Chronicle on Cuba - September 2008

Foreign Affairs

September 2: The Russian emergencies ministry said it would send four planes with humanitarian aid to Cuba, hit by a devastating hurricane. "At the Russian president's request, the emergencies ministry will send four cargo planes with tents for 5,000 people, construction materials, food and essentials supplies," a source in the ministry said. The first two planes are scheduled to take off for Cuba on September 3 (RIA-Novosti, 2/9/08).

September 2: East Timor's President boarded a plane to Cuba for a medical check up.  Jose Ramos Horta has gunshot wounds from an attack on him in February by rebels. The nobel laureate was given a military guard as he boarded a commercial flight to Singapore from Dili's airport. East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said the President is still feeling unwell. But he said Dr Ramos Horta also wants to convey the solidarity of the Timorese people to Cuba, where Hurricane Gustav swept through on August 30 (Radio Australia, 2/9/08).

September 2: The European Union said it is giving 2 million euros (US$2.9 million) to people made homeless by Hurricane Gustav when it hit several Caribbean nations. The EU said the money will pay for clean water, food, medical care, shelter and basic household items in Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic (AP, 2/9/08).

September 3: Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a message to Cuban leader Raul Castro, offering sympathy and solicitude to the Cuban people over their suffering and damages caused by Hurricane Gustav. In his message, Hu said he believes the Cuban people, under the leadership of the Cuban government and Communist Party, will recover soon from the natural disaster and rebuild their homelands (Xinhua, 3/9/08).

September 3: The Panamanian government sent a solidarity message to the authorities and people of Cuba, for the heavy toll taken by hurricane "Gustav". The Foreign Ministry, voicing the feelings of the National Government and the Panamanian people, "wishes to express its solidarity on the calamitous impact of hurricane "Gustav" along the western end of Cuba," said an official press release. The Government vowed to contribute to the relief effort and encouraged the Panamanian people to make donations through the Embassy of Cuba in this country (EFE, 3/9/08).

September 3: The Canadian Network for Cuba (CNC) has expressed its deepest support and solidarity towards the Cuban people in their recovery from the serious material damages caused by Hurricane Gustav. Today, like in the past, the Cuban people and their leaders can count on the support of the Cuba-Canada Solidarity Movement, affirmed the CNC in a communiqué (ACN, 3/9/08). 

September 3: The Table de Concertation de Solidarité Québec-Cuba and its Fabio Di Celmo Committee for the Release of the five Cuban antiterrorists held in US jails will stage a picket line in front of the US consulate, in Montreal next September 12 and 13, in the context of the Five's 10th year of unfair imprisonment. The announcement was made by Fabio Di Celmo Committee member Arnold August as he read a message of greetings from the Table de Concertation de Solidarité Québec-Cuba to the 4th Biennial Convention of the Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC), recently held in Toronto, Canada (ACN, 3/9/08). 

September 3: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had a telephone conversation with Cuban leader Raul Castro, in the course of which he expressed sympathy for the people of Cuba in the wake of the damage that has been inflicted on the country by hurricane Gustav, the Kremlin press service said. Medvedev also told Castro about Russia’s efforts in rendering humanitarian aid to Cuba. The two leaders also discussed the current status of and prospects for bilateral relations in various spheres. President Medvedev issued an instruction to Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu September 1 to allocate emergency aid to Cuba in the wake of the devastating hurricane (Itar-Tass, 3/9/08).

September 3: A United Nation's Population Fund official visited several facilities related with the people's quality of life in Cienfuegos province, located in the central part of Cuba. Arie Hockman, UNPF representative for Mexico, the Dominican Republic and  Cuba was interested in programs for human development implemented in the province. He talked with health experts from Cienfuegos and offered, on behalf of the international organization, to cooperate with actions to improve the quality of life of senior citizens in particular. The province has one of the highest average ages of the country, with 17 percent of the population over 65. The municipality of Cruces is among the top three in the country for life expectancy (ACN, 3/9/08). 

September 4: Mexican police detained a Cuban man and woman for their alleged involvement in the beheadings of a dozen men in the Yucatan Peninsula last August, authorities said. "Ricardo Coto Vazquez, 39, and Yemiset Santana Lam, 30, both of Cuban nationality, were caught in Cancun," the public safety department said in a statement. Police acted after questioning three Mexicans, suspected members of the Gulf drug cartel, already detained in the case, the statement said. The 12 headless bodies were discovered near Merida, the capital of the southeast Yucatan state, on August 28, two days before several hundred thousand Mexicans protested across the country against rising insecurity (AFP, 4/9/08).
 
September 4: Cuba's state-run media highlighted the arrival of Russian aid in the wake of devastating Hurricane Gustav, the latest sign the former Cold War allies are out to strengthen their relations. State-run television showed two huge cargo planes arriving at Havana's Jose Marti airport at the top of its morning news broadcast. Cuban soldiers were seen unloading supplies such as tents, electrical cables and construction materials. Such scenes have not been seen in Cuba since the Soviet Union collapsed. The Russian aid was the first to arrive in Cuba after Gustav, packing record high winds, devastated parts of westernmost Pinar del Rio province and the Isle of Youth. Russia's ambassador to Cuba was scheduled to tour the area (Reuters, 5/9/08). 

