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CUBA: MEXICAN PRESIDENT VICENTE FOX STIRS CONTROVERSY BY MEETING DISSIDENTS DURING FENCE-MENDING VISIT TO CUBA.

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During a one-day visit to Cuba Feb. 3, Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada and Cuban President Fidel Castro attempted to repair relations damaged in recent years. From all accounts, both leaders were satisfied with the progress made in private conversations, but Fox ignited controversy by meeting briefly with six Cuban dissidents.

The Fox visit was carefully observed for signs of a thaw in relations that began to freeze up in the late 1990s during the administration of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari (1988-1994) and continued under his successor President Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000). The change became obvious in 1998 when Salinas met with right-wing Cuban-exile leaders and was reinforced through the Zedillo years as he and his Foreign Minster Rosario Green lectured Castro on Cuba's human rights record and lack of democratic elections (see NotiCen, 2000-08-31).

Mexico abstained instead of voting against the US-sponsored resolution to condemn Cuba in the 2000 and 2001 meetings of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Before the 2001 vote, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque accused his Mexican counterpart Jorge Castaneda of lobbying for votes against Cuba (see NotiCen, 2000-05-10, 2001-05-03).

Diplomatic circumstances have changed

Although Fox strongly criticized Cuba on human rights issues and lack of democracy during his 2000 election campaign, changed circumstances and reciprocal interests have altered the diplomatic environment. Cuba obliged Mexico by supporting its bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, while a downturn in the Mexican economy has made trade with Cuba more attractive. Cuba is mounting its annual campaign to dissuade Latin American nations from voting to condemn Cuba at Geneva.

Behind the posturing on dissidents and democracy are real issues. The Salinas and Zedillo line on Cuba coincided with their unconditional support for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Castro's response to Mexico's posture toward the US was to charge Mexico with welcoming US economic and cultural hegemony (see NotiCen, 2000-08-31).

A milder tone from the...

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