US-Cuba Migration Talks Damaged

Cuban government accused  the United States of "promoting subversion" in Cuba, and "mobilizing dozens of mercenaries" in Havana, at the end of the recent Migration Talks between both countries.

A statement made by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MINREX) said that after the migratory talks,last weekend, US State Department officials met with dozens of "mercenaries", people who are paid by US agencies in order to destroy the Constitutional order in Cuba.

Meeting with the opposition to the Cuban government is contrary to the spirit of cooperation and understanding shown by the Cuban delegates during the talks on Friday. "With that offensive behavior to the Cuban authorities and people (...) the U.S. government shows its lack of real willingness to improve the ties with our country and to leave behind their actions of crude interference ", the statement said.

The official text accused the U.S. delegation who participated in the migration meeting of "supporting the counterrevolution and the promotion of subversion to overthrow the Revolution."

The statement said that after arriving in Havana, Craig Kelly, head of the U.S. delegation and undersecretary of state for the west hemispheric affairs, was warned by the Foreign Affairs Ministry not to organize a provocative event.

It accused the U.S. government of spending 20 million dollars a year to finance destabilization and subversion activities against Cuba. Actually, it pointed out that these same groups receive part of the 20 million dollars a year from USAID that doesn't remain in Miami.

These is one of the obstacles for the normalization of Cuba-U.S. relations. A  respectful dialogue on any issue between governments of the United States and Cuba, on equals basis, without compromising Cuban independence, sovereignty and self determination is a key point.

With the arrival of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency, Washington resumed the migration talks with Cuba, interrupted by George W. Bush in 2003. The restoration of direct mail services is also being discussed.

Relations between the two countries were strained last December after the arrest on the island of an American citizen who distributed illegal satellite communication equipment among the opposition to the Cuban government.

Source: Xinhua News Agency