September 4: The President of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, expressed his solidarity with the Cuban people after the devastation caused by hurricane Gustav over the weekend in the Isle of Youth Special Municipality and Pinar del Rio province. Ramos Horta, who arrived in Cuba for an official visit at the invitation of President Raul Castro, told reporters that, although East Timor is a poor country, they are studying ways to help the Caribbean nation recover from this tragedy. He also sent greetings to the Cuban people from the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, and from the President of Parliament, Fernando Lasama Araujo. He recalled that Cuba and East Timor have very close relations and thanked Cuba for its support of the independence and self-determination of the so-called Country of the Sandalwood. Currently, 231 Cuban doctors and other health professionals are working in East Timor, 36 professors serve as advisors to that country’s literacy campaign, and nearly 700 youths from this Asian nation are  studying medicine in Cuba (ACN, 4/9/08). 

September 4: The Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, announced that his country will donate 500,000 US dollars to Cuba as cash assistance to help in the recovery from the damages caused by hurricane Gustav, which devastated the Isle of Youth  Special Municipality and areas of the province of Pinar del Rio. Speaking on television, Gusmao recalled that solidarity with other peoples is a principle that appears in the Constitution of his country and, thus, the Council of Ministers of East Timor decided to send this donation to the Cuban people and government (ACN, 5/9/08). 

September 5: The Chinese government announced that it will provide 300,000 US dollars to Cuba as a donation to the Caribbean nation’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Gustav hit the western region of the country leaving thousands of houses destroyed and significant economic losses. According to Prensa Latina news agency, the Red Cross Society of China also announced cash aid of 50,000 US dollars to its Cuban counterpart (ACN, 4/9/08). 

September 5: Spain has delivered humanitarian aid to Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica, the three countries ravaged by the hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, authorities said. The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) said Spain sent to Cuba 15 tons of commodities: 99 tents, two generators, 1,008 sanitary kits, 1,020 water deposits, 1,200 mosquito nets and 1,000 sailclothes. Cuba's Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration Ricardo Guerrero Blanco expressed gratitude to Spain for the aid. Guerrero said the aid will be distributed to the affected people in the western province of Pinar del Rio and Isle of Youth (Xinhua, 5/9/08).

September 5: Cuban President Raul Castro presided over the official welcoming ceremony for his counterpart from East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, at Havana's Revolution Palace. The Cuban Armed forces paid military honors to the Timorese Head of State. Both leaders greeted attending delegations, which included East Timor´s ambassadors to Cuba Egidio de Jesus and to the United Nations Nelson Santos, among other officials. Attending the ceremony on the Cuban side were First Vice President Jose  Ramon Machado Ventura; Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer and Foreign  Minister Felipe Perez Roque.  Following the ceremony, both Raul Castro  and Jose Ramos Horta held official talks (ACN, 5/9/08).

September 6: The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation announced that Canada is providing $600,000 to assist people affected by recent hurricanes and tropical storms in Haiti and the Caribbean. Canada’s support includes a $43,000 contribution to Médecins du Monde to provide water, hygiene kits and primary health care, and $100,000 to the IFRC’s Preliminary Emergency Appeal to assist 7,000 families affected by the devastation in Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica. The Government of Canada stands prepared to respond further to the humanitarian situation in the Caribbean, as the need arises (DFAIT Press Release, 6/9/08).

September 7: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reiterated his solidarity with the Cuban people, which have suffered the devastation of two Category 4 hurricanes in little more than a week. During his weekly radio and television program “Alo, Presidente”, the  Venezuelan leader praised the organization and readiness of the Caribbean nation to face this kind of natural disasters. According to Granma news daily, Chavez ratified the decision and willingness of his government to help the Cuban people. “Fidel, we are praying here so that God helps not only Cuba but also the peoples of the Caribbean and the people of the United States,” the Venezuelan president said. Chavez added that he spoke over the phone with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, who gave him details of the situation in the Caribbean country after the devastation caused by Hurricane Gustav and also of the measures taken to face Hurricane Ike (ACN, 8/9/08).

September 10: In a rare move Cuba said it would accept aid from the United Nations, said John Holmes, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief. He said the aid would total up to $3.5 million. "It's the first time certainly that anybody can remember (that Cuba has accepted UN aid)," Holmes told reporters during a visit to Mexico City. "I think that's an indication of how serious the situation is in Cuba," he added (Reuters, 10/9/08).

September 11: President Hugo Chavez urged the Venezuelan people to show their solidarity with Cuba and Haiti, “two nations – he said - that have been severely affected by two powerful hurricanes.” “I urge all Venezuelans to further cooperation with Cuba and Haiti because these hurricanes have hit them far beyond our imagination,” Chavez said. According to Juventud Rebelde news daily, the Venezuelan leader noted that there was no electricity supply all across Cuba and that only a group of small power generators guaranteed basic services in hospitals, bakeries, radio stations, etc. He added that more than 2.5 million people were evacuated in Cuba before Hurricane Ike hit the country causing severe damages to houses, crops, roads and the nationwide system of electricity supply. “The damage is incalculable,” he stressed (ACN, 11/9/08).

