where Castro has often attracted the lion's share of the attention from the media -- and from other participants, in some cases -- in spite of representing a country at variance with the prevailing democratic currents in the region. Saladrigas said he hoped that knowledge of the poll would prod Latin American leaders to take a more outspoken position against Castro and the Cuban government.*** (Castro sent a last minute letter of regret to the Summit---he said he was needed at home)

December 11, 2001 -European Union Tells Cuba To Improve Human Rights*** The recent fence-mending between Cuba and the European Union evaporated Monday, with the EU telling the Castro government it had better improve its human rights record or else Cuba can forget about improved economic and diplomatic relations with the 15-nation EU. In a statement, the EU foreign ministers said the human rights situation in Cuba "is still seriously wanting as regards the recognition and application of civil and political freedoms." The ministers also criticized Cuba for refusing "to contemplate reforms leading to a political system based on those values." ***

March 7, 2002 -Havana embassy incident should not cow Mexico*** If President Fidel Castro of Cuba instigated the Feb. 27 occupation of the Mexican Embassy in Havana in an effort to press the Mexican government to drop its defense of human rights and democracy on the island, as many of us suspect, he may not have succeeded. ………..My conclusion: Castro is aiming at Castañeda, because he does not want to burn his bridges with Fox. If Mexico does what it says, and joins all other modern democracies in demanding basic freedoms in Cuba, it will be a marked improvement over its longtime support for Cuba's dictatorship.***

Bush to Be Tough on U.S. Aid During LatAm Trip--*** WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush will go to a U.N. development conference in Mexico this week with a tough-love message that the United States will withhold aid to countries that do nothing to fight corruption. "It makes no sense to give aid to countries that are corrupt because you know what happens? The money doesn't help the people, it helps an elite group of leaders," Bush said.

The president will take the message to the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico, where he will arrive Thursday night. He also will meet Andean leaders in Peru and Central American leaders in El Salvador before returning to Washington Sunday. During his talks with world leaders at the conference, Bush will promote his initiative to help poor nations that respect human rights, root out corruption, open their markets, and have education and health care systems. ***

Havana embassy incident should not cow Mexico*** If President Fidel Castro of Cuba instigated the Feb. 27 occupation of the Mexican Embassy in Havana in an effort to press the Mexican government to drop its defense of human rights and democracy on the island, as many of us suspect, he may not have succeeded. ………..My conclusion: Castro is aiming at Castañeda, because he does not want to burn his bridges with Fox. If Mexico does what it says, and joins all other modern democracies in demanding basic freedoms in Cuba, it will be a marked improvement over its longtime support for Cuba's dictatorship.***

Mexico Leaves Castro's Cuba Behind*** Once upon a time, Mexico and Cuba were best buddies in the Western Hemisphere. Brandishing the banners of nonintervention and self-determination, both countries provided each other with unconditional support and kept quiet about their mutual lack of democratic development. Those days are over, and today relations between Cuba and Mexico are at an all-time low, for all the right reasons. Mexico's foreign policy toward Cuba is changing, and Fidel Castro is furious about it. The comandante is lashing out against Jorge Castaneda, Mexico's minister of foreign affairs--calling him a lackey of the United States--out of sheer desperation and growing isolation.... This tempest in the Cuba-Mexico teapot will pass. Meanwhile, Mexico's foreign policy will have changed and for the better. The principle of the protection of human rights will prevail in Mexico and elsewhere. As Castaneda's father, Mexico's minister of foreign affairs 20 years ago, said: "Friend, when you defend principles instead of interests, you never lose." ***

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April 23, 2002

Castro Defies Fox of Mexico as Once-Warm Ties Sour

By DAVID GONZALEZ