Here we go again. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, Spain’s foreign minister, is now in Havana, for a three-day visit.
Spain has played in leading role in convincing the European Union to ignore human rights violations in the Castro Kingdom. And it continues to play that same role.
The old colonial masters of Cuba feel it is their duty to convince the European Union to ignore repression and the enslavement of the Cuban people. According to Spain’s foreign minister — who has just reaffirmed his commitment to “tight relations” with the Castro regime — Spain has a “leadership mission” to fulfill due to “obvious historical, cultural and affinity reasons.”
Nonetheless, the foreign minister was not greeted by any Castronoid officials when he stepped out of his Spanish Air Force plane, but rather by Spain’s ambassador in Havana.
During his previous visit in 2014 –when Spain was pushing hard for the EU to lift its sanctions on the Castro regime — King Raul refused to meet with the Spanish foreign minister.
Apparently, a speech delivered by the minister upon his arrival in Havana had angered King Raul, because it included oblique references to Spain’s transition to democracy in the late 1970’s after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.
Ay! Que falta de respeto! Let’s see what happens this time.
Since the EU parliament has yet to ratify the lifting of sanctions against the Castro Kingdom, King Raul might decide to be more gracious.
Aaaah. Enjoy your visit, foreign minister. Slave plantations can be very lucrative, and so much fun to visit. Ka-ching! $$$$$$$$$$!!! Mozo, apurate con ese mojito! Hey boy, hurry up, where’s my mojito?
Spain’s acting foreign minister said on Saturday that Spain “needs to play a leadership role” in negotiations between the European Union and Cuba stemming from an agreement to normalize relations.
“Spain is looking to accompany the rapprochement process between Cuba and the European Union. The agreement between the EU and Cuba has just been signed. Now the dialogue between the two sides continues and Spain must play a leadership role in that negotiation,” Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told members of the Spanish media.
Spain’s top diplomat stressed that his nation’s role in the Caribbean island’s current scenario “is what it’s always been: very close bilateral relations and a certain leadership mission in the European Union for obvious historical, cultural and affinity reasons.”
“A long time ago, the pope (John Paul II) said the world was opening to Cuba and Cuba was opening to the world. And little by little we’re seeing that that opening is occurring,” he added.
Garcia-Margallo arrived Friday night in Cuba for his second official visit to the island and will begin the official portion of his trip on Monday when he meets with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, and other ministers.
Negotiations for the new accord, signed in March, began in 2014 and were aimed at normalizing a relationship constrained since 1996 by the EU’s so-called Common Position, which made improved ties between the bloc and Havana contingent on democratization and respect for human rights on the Communist-ruled island.
The agreement still must be ratified by the European Parliament.
Spanish ambassador to Cuba greets Garcia-Margallo at Havana airport.
4 thoughts on “Spanish foreign minister: forget human rights, let’s do business!”
Wait, Spain, which is a pretty sad joke of a country, wants to play a leadership role where? Here’s a thought: How about playing a leadership role in straightening out its considerable DOMESTIC mess? This attitude, of course, is not only neo-colonialist, it’s delusional. Spain needs to wake up and buy some respect, assuming it can find the means to purchase it. Lord have mercy.
Garcia-Margallo and Cuba’s dictator should get along well enough–they have so many age spots in common.
And no, Spain has NOT moved beyond or overcome its colonialist view of Cuba. It’s as if Great Britain were still playing Big Daddy to India and presuming to play a major role there. The Brits, of course, have a much better sense of propriety, not to mention being rather more on the ball. Spain, unfortunately, was always dysfunctional, which is why it miserably mismanaged and squandered its once enormous resources. Alas, such dysfunction is hereditary, at least to some extent, which is one reason Cubans fucked up so badly.
Asombra writes:
“Wait, Spain, which is a pretty sad joke of a country, wants to play a leadership role where? Here’s a thought: How about playing a leadership role in straightening out its considerable DOMESTIC mess?”
Hahahaha! That is so true. When I went to Spain a few years ago, it was a total mess. I remember a taxi driver complaining how they can’t get their act together, how everyone is unemployed, how inflation is sky-high and how they have to live off of Germany. Not to mention rampant corruption. I went to Zaragoza, and the plaza in front of the main cathedral was ruined. It was a lovely centuries old plaza and the city inexplicably replaced it with a modern monstrosity. Apparently, some bureaucrats pocketed money off the remodeling. Also, all of the ancient street lamps along the avenue “mysteriously” disappeared [allegedly no one knows where they went] and were replaced with cheap street lamps. And Spaniards are so lazy, it’s not funny. I wanted to go to the tower of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona and there was half-an-hour before closing. The girl selling the tickets said that it was too late. She had to go home. To quote her: “What do you think? That everything is work? We have to rest too you know!”
The tragedy is that in the 1950’s, Cuba was ahead of Spain. Spain was a backwards country and Cuba was modern with immigration from Spain to Cuba. Now, its the opposite. The greatest pathological liar on the face of the earth, castro, who was allegedly fighting to remove the shackles of colonialism off of us, has done the opposite and turned Cuba into the property of eveyrone, except the despised Cubans. Bueno, para la mierda que queda dentro de Cuba. I don’t even recognize those people inside of Cuba anymore.
Wait, Spain, which is a pretty sad joke of a country, wants to play a leadership role where? Here’s a thought: How about playing a leadership role in straightening out its considerable DOMESTIC mess? This attitude, of course, is not only neo-colonialist, it’s delusional. Spain needs to wake up and buy some respect, assuming it can find the means to purchase it. Lord have mercy.
Garcia-Margallo and Cuba’s dictator should get along well enough–they have so many age spots in common.
And no, Spain has NOT moved beyond or overcome its colonialist view of Cuba. It’s as if Great Britain were still playing Big Daddy to India and presuming to play a major role there. The Brits, of course, have a much better sense of propriety, not to mention being rather more on the ball. Spain, unfortunately, was always dysfunctional, which is why it miserably mismanaged and squandered its once enormous resources. Alas, such dysfunction is hereditary, at least to some extent, which is one reason Cubans fucked up so badly.
Asombra writes:
“Wait, Spain, which is a pretty sad joke of a country, wants to play a leadership role where? Here’s a thought: How about playing a leadership role in straightening out its considerable DOMESTIC mess?”
Hahahaha! That is so true. When I went to Spain a few years ago, it was a total mess. I remember a taxi driver complaining how they can’t get their act together, how everyone is unemployed, how inflation is sky-high and how they have to live off of Germany. Not to mention rampant corruption. I went to Zaragoza, and the plaza in front of the main cathedral was ruined. It was a lovely centuries old plaza and the city inexplicably replaced it with a modern monstrosity. Apparently, some bureaucrats pocketed money off the remodeling. Also, all of the ancient street lamps along the avenue “mysteriously” disappeared [allegedly no one knows where they went] and were replaced with cheap street lamps. And Spaniards are so lazy, it’s not funny. I wanted to go to the tower of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona and there was half-an-hour before closing. The girl selling the tickets said that it was too late. She had to go home. To quote her: “What do you think? That everything is work? We have to rest too you know!”
The tragedy is that in the 1950’s, Cuba was ahead of Spain. Spain was a backwards country and Cuba was modern with immigration from Spain to Cuba. Now, its the opposite. The greatest pathological liar on the face of the earth, castro, who was allegedly fighting to remove the shackles of colonialism off of us, has done the opposite and turned Cuba into the property of eveyrone, except the despised Cubans. Bueno, para la mierda que queda dentro de Cuba. I don’t even recognize those people inside of Cuba anymore.