September 11: South Africa said it has given its 2008 humanitarian award to former Cuban president Fidel Castro for his contributions to "humankind beyond boundaries." Castro, who turned 82, becomes the first non-African and the third ex-head of state to win the "Ubuntu" award, the National Heritage Council of South Africa said in a statement. "The Ubuntu award is honouring persons who have consistently lived the humanitarian values of the African philosophy of Ubuntu," which defines the individual in terms of their relationships with others. Castro won the award "for the role he played in the Cuban revolution and worldwide contribution to the struggle for an alternative, just and humane society," the statement said (AFP, 11/9/08).

September 11: The Education Minister of the People’s Republic of China , Zhou Ji, met in Beijing with Cuban Council of State official Lissette Díaz, and her accompanying delegation. The two parties examined bilateral exchange in the field of education and paid special attention to the Spanish language program for Chinese students in Cuba and its excellent results so far. Díaz reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment with the learning of the Spanish language of the young Chinese students, and spoke about how they adapt themselves to their new life and assimilate knowledge. For his part, the Chinese minister highlighted the international prestige of Cuba’s education system and expressed his confidence in the success of joint projects (ACN, 11/9/08). 

September 11: Cuba and Mexico are discussing how to clamp down on the flow of illegal Cuban immigrants through Mexico to the United States, Cuba's Ambassador Manuel Aguilera said. Aguilera said the two countries could reach an initial agreement on undocumented migration when Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque visits Mexico in the next few weeks. "What we are discussing is how to get both countries to increase our cooperation so that the migratory flow between Mexico and Cuba is safe, legal and orderly," Aguilera told a news conference. Thousands of Cubans slip into Mexico by boat each year, mostly to the Yucatan Peninsula, without exit permits from the Cuban government. The Cuban ambassador said talks were centered around cracking down on migrant-smuggling gangs while also making it easier for academics and business executives to get visas to travel between the two countries (Reuters, 11/9/08).

September 11: The Mexican Senate agreed to offer immediate aid to Cuba after the passing of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Mexican deputies passed a resolution seeking to contribute to the recovery in Cuba that was presented by the body’s vice president,  Yeidckol Polevnsky, on behalf of the parliamentary groups of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Granma newspaper reported. In his presentation, Polevnsky detailed the damage caused by the two storms and recognized Cuba’s continuous showing of solidarity towards Mexico and other countries, adding that “today it is in need of the solidarity of its brothers and sisters.” The resolution was supported by the other parliamentary groups (ACN, 11/9/08).

September 11: In a telephone conversation with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro,   Namibia's President, Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, expressed his country's solidarity with the people of Cuba after the devastation left by the passing of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  During their conversation, Raul thanked the Namibian president for his concern and offered detailed information on the damage inflicted by the two storms that hit the country, Granma newspaper reported. At the end of their conversation, the Namibian leader requested that his greetings be given to Fidel Castro (ACN, 12/9/08).

September 11: The Canadian Committee for the Release of the Cuban Five and Vancouver Cuba Solidarity Communities (VCSC) have called a rally for September 12 in that Canadian city, in support of the release of these prisoners. The meeting will be held in front of the US Consulate in Vancouver, reports Juventud Rebelde newspaper. Demonstrators will also demand the end of Washington’s embargo against the island and will condemn the support given by the US government to Miami-based anti-Cuba terrorist groups (ACN, 12/9/08).

September 12: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) staff in Cuba are rushing to provide clean water and sanitation to the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ike, the fourth deadly tropical storm to batter the Caribbean region with torrential rains and heavy winds within the past month. Preventing outbreaks of infectious disease is now the top priority in the wake of Ike, UNICEF's deputy representative in Cuba, Viviana Limpias, said from Havana. “We are also concerned with the status of schools and recreational facilities for children on the island, given that the return to school has been pushed back until further notice and many classrooms are currently being used as shelters,” Ms. Limpias said. Ms. Limpias added that natural disasters on the scale of the hurricanes are especially frightening for children. “More funding will be needed to ensure children's well-being since we are expecting several other hurricanes in the next few months” (UN News, 13/9/08).

September 13: Cuban President Raul Castro issued a statement expressing concern about current developments in Bolivia and reiterating Cuba’s firm support of the legitimate government of Evo Morales. In his statement, which was published by Cuban television, Raul Castro said that political, economic and media pressures on the government of  Evo Morales threaten the South American country’s integrity. The statement denounces  Washington’s interference with Bolivia’s domestic affairs and reiterates that the situation taking place in that country must be solved by the Bolivian people, according to the principles of sovereignty, independence and self-determination. Bolivia’s constitutional order and territorial integrity must be respected, said Raul Castro in his statement. Cuba also calls for continental solidarity with Bolivia, since the developments in that country could lead to a dangerous escalation of violence threatening peace and security in the continent (Declaración del Presidente de los Consejos de Estado y de Ministros; ACN, 14/9/08).

