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Odds and ends
- Herald: Another day, another set of indictments for $100 million in Medicare fraud, another set of suspects that has fled to Cuba.
- Spain may extend the period of applications for citizenship under its “ley de nietos” for another year, according to this article in Spanish from Europa Press. Under that law, children and grandchildren of Spanish emigrants are applying for citizenship, and in Cuba and some other Latin American countries, demand is high. In Spain’s consulate in Havana, 325 applications are being received by appointment every day, a pace that will continue through the end of next year. Presumably, Cubans who hold Spanish passports will be able to use those passports to travel to the United States without getting a visa, since Spain is under the visa waiver program. Another benefit, when these new Spanish citizens reach retirement age, is a monthly stipend under Spain’s program of “pensiones asistenciales.”
- EFE: Cuba announces that it has developed a new variety of plantain plant that grows no taller than two meters and will better survive hurricanes; the first harvest is expected in July.
9 comments:
why do you think they head for Cuba??? it's a haven for criminals fleeing U.S. justice.
Well, they are mostly Cuban for one thing. Second, because there's no extradition treaty with Cuba. Third, not all of the 60 people involved have gone to Cuba - some have gone to other Latin countries or Europe.
An extradition treaty would benefit both sides. Per usual, Cuba wants one, the US does not.
Leftside,
There may be an extradition treaty between Cuba and the USA dating back to before 1959. It is not implemented due to the current stalemate in diplomatic relations which look to be frozen for a long time as President Ricardo Alarcón stated yesterday that there will no normalization of relations with the USA as long as the Cinco's are not released from prison. So elimination of the embargo, an extradition treaty, cooperation on interdiction of drug traffic, cooperation on weather forecasting and natural disaster management, etc are secondary issues to the release of the Cinco's.
Vecino de NF
10th day without a reflection from Compañero Fidel
If you do the math for Cuban popularity of Spain's "ley de nietos":
...325 applicants per day x 6 days per week x 52 weeks per year =
Over 101,000 per year!
No wonder Cuba is losing population!
FYI,
According to the following website http://www.state.gov/www/global/legal_affairs/tif_01a.pdf Cuba and the US have two extradition treaties in-force. The first one signed in 1904 effective since 1905, and the second signed and effective since 1926. There are also lots of other treaties inforce between the two countries. Of course, who cares about past treaties if you want to wage Revolución against the Imperio!
Vecino de NF
10th day without a reflection from Compañero Fidel
lefty...always leading with his chin.
Vecino, I can assure you there is no extradition treaty in force between Cuba and the US. Here's once classified State Department memo from 1972 talking about when Cuba expressed interest in re-activating the 1902/04 Treaty in response to the wave of hijackings during that time. The problem has always been that a true Treaty would mean that both sides have to play by the same rules. There's little indication that the US would ever agree to ship criminals in Miami that Cuba wants for crimes committed there, so it is unlikely to happen soon.
And Vecino, it is simply crazy that you continue to try to point the finger at Cuba as the obstacle in establishing normal relations. An honest reading of history for the last 50 years just shows that to be nonsense. The US has constantly imposed unacceptable pre-conditions, many of which are codified in US law. Then every President brings their own set of additional conditions. Obama has made it clear again today that release of all "political prisoners" is one of his requirements. Certainly, if a country like Iran was holding 5 of our anti-terrorist heroes, we would make that a "formidable obstacle" to relations (as Alarcon said about the Five).
Leftside wote: "And Vecino, it is simply crazy that you continue to try to point the finger at Cuba as the obstacle in establishing normal relations.... unacceptable conditions..."
Right again, Leftside! Why, why, WHY won't the pesky posters on this board accept your clear and undisputable logic?!
Now if only those silly imperialists would get over their obsession with those so-called "human rights." And why can't they accept that when El Supremo urged the Soviets to launch an attack against the Empire using the Sovite nuclear missles installed in Cuba, it was all done in a spirit of mutual respect and for the goal of establishing normal relations?!
And why can't the Oppressor accept that Cuba's generous and compassionate welcome to U.S. copkillers, plane hijackers and spies is a humanitarian effort to shelter the victims of Imperialist aggression???
Ah, if only we lived in a RATIONAL world, as illustrated by the wise editorials of Granma, the reflections of the Coma Andante and the irrefutable logic of Lefy! But will those imperialists listen?
Leftside,
The reference to the treaties inforce can be found at the website http://www.state.gov/www/global/legal_affairs/tif_01a.pdf (see previous post). I would prefer if you were to drop the rhetorical flourish accusing anyone that disagrees with you of dishonesty.("An honest reading of history for the last 50 years just shows that to be nonsense."). It is not conducive to respectful conversation. As I have said before we must agree to disagree with respect to the Cuban government's desire for better relations with the USA. I remain convinced that the Cuban government will use any means at its disposal to confront the USA. Whether that is justified or not based on pre-1959 relations between the two countries, it's open to debate that is not going to be settled until we have access to the Cuban government's archives.
To condition bettering relations with the release of the five Cuban intelligence officers tried, and convicted for conducting covert operations in the USA sends a clear signal that everything else is secondary. No US official nor US person set that condition. It was set by Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National Assembly speaking for the Cuban governement.
It doesn't bode well for those in the USA who wants better relations with the Cuban government because it puts them in the position that if they want better relations they must first pressure the US administration to release the convicted Cuban intelligence officers. If that's what is required of them, I would strongly suggest that they first register as foreign agents to avoid prosecution under similar charges. These are facts not opinions.
I would welcome better relations between Cuba and the USA but not to the detriment of US interests. One of those interests is that no foreign intelligence service sets up shop on American soil and conducts intelligence operations without the approval of the US government. And that is no simple policy decision, it's in the US Code.
Vecino de NF
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