Ex-Spanish leader blasts Cuba, Venezuela ties

The Miami Herald ^ | Wed, Mar. 16, 2005 | Oscar Corral

[Righty_McRight]

Former Spanish leader blasts his nation's coziness with Cuba, Venezuela

Former Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar said Wednesday that his country's government was practicing ''irresponsible'' foreign policy, citing the coziness Spain is fostering with Cuba and Venezuela.

Aznar said that under his administration, Spain stood proudly with the two strongest democracies in the world, the United States and Great Britain. And now, he said, Spain stands with Cuba and Venezuela, countries he called bedfellows in exporting trouble throughout Latin America.

Aznar made his statements in a meeting with the Herald's editorial board Wednesday morning.

''I was in Mexico last week, and I told them you and I have a right to be free, why deny that right to Cubans?'' Aznar said. ``I'll keep saying it all the time, I don't care if Castro insults me every day.''

He said he finds the close alliance between Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez troubling because they seem to be exporting trouble to Latin American countries such as Colombia and Bolivia.

He said Spain and the European Union should not forge closer ties to Cuba because only Cuba will benefit, and nothing will change while Castro is in power. Aznar distanced Spain diplomatically from Cuba after Castro's government jailed 75 dissidents in 2003.

He said he supported Cuban dissidents who are planning an assembly to promote civil society in Cuba May 20, but joked that he wasn't planning on attending because he didn't think the Cuban government would be very welcoming.

In other remarks, Aznar said the new Spanish government, which beat his party last year just days after the March 11 railroad bombing, has not been able to answer key questions about the bombing. He said Spain remains vulnerable to terrorism.

''We still don't know who ordered the bombing, who mounted the bombs on the trains, who bought the explosives,'' Aznar said. ``There are countries that owe information to Spain.''

Aznar did not give details, but said Spain needed to continue to investigate the bombing, no matter what country it might lead to.

[RJL]

Aznar said that under his administration, Spain stood proudly with the two strongest democracies in the world, the United States and Great Britain. And now, he said, Spain stands with Cuba and Venezuela...

Worth repeating.

[BMCDA]

Worth repeating.

I'll second that but on the other hand what did he expect?
The current administration is the PSOE which means "Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol" so I'm hardly surprised that Zapy cozies up with Chavez and Castro (*cuss* *spit*).

[Truth29]

We need to make it abundantly clear the price the Spanish will pay for cosying up to communists and terrorists. How many Spanish jobs are supported by US military bases in Spain? Do we need those bases there or can we move their activities to more friendly countries? We should initiate a highly public review of our facilities in Spain and give Spanish citizens a motivation in altering Zapatero's course. If the Spanish don't want us there, then we will move on.