September 13: Cuba received a first shipment of nearly 15 tons’ worth of Brazilian humanitarian aid for the victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. "The first Brazilian plane loaded with humanitarian aid landed yesterday evening in Havana, carrying 14.7 tons of foodstuffs for the victims of the hurricanes Gustav and Ike (...)," said Granma, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. Ramón Rippoll, Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, claimed that the Brazilian aid package would be distributed as a basic basket that should feed a family of five for two weeks (Reuters, 14/9/08).

September 13: The Norwegian government has allocated 11 million Norwegian krones to be spent on emergency aid to hurricane victims in Haiti and Cuba, in the wake of tropical storms Gustav and Hanna. The hurricanes have created an acute humanitarian situation on Haiti and Cuba. The many who are hard hit need our and other nations' help, says State Secretary Haakon A.Gulbrandsen. The Norwegian aid will be distributed through the UN, the International Red Cross and NGOs (The Norwegian Post, 13/9/08).

September 14: Cayman Islands, the wealthy British Caribbean dependency, says it is distributing 24,500 pounds (11,100 kilograms) of relief supplies to Hurricane Ike's victims in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The government of the Cayman Islands says donations for its fellow British overseas territory include generators, tarpaulins, canned foods and toiletries. Kurt Tibbett, the top elected official in the Cayman Islands, said in a statement that the territory is also trying to organize relief for Cubans rebuilding after Ike's destructive path (AP, 14/9/08).

September 14: The murder of President Hugo Chávez would be a catastrophe for the homeland of Simón Bolívar, Fidel Castro warned in a letter read on television by the Venezuelan head of State. The missive alluded to recently uncovered plans for a military coup and presidential assassination in Venezuela involving Army officers, both retired and in active duty. “What they should do is take care of you if they really believe that socialism is a failed doctrine that divorces the leaders from their own people, when in fact it is the only path, the only path to life, to the Homeland,” expressed Fidel Castro in the letter read by Chávez in his regular TV appearance Aló Presidente. After commenting that he had received a message from Castro, Chavez remarked, “Fidel Castro is fighting our battle” (AIN, 14/9/08).

September 15: A group of 25 students from Solomon Islands planning to study medicine in Cuba will take up their scholarship at the end of this month. The Solomon Times reported that, under the agreement, Cuba is offering 50 scholarship this year for Solomon Island students. Solomon Islands ministry of health regards the agreement as a big bonus to the Solomon Islands. It says the Solomon Islands is short of up to 60 doctors (Radio Australia, 15/9/08).

September 15: More foreign help continues arriving into Havana in the form of important donations of building materials and food as part of the recovery efforts after the passing of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, reported Granma newspaper. Two Hercules C-130 planes of the Colombian and Honduran Air Forces arrived at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. The assistance from Colombia includes 3,000 sheets of zinc roofing material with the 18,000 ties necessary for installation (11 tons in all). Honduras sent ten tons of foodstuffs including rice, beans, noodles and instant soups. Luz Amanda Pulido, head of Colombia's Disaster Prevention and Attention Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Justice, led the Colombian mission and offered a special greeting from President Alvaro Uribe. She was welcomed by Orlando Requeijo, vice minister of Economic Investment and Foreign Collaboration. Pulido said her government will attend the requests from the Cuban government, especially regarding building materials. Meanwhile, Juan Ramon Elvir, the Honduran ambassador in Havana, called the humanitarian flight historic, since it is the first time in 50 years that a plane of the Honduran Air Force lands in Cuba on this type of mission (ACN, 16/9/08).

September 15: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin made his second visit to Cuba in two months in what Cuban state-run press said was a one-day trip to evaluate hurricane damage and strengthen commercial ties. Sechin arrived with representatives from several Russian ministries and large Russian companies who would look at ways they could help Cuba recover from hurricanes Gustav and Ike, said news agency Prensa Latina. Sechin visited Cuba in August on a trip that the two old Cold War allies billed as the reactivation of "traditional relations" between the Caribbean island and Russia, which as the then-Soviet Union was Cuba's biggest benefactor before it collapsed in 1991. That visit followed a report out of Russia, later denied by the Russian Defense Ministry, that Cuba might be used as a refueling base for Russia's nuclear-capable bombers (Reuters, 16/9/08).

September 15: Cuban President Raul Castro met with the Vice President of the Russian Federation, Igor Ivanovich Sechin, who was in Cuba for a working visit heading a delegation of Russian ministers and businesspeople. The meeting took place in a friendly and congenial atmosphere and both leaders expressed their political willingness to continue increasing bilateral cooperation. Raul Castro thanked the visitor on behalf of the Cuban people for the humanitarian aid sent by Russia to help the Caribbean nation in the aftermath of the devastation caused nationwide by hurricanes Gustav and Ike (ACN, 17/9/08).

September 16: The first Cuba-Pacific Islands Ministerial Meeting is on its way in Havana. Already in the Cuban capital for this meeting are the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Apisai Lelemia, as well as the foreign ministers of Nauru, Salomon Islands and Fiji Islands: Kieren Keke, William Haomae and Ratu Epei Nailatikau, respectively. Also present in the meeting are the representatives before  the United Nations from Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, Micronesia and Papua-New Guinea. According to Granma news daily, this meeting will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation ties between Cuba and this group of small island-states, mainly in the fields of health, sports and training of human resources. In addition, participants will also analyze common challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and the current world food and energy crisis (ACN, 16/9/08).
 
