10-16-05, 9:59 am

The Bush administration was shocked this past week by the unanimous adoption of a resolution denouncing the US blockade of Cuba at the Ibero-American summit in Salamanca, Spain.

The 22-nation member meeting of the leaders of Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries also sternly criticized the White House's failure to extradite former CIA operative and Venezuelan secret policeman Luis Posada Carriles, wanted in Venezuela for various crimes.

Posada is known to have admitted his participation in a terrorist bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976 that killed 73 people. The call for Posada's extradition came as part of a Cuba-authored resolution against terrorism. According to Xinhua.net, the anti-blockade resolution called on the US government to comply with the sentiments of 13 successive UN General Assembly resolutions 'and to bring an end to the economic, trade and financial blockade it maintains against Cuba.'

Prensa Latina reported that the summit also rejected 'unilateral and coercive measures' aimed at Cuba by the US and projected a defense of free exchange and transparent trade practices.

Currently, US policy requires US citizens to gain special permission from the US State Department to travel to and do business with Cuba. Cuban American families, under new Bush administration rules, are severely restricted as to how often they may send money or visit family members on the island. Failure to comply can result in severe fines and even prison sentences.

The resolution, adopted over the shrill objections of the White House, represented an 'unequivocal signal of support for the Cuban people,' commented Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. The resolution on Cuba echoed much sentiment in Europe on the issue. The European Commission had also expressed concern about the resolution. The EU, however, have relaxed mostly symbolic restrictions placed on European relations with Cuba since 2003.

Member countries also promised to provide economic and material aid to Guatemala and El Salvador recently hard hit by hurricane Stan. Summit participants agreed to create an international humanitarian fund, a proposal made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, with which to aid one another in the event of future disasters.

The leaders also initiated talks on debt forgiveness in exchange for greater investment in education and other social programs in member countries.



--Reach Joel Wendland at