Valkyrie
30th April 2002, 15:10
An interesting footnote to this article -- Jorge Castaneda wrote a biography of Che in 1997 called "Companero." I read it along with the other flury of Che bios, but I don't remember it being particularly anti-Che or anti-Cuba for that matter. It does state in this artice that Castaneda is a former Marxist. Has anyone else read "Companero" who can shed some light on what's going on.
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Cuba accuses Mexican foreign minister of lying
April 29, 2002 Posted: 8:29 PM EDT (0029 GMT)
HAVANA, April 29 (Reuters) -- Cuba accused Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda on Monday of lying, keeping alive a dispute with traditionally close ally Mexico that began with Havana's release a week ago of a private conversation between the two countries' presidents.
"It is worth asking what is behind his new maneuvers, intrigues, and lies," Cuba said in a statement issued by the state-run media, referring to Castaneda's comments last week that Havana was seeking credits to buy oil from Mexico in the midst of the diplomatic spat.
Cuba has repeatedly accused Castaneda, a former Marxist who has given priority to improving Mexico's ties with the United States, of conspiring with Washington against President Fidel Castro's communist government.
Monday's attack came a week after Castro, indignant over a Mexican vote against Cuba at a U.N. human rights forum earlier this month, released a recorded telephone conversation with Mexican President Vicente Fox about the Cuban leader's trip to a U.N. aid summit last month in Monterrey, Mexico.
Castro had insisted he left the March summit abruptly due to Mexican pressure, a charge denied repeatedly by Fox and Castaneda. In the conversation -- before Castro went to Mexico -- Fox urges Castro to leave the event quickly and asks him not to criticize U.S. President George W. Bush.
As the controversy raged last week over the tape and its release, Castaneda said Cuba approached the Mexican government to buy oil through credit from its foreign trade bank, Bancomext.
Havana strongly denied on Monday it made the request, charging Castaneda was involved in a "new plot" and that the credit was signed well before the current dispute.
"Any assertion about Cuban government efforts to obtain Mexican credits for those ends are the fruit of a pathological obsession that could damage the Cuban economy," the government said.
Castro heaped the blame for the Monterrey incident on Castaneda, who been called "diabolical" and "sinister" by Havana. Cuba's state-run media has kept up a steady attack on the Fox administration, and, in particular, Castaneda, since the controversy began, while Cuban officials have not spoken publicly about the rift since Tuesday.
The tape's release sparked a political firestorm in Mexico, where opposition forces are challenging the Fox administration's more critical stance toward Cuba.
(Edited by Paris at 3:11 pm on April 30, 2002)
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Cuba accuses Mexican foreign minister of lying
April 29, 2002 Posted: 8:29 PM EDT (0029 GMT)
HAVANA, April 29 (Reuters) -- Cuba accused Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda on Monday of lying, keeping alive a dispute with traditionally close ally Mexico that began with Havana's release a week ago of a private conversation between the two countries' presidents.
"It is worth asking what is behind his new maneuvers, intrigues, and lies," Cuba said in a statement issued by the state-run media, referring to Castaneda's comments last week that Havana was seeking credits to buy oil from Mexico in the midst of the diplomatic spat.
Cuba has repeatedly accused Castaneda, a former Marxist who has given priority to improving Mexico's ties with the United States, of conspiring with Washington against President Fidel Castro's communist government.
Monday's attack came a week after Castro, indignant over a Mexican vote against Cuba at a U.N. human rights forum earlier this month, released a recorded telephone conversation with Mexican President Vicente Fox about the Cuban leader's trip to a U.N. aid summit last month in Monterrey, Mexico.
Castro had insisted he left the March summit abruptly due to Mexican pressure, a charge denied repeatedly by Fox and Castaneda. In the conversation -- before Castro went to Mexico -- Fox urges Castro to leave the event quickly and asks him not to criticize U.S. President George W. Bush.
As the controversy raged last week over the tape and its release, Castaneda said Cuba approached the Mexican government to buy oil through credit from its foreign trade bank, Bancomext.
Havana strongly denied on Monday it made the request, charging Castaneda was involved in a "new plot" and that the credit was signed well before the current dispute.
"Any assertion about Cuban government efforts to obtain Mexican credits for those ends are the fruit of a pathological obsession that could damage the Cuban economy," the government said.
Castro heaped the blame for the Monterrey incident on Castaneda, who been called "diabolical" and "sinister" by Havana. Cuba's state-run media has kept up a steady attack on the Fox administration, and, in particular, Castaneda, since the controversy began, while Cuban officials have not spoken publicly about the rift since Tuesday.
The tape's release sparked a political firestorm in Mexico, where opposition forces are challenging the Fox administration's more critical stance toward Cuba.
(Edited by Paris at 3:11 pm on April 30, 2002)