September 16: The Cuban government under new leader Raul Castro has reportedly accepted the resumption of formal political dialogue with the EU after it lifted diplomatic sanctions against the island two months ago. The EU representative in Havana, Javier Nino signaled interest in taking up formal talks with Europe in what could be a first step towards normalization of strained relations between the 27-member bloc and Cuba. In a letter handed over earlier this month at the embassy of France, current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, Nino said the communist regime was interested in restarting dialogue with the EU. "The Cuban government agrees to begin dialogue. (...) The EU proposal is an unconditional dialogue, mutual benefit, mutual respect on a number of issues such as rights and environmental issues," Nino told the press. "At this moment the two sides are negotiating over when (plans for) the dialogue can be firmed up, but ideally it will be relatively soon," he said, adding that no date or venue had been set (Deutsche Welle, 17/9/08).

September 16: Cuba and 10 island-states of the Pacific region strengthened their cooperation and friendship ties after the conclusion in Havana of the First Bilateral Ministerial Meeting that took place at the Palco hotel. Speaking on behalf of the visiting delegations, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Apisai Lelemia, noted that climate change and the world food crisis are the real threats today for the host country and these small  island-states. He also expressed his satisfaction at the general consensus of participating delegations on the need to reform the United Nations (ACN, 17/9/08).

September 16: Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo met with the president of Kiribati, Anote Tong and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Apisai Lelemia, to whom he offered greetings from President Raul Castro. The meeting took place after the opening session of the First Ministerial Meeting of Cuba and the Pacific Islands in Havana. Lazo called the encounter “historic” and said it “will lay the foundations for our relations.” He noted that both Fidel and Raul Castro put much importance on this First Ministerial Meeting, reported Granma newspaper (ACN, 17/9/08).

September 16: A cargo plane carrying 20.7 tons of humanitarian aid sent by Spain and the UN World Food Program arrived in Havana from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Spanish Ambassador in Cuba, Carlos Alonso Zaldivar, told the press that   this second shipment shows the willingness of his country to continue cooperating with Cuba in its efforts to recover from the severe damages caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. He explained that this time the donation includes 16 tons of foodstuffs, and construction tools and materials, among other goods (ACN, 17/9/08).

September 17: Cuba and Kiribati signed a cooperation agreement that will increase bilateral cooperation in the health sector. The document was signed in Havana by Cuban Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer and by his Kiribati counterpart, Riteti Maninraka, in a ceremony that was presided over by Anote Tong, President of this small island-state of the Pacific. The Cuban official said that the agreement reaffirms the close bilateral ties of friendship and the commitment of both governments to continue strengthening cooperation. “We are sister nations, two small islands facing big challenges,” Balaguer stressed (ACN, 18/9/08).

September 17: Fidel Castro was granted the Ububto 2008 Solidarity Award by the South Africa National Heritage Council (NHC). During a press conference in Pretoria, Sonwabile Mancotvwa, executive director of NHC said that the award is granted to personalities whose life has been consistent with the humanitarian values of the Ubuntu African philosophy, which is based on unity and solidarity (ACN, 17/9/08).

 September 17: A delegation from Portugal, led by State Secretary for Health Manuel Pizarro, held talks with the rector of Havana Medical Sciences Superior Institute (ISCMH), Jorge Gonzalez Perez. Also present at the meeting were Rosa Matos Zorrillo, Alentejo Health director, Luis Manuel Conhia Ribeiro, High Health Commissioner, and André Aragao Azevedo, head of staff of the delegation chief (ACN, 17/9/08).

September 18: Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque said that his government has agreed to a political dialogue with the European Union (EU) but that a "formal agreement" on the talks’ framework, format and governing principles is still pending. "We accepted this dialogue proposal, but first the EU and Cuba have to discuss and come to a formal agreement on what the framework will be, what forms of dialogue will be used and on what principles this discussion will be based," indicated Pérez Roque in a press conference. He added that this dialogue will "in no case be allowed to become an attempt by one of the parties to tutor the other." It will be an "exchange between equals that Cuba is willing to undertake and considers useful." Pérez Roque said that, from the island’s perspective, the parties must engage in dialogue "as equals," with respect for national "sovereignty" and "the principle of non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs" (Conferencia de prensa de Pérez Roque; EFE, 18/9/08).

September 19: In a gesture of solidarity with Cuba after it was struck by two devastating hurricanes, the government of Trinidad and Tobago contributed $1 million to the recovery efforts led in Cuba. During the symbolic delivery of the aid at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Trinitarian Ambassador to Havana Lester Efebo Wilkinson said his country has closely followed the situation in Cuba. He praised the organization and discipline maintained by the Cuban people and said the response from his government could only be one of solidarity, reported Granma newspaper (ACN, 19/9/08).

