Posted on 05/04/2004 12:28:44 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
MEXICO CITY -- Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Cuba have plummeted to their lowest level ever, with the government of President Vicente Fox expelling Havana's ambassador amid accusations that the communist island was meddling in Mexican affairs.
The action leaves Cuba increasingly isolated and could end Mexico's role as a middleman in contacts between Washington and Havana, some analysts said.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez announced late Sunday that his government was expelling the Cuban diplomat as well as withdrawing its own envoy from the Caribbean island.
He said the move was a response to provocative statements made by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and to unauthorized activities in Mexico of Cuban Communist Party officials. In a May Day speech Saturday, Castro said Mexico's revolutionary standing had been "reduced to ashes" by the Fox administration.
"Mexico will not tolerate, under any circumstances, a foreign government trying to affect our internal or external political decisions," Derbez said.
The Cuban Foreign Relations Department replied in a statement that Mexico's action had been "inspired by arrogance, haughtiness, gross stupidity and lies," and it promised an "appropriate response."
Mexico, which has had strong ties to Cuba since the island achieved independence from Spain in 1898, stopped short of severing diplomatic relations. Its actions lowered the level of ties to that of charges d'affaires.
Mexico's ambassador to Cuba, Roberta Lajous, returned home Monday. Cuba's ambassador, Jorge Bolanos, was expected to leave Mexico today.
After the Cuba revolution of 1959, Mexico was the only Latin American nation that did not break relations with Havana. Subsequently, historian Lorenzo Meyer said, Mexico often acted as a go-between in communications between U.S. and Cuban officials. He now predicts that role will end.
The expulsion sparked a controversy in Mexico.
Hundreds of activists from the center-left Democratic Revolution Party demonstrated outside the Foreign Relations Ministry. Analysts debating the development on radio talk shows shouted each other down.
"This was a very stupid decision. We gain nothing from it," Meyer, of Colegio de Mexico, said.
The Fox administration has been increasingly at odds with Havana since it came to power in December 2000.
During the last three years, Mexico has supported U.S. resolutions against Cuba's human rights records in votes at the United Nations. In 2002, Fox had a war of words with Castro after he asked him to leave a U.N. conference in Monterrey to avoid a confrontation with President Bush.
Nonetheless, this week's action surprised many commentators.
"Castro has been more critical of the Mexican government before," said political analyst Jose Antonio Crespo from Mexico City's CIDE think tank. "There has to be hidden motivations for this decision."
Opposition politicians accused the government of weakening diplomatic relations to discredit information that Cuba may have had on the Fox administration.
"This was a personal decision by Fox, not a state decision," said federal Deputy Jorge Martinez, of the Democratic Revolution Party.
Last week, the Cuban government extradited business tycoon Carlos Ahumada, who is accused of making illicit deals with several Mexican political parties. In a statement, Cuba's Foreign Ministry said it had determined that Ahumada had important information on Mexican officials.
Mexico's decision coincided with a report on Cuba presented to the White House by Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday. The 500-page report addressed ways that the United States and other countries could end the dictatorship in Cuba, according to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
Peru also announced it was withdrawing its ambassador from Havana on Sunday. Peruvian officials cited Castro's May Day speech, which criticized the government of Alejandro Toledo.
Powell commended Mexico and Peru for their actions and characterized Castro's remarks about the two nations as outrageous.
Fox is usually so busy meddling in American affairs that I'm surprised he found the time to do this.
"Mexico will not tolerate, under any circumstances, a foreign government trying to affect our internal or external political decisions," Derbez said.
Now I know why the U.S. is incapable of deporting illegal aliens from Mexico. It would affect Mexico's political decisions. Fancy that.
OK, now if he would only steadily inch it to the south....
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