Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says Capitalism 'In Decay' as He Meets the Castros in Cuba

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed capitalism as bankrupt and called for a new world order on Wednesday on a visit to Cuba, steering clear of the controversy over his country's nuclear programme.

The Iranian leader arrived in Cuba for talks with his counterpart Raul Castro as the Islamic republic blamed Israel and the United States for the killing of a nuclear scientist in a Tehran car bombing.

The scientist's killing heightened already high tensions with the West over Iran's suspect nuclear programme, but a defiant Ahmadinejad flashed the victory sign several times after landing in Havana.

The Iranian leader was greeted by nine girls in traditional Iranian attire as he stepped off the plane that flew him in from Nicaragua on the third leg of his Latin American tour, aimed at shoring up ties in the region.

Ahmadinejad was taken to the University of Havana where he picked up an honorary doctorate and told students in the Americas' only Communist country that capitalism could soon be on its last legs.

"Our shared task, mission and challenge is to make a great effort for justice to be achieved, (otherwise) millions will suffer injustice," Ahmadinejad said.

"We are watching the capitalist system decay ... it is heading toward a dead end," he said, stressing that what is needed is "a new order, a fresh look, that respects all human beings, a way of thinking that is based on justice." » | Thursday, January 12, 2012

Cuba Lays-off State Workers in Privatisation Drive
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cuba has begun the process of laying-off a tenth of its state workforce in a drive to push employees into small businesses that could mark the beginning of the end of the 50-year communist experiment on the island.

The state labour union announced this week that the first of some 500,000 employees could expect to receive "pink slips" immediately, effectively terminating their employment in the public sector where, until now, almost 90 per cent of Cuba's workforce have been employed.

The lay-offs will begin in the ministries of agriculture, sugar, construction, health and tourism, according to Salvador Valdes, the leader of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba (CTC). Workers, who on average earn a monthly wage of $20 (£13), were told to expect compensation of one month's salary for every ten years on the job.

Committees have been set up in each workplace to draw up the list of those jobs to be cut, the CTC said – a process that "will be free of favouritism, nepotism and paternalism". >>> Fiona Govan, Madrid | Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Raul Castro: Cuba Will Never Renounce the Revolution
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Cuban president Raul Castro has warned the US and Europe he will not 'restore capitalism' and will never renounce the revolution.

Mr Castro said the Caribbean country's socialist political system was non-negotiable.

In a speech marking the end of the annual parliamentary session, which has been dominated by Cuba's grave economic crisis, he said he would be willing to "discuss everything" with foreign leaders except the island's political and social system.

The Cuban leader, who succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro as president three years ago, said he wanted to respond to comments by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, who has linked dialogue with Cuba to democratic reform in the country.

"With all due respect, in response to Mrs Clinton, but also to the European Union ... I was not chosen as president to restore capitalism to Cuba or to renounce the revolution," he said to applause from Cuban politicians.

"I was chosen to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not to destroy it," said Mr Castro. >>> The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff and Agencies in Havana | Sunday, August 02, 2009

Fidel's Words Cool US-Cuba Hopes
BBC: Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro says President Barack Obama misinterpreted recent comments by his brother Raul about a possible thaw in US-Cuba ties.

Fidel Castro makes frequent comments about current affairs. Photo courtesy of the BBC
President Raul Castro said last week Cuba was ready to discuss "everything".

Mr Obama responded by saying the US sought new ties with Cuba but linked progress to advances in human rights and the freeing of political prisoners.

In an essay on a government website, Fidel Castro suggested it was up to the US not Cuba to change to improve ties.

"Without doubt, President [Obama] misinterpreted Raul's declaration," Fidel Castro wrote in an article on the CubaDebate website.

Raul Castro's offer "to broach any subject", the article said, was meant to show "courage and confidence in the principles of the revolution".

Correspondents say Fidel Castro appears to be trying to dampen expectations of a possible improvement in ties, by suggesting that too much has been read into Raul's offer to discuss everything. >>> | Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Obama Offers Cuba 'New Beginning'
BBC: President Barack Obama has said the US seeks a "new beginning" with Cuba and an "equal partnership" with all the nations of the Americas.

Mr Obama was addressing Latin American and Caribbean leaders at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

The summit follows a historic thaw in relations between the US and Cuba.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed an offer for talks from Cuban President Raul Castro, saying the old US policy had failed.

New beginning

"The US seeks a new beginning with Cuba," Mr Obama told leaders gathered in Port of Spain.

"I know there is a longer journey that must be travelled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day." >>> | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Watch BBC video: Obama seeks 'equal partnership' >>>

Medvedev in Cuba to Improve Ties
BBC: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Cuba for the final stop in a tour of Latin America intended to strengthen Russian influence in the region.

Mr Medvedev and Cuban President Raul Castro are expected to sign deals on nickel mining and oil exploration.

The Russian leader arrived in Havana from Venezuela, where he and President Hugo Chavez signed a deal on promoting nuclear energy for civilian use.

Military co-operation also featured in Mr Medvedev's talks with Mr Chavez.

After meeting his Cuban counterpart, Mr Medvedev told reporters: "We have a systematic dialogue. Our relations have been generally good, but in the past six months they have become especially intense."

Russian and Venezuelan warships are scheduled to hold joint military exercises later this week.

Russia is already a major arms supplier to Venezuela, with contracts worth some $4.4bn (£2.39bn). >>> | November 28, 2008

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Cuba Lifts Ban on Home Computers
BBC: The first legalised home computers have gone on sale in Cuba, but a ban remains on internet access.

This is the latest in a series of restrictions on daily life which President Raul Castro has lifted in recent weeks.

Crowds formed at the Carlos III shopping centre in Havana, though most had come just to look.

The desktop computers cost almost $800 (£400), in a country where the average wage is under $20 (£10) a month.

But some Cubans do have access to extra income, much of it from money sent by relatives living abroad.

Since taking over the presidency in February, Raul Castro has ended a range of restrictions and allowed Cubans access to previously banned consumer goods.

In recent weeks thousands of Cubans have snapped up mobile phones and DVD players.

But only now have the first computer stocks arrived.
Internet access remains restricted to certain workplaces, schools and universities on the island.

The government says it is unable to connect to the giant undersea fibre-optic cables because of the US trade embargo.

All online connections today are via satellite which has limited bandwidth and is expensive to use.

Cuba's anti-American ally, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, is laying a new cable under the Caribbean.

It remains unclear whether, once the connection is completed, the authorities will then allow unrestricted access to the world wide web. [Source: Cuba Lifts Ban on Home Computers >>> By Michael Voss, Havana | May 3, 2008

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