September 19: The Government of Canada announced a $400,000 contribution to assist the people of Cuba affected by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike. Of that amount, $200,000 will be transferred to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), allowing the IFRC and the Cuban Red Cross to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to 40,000 Cubans whose lives have been devastated by the impact of the hurricanes. Provisions will include water filters, temporary shelter materials, and other much-needed emergency supplies such as kitchen sets, jerry cans, mosquito nets, towels, mattresses and sheet sets. This is in addition to the $100,000 provided on September 6 for initial emergency responses in Cuba, Haiti and the Caribbean. In addition, $200,000 has been set aside for the Cuba Community Development Fund to support relief and reconstruction proposals submitted by local Cuban organizations. Canadian officials are monitoring all regions of the Americas that have been hit by the recent storms and will continue to work with trusted humanitarian partners to ensure that this assistance is making a difference (CIDA Press Release, 19/9/08).

September 20: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he will visit hurricane-ravaged Cuba before leaving on a trip to China and Russia. Chavez said he was invited by close friend Fidel Castro and his brother Raul, Cuba's current president. He said in a speech that Cuba can “count on” Venezuela for help after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike recently did an estimated US$5 billion in damage. He did not give details (AP, 20/9/08).

September 21: Cuban President Raul Castro received a message of solidarity from his Angolan counterpart, Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, on the occasion of the devastation caused recently in the Caribbean nation by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. According to Granma news daily, the letter was delivered by the Angolan Minister of Public Works and City Planning, Francisco Higinio Lopes Carneiro. Raul Castro thanked Lopes Carneiro for the important contribution made by the Angolan Government. Also present in the meeting was the Angolan ambassador in Cuba, Antonio Condesse de Carvalho, as well as Cuban Army Corps generals Julio Casas Regueiro and Leopoldo Cintra Frias (ACN, 22/9/08).

September 21: Pope Benedict XVI says he is offering special prayers for people suffering in the wake of hurricanes that hit Haiti, Cuba and other Caribbean countries. The pope also recalled the populations of Texas and other southern US states that were battered by hurricanes earlier this month. Benedict told pilgrims at his Castel Gandolfo summer retreat that he hopes that help quickly reaches damaged areas, and that solidarity and brotherhood prevail (AP, 21/9/08).

September 21: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Cuba to meet with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, as Caracas's firebrand leader sets out on a tour that includes China, Russia, Portugal and France.  The Venezuelan leader was greeted at Jose Marti International Airport by Cuban President Raul Castro, who wore his customary military uniform. In an article published in Cuba's state-run press, Castro, 82, said the one-hour meeting with his close friend Chavez will be "a great honor for me" (What is True and What is False; Reuters, 22/9/08).

September 22: The government of Suriname will contribute $125,000 to Cuban efforts for recovery after the passing of the devastating hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The announcement was made by Suriname’s Foreign Relations Minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldjjk at the request of the president of her country, Ronald R. Venetiaan, in a meeting with the Cuban ambassador to that country Andres Gonzalez Garrido. On behalf of Suriname’s government, the minister expressed her deep sorrow for the damage caused by the two hurricanes and the death of seven people (ACN, 22/9/08). 

September 22: Cuba demanded at the UN specific aid for the African peoples, such as the condoning of the foreign debt and the fulfilment of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Cuba also called for the mobilization of new and additional resources, as well as financial, technical and human support and a larger worldwide effort in terms of health and education in the continent, reported Prensa Latina news agency from New York. These were the positions expressed by Cuba’s first vice-president, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, in his speech to the special high level session Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward. In his speech to the forum, Machado Ventura affirmed that if an answer is not given to the imperative need of establishing a new North-South relation system, ¨whatever we do, will be a futile exercise¨ (ACN, 22/9/08).

September 22: Cuban First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura held bilateral meetings with the presidents of Colombia, Alvado Uribe; Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo; and Cape Verde, Pedro Pires. Machado Ventura heads the Cuban delegation to the High Level Meeting of the 63rd Period of Sessions of the UN General Assembly in New York. Also, the Cuban high-ranking official met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and with Miguel D’Escoto, current President of the  Assembly. In addition, Machado held bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers  of Angola, Algeria and Indonesia. According to Granma news daily, in the night, the Cuban First VP participated in a rally in solidarity with Cuba at the Intercession  Church in Harlem organized by groups working in the campaign for the release of five Cubans who remain in US jails (ACN, 23/9/08).

September 22: A donation of food, drinking water, mattresses and other articles sent by the Jamaican government arrived to the port of eastern Santiago de Cuba to help the victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The coastguard vessel Middlesex of the Jamaican Armada carried the load along with four specialists from the Jamaican Office for Disasters Preparation and Emergencies. Local authorities received the donation on behalf of the Cuban people. The two sides exchanged information and experiences on the handling regional disasters (ACN, 22/9/08).

September 23: Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is "strong," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, adding that he had enjoyed a walk and chat about the world financial crisis with the octogenarian revolutionary. "We stopped in Havana first and I talked with Fidel for a while, a good while. Fidel is strong, you know," Chavez told journalists at the start of a visit to China, his second stop on a world tour that began in the island nation. "We walked...we analyzed the situation in the world, in Latin America. And the situation in the United States, which is so terrible not only for their people but for the whole world -- the collapse of the international financial system" (Reuters, 23/9/08).

September 24: “Cuba is a school of social development,” said Jose Juan Ortiz, representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Caribbean nation. In statements published by the digital edition of the Bohemia magazine, the UNICEF executive said that Cuba has proven wrong the thesis that says that guaranteeing children’s rights depends on economic resources. “The truth is that, if there is political willingness, many things can be done. Cuba is working very seriously to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In fact, several of these goals have already been fully attained and there is significant improvement in others,” the UN official noted (ACN, 24/9/08).

September 24: Cuban Vice Minister for Economic Investment and Economic Cooperation Ricardo Guerrero referred to donations to Cuba after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike as ¨expressions of friendship¨. At the Round Table television program, Guerrero said that, Cuba doesn’t measure the financial impact of donations coming from abroad.  “Above all, we appreciate the gesture of extending friendly and humanitarian hands to us to complement our efforts (…) in our resolve to recover from the damage caused by the recent storms. Guerrero reported that so far Cuba has received 230 offers of aid from 63 nations and institutions amounting to US$ 30.5 million, of which 1 million in resources and 2 million in funds has already arrived. The vice minister denied the rumor that international donations were being sold in government stores (ACN, 24/9/08).

September 24: Cuban First Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura demanded a new and fairer world order as he addressed the 63 Period of Sessions of the UN General Assembly, in New York. After congratulating Nicaraguan Miguel D’Escoto for having been elected to chair the Assembly, Machado Ventura said that today’s world circumstances are crucial for the history of humankind, since the threats currently pending on the planet endanger the existence of the human race. The Cuban First Vice-President said that the only way to secure the future is by promoting peace, solidarity, social justice and sustainable development. The current unfair and unsustainable world order must be replaced with a really democratic and equitable system, he said. Machado Ventura pointed out that a new world order must be based on respect for international law and the principles of justice and solidarity to put an end to inequalities and the exclusion to which large majorities of the world population have been submitted (Address by Machado Ventura at the UN General Assembly; ACN, 24/9/08).

September 25: The prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Cuba will be discussed in Baku during high-level talks in the near future. Cuban President Raul Castro will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, Cuban Ambassador to Azerbaijan Marcelo Caballero Torres said. “The visit of the Cuban President will have a positive effect on expansion of bilateral cooperation, which is being resumed at the moment. Since opening the embassies the two countries have been reanimating former relations. Mutual visits intensify the efforts,” he said. “That will be the second visit of Raul Castro to Azerbaijan. The first time he visited Baku was in 1970, when he was Cuba’s Defence Minister,” the Ambassador said. Economic relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba have shifted to a new development stage since last year. At the end of 2007 the first session of Azerbaijani-Cuban Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic Co-operation took place in Havana, which focused on the current situation of the economic ties and the prospects for their development between Azerbaijan and Cuba (Trend News, 26/9/08).

September 25: Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said in New York  he would continue to support dialogue with the Cuban government as a means of promoting freedom and human rights on the communist-ruled island. During a press conference at the United Nations, Zapatero made the remarks in response to a question about how he plans to work for the release of Cuban political prisoners. The Spanish premier, who is attending the UN General Assembly, said that "extending freedom in all corners, defending basic rights in all places and working from the standpoint of dialogue" are constant goals of his government. "I think that's the most constructive way," Zapatero said, referring to engaging in dialogue with Cuba, either bilaterally or as a member nation of the European Union. Spain was instrumental in the EU's decision this summer to officially end sanctions that had been imposed on Cuba following a crackdown on dissidents in 2003 (EFE, 26/9/08).

September 26: Brigades of construction workers from Venezuela joined local crews in the recovery works of the western province of Pinar del Rio, which was seriously battered by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Venezuelans are working in the rebuilding of nearly one hundred schools damaged by the hurricanes, which were the biggest natural disasters that have ever hit Cuba. The works include plumbing, carpentry, building and roofing in schools in different areas of the province including the mountains. Among the most devastated sites are Candelaria, San Cristobal, Bahia Honda, Los Palacios, La Palma, Consolacion del Surand the well-known town of Viñales (ACN, 26/9/08).

September 26: The government of Algeria donated two million dollars in aid to Cuba, to help Cubans overcome the devastation left after the passage of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika decided to send this donation aid, which will be added to the special bank account opened by the Cuban government for this assistance.  Algerian ambassador Ahcene Kerma explained Bouteflika helps Cuba in the name of his compatriots, moved by the disastrous damages left by Gustav and Ike. Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration Minister Marta Lomas received the check for two million dollars and thanked for this action of solidarity in the name of Cuban government and people (ACN, 26/9/08).

September 26: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier's meeting with his Cuban counterpart Felipe Perez Roque was not approved by the Chancellor's Office. German officials said that Chancellor Angela Merkel's government headquarters disapproved of the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General assembly in New York. Even after the resignation of President Fidel Castro "nothing has moved" in Cuba, the Chancellor's Office pointed out. In addition, the European Union is the more suitable actor regarding the Cuban issue. Germany should "not push ahead at the national level." Steinmeier expressed surprise by the reprimand from the Chancellor's Office and met with Perez Roque nevertheless. In his 15-minute meeting he advocated a very different position from that of the Chancellor's Office. Steinmeier saw a "policy of opening up" in the Caribbean country, even though "many things are still unsatisfactory" (Der Spiegel, 27/9/08). 

September 27: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a surprise visit to Cuba and wasted little time heading into a closed-door meeting with President Raul Castro and his ailing brother Fidel. A report on the Web site of the Communist Youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde said Chavez arrived at around 8:30 p.m. and was greeted at the airport by the 77-year-old Raul Castro. Chavez then met with both Castro brothers, according to the Internet item, which was posted about a half-hour after his arrival. The meeting was still under way at the time of the posting. The story provided no further details and there was no additional comment from Cuba's government. It was the second Cuba visit in less than a week for Chavez, who visited Havana for a few hours as part of a previously announced stopover at the start of his tour to China, Russia and Europe. Earlier in the day Cuban state television showed images of Chavez being interviewed in Portugal, where he could be heard saying he didn't have much time to talk because "Fidel was waiting" for him in Havana. The 82-year-old Fidel Castro had previously published an article titled “The Democratic Socialism” in which he praised Chavez, calling him “a Venezuelan soldier” who is designing “an unprecedented national and internationalist program” (The Democratic Socialism; AP, 27/9/08).

September 29: A Cuban medical brigade is getting ready to set up a new ophthalmological center in the Peruvian city of Cusco, where they will perform free-of-charge eye surgeries. According to Granma news daily, the announcement was made by Olga Lopez, head of the Cuba-Peru cooperation in the field of public health during  the 9th National Encounter of Cuba-Peru Friendship Centers. The Cuban specialist said that the new ophthalmological center will open as part of the Operation Miracle free eye-surgery program for low-income people carried out by Cuba and Venezuela, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean (ACN, 29/9/08).

September 29: Cyprus' Foreign Relations Minister Markos Kipryanou paid tribute to Cuban National Hero Jose Marti in a ceremony that marked the beginning of an official visit to Cuba. Kipryanou is in Havana at the official invitation of his counterpart Felipe Pérez Roque. In statements to the press, he said the trip to Cuba is to explore exchange potentials and develop commercial relations (ACN, 29/9/08).

September 30: Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo and Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou, highlighted the friendship bonds that join their two countries together in a meeting held in Havana. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Kyprianou, who is on an official visit to Cuba, announced the decision of his government to donate US$100,000 to Cuba as a gesture of support from the people of Cyprus with the victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike (ACN, 1/10/08).

September 30: Some 130 celebrities from the arts, media and politics have signed an open letter calling for justice for five Cubans jailed in the US for spying. The letter appeared in two national UK newspapers to mark the 10th anniversary of the men's arrest. Campaigners are urging US authorities to give visas to the wives of two of the men. They have not been allowed to visit the US for several years. The men were convicted in a Miami court in 2001 on a range of charges. These included lying about their identities, trying to obtain US military secrets and spying on Cuban exile groups. Three were given life terms, the other two 19 and 15 years in jail. A full-page advertisement in The Guardian and The Independent newspapers carries a large photograph of Adriana Perez, who has not been granted a visa to visit her husband, Gerardo Hernandez, for 10 years. The signatories include 10 Nobel laureates, among them Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, German and Portuguese novelists Gunter Grass and Jose Saramago, and Guatemalan indigenous rights campaigner Rigoberta Menchu. The men, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, have appealed against their sentences, three times. They say that by being tried in Miami, the centre of anti-Castro Cuban exiles, they were victims of bias (BBC, 30/9/08).

September 30: A shipment of medicines valued at US $53,000 in addition to foodstuffs and building materials was donated by Guatemala to Cuba as a contribution to the recovery efforts on the island from the devastation caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Guatemalan medicine distribution company, Pharma Group, donated to Cuba 115 boxes of medicine that include vitamins, pain relievers among other pharmaceutical products. Rodolfo Luna, Pharma's president said the company hopes the donation can  relieve at least to a minimal extent the situation of the Cuban people after the passage of the two hurricanes, reported Prensa Latina (ACN, 30/9/08).

September 30: Dozens of people needing cataract surgery were flying to Cuba for free treatment, Guyana's health minister said, marking a resumption of a program that has helped more than 5,000 Guyanese. Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy said Cuba had suspended the Guyana program because there were not enough patients to fill an airplane after the first year. The first flight in more than six months was due to leave Guyana with about 60 people requiring cataract surgery (The Miami Herald, 30/9/08).

September 30: The United Nations allocated a second donation to Cuba, this time over $4.8 million to help address the tremendous damage done by hurricanes Gustav and Ike recently. This contribution from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF),  with the support of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN/OCHA), will be assigned to support short-term problems of housing, health, food, education, water, sanitation and agriculture in eastern Cuba. Susan McDade, the UN resident coordinator, reported that with this new donation, as confirmed by United Nation Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John C. Holmes, the total award amount goes up to $8.6 million in terms of what the international organization has donated. As a part of the collaboration, UN officials have committed to work jointly with local and national authorities in the recovery efforts over the coming months (Xinhua, 30/9/08).