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NEW CUBAN AMBASSADOR MEETS B.C. FRIENDSHIP ACTIVISTS
(This article is from the Feb. 15-29/2000 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.)
SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT last June as Cuba's new ambassador to Canada, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio has been a busy man, combining his duties in Ottawa with working visits to other cities. His first trip to Vancouver came in January, for a week of events including a meeting to mark the birth of Jose Marti, public forums at several campuses, and a solidarity conference with labour activists and other friends of Cuba.
Born in 1959, the first year of the Revolution, Fernandez is now 40 years old, and the father of three children. Since his own father was a diplomat posted for a time in Ottawa, he has a strong personal knowledge of Canada.
Fernandez is a graduate of the Higher Institute of International Relations in Havana. Most recently he served five years as Director of the North America Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
People's Voice met with Ambassador Fernandez at our Vancouver office during his week in British Columbia. Here are some highlights of the interview:
PV: Can you tell our readers about the progress of the Cuban economy?
Fernandez: Cuba's economy has been recovering for the last five or six years, not at a very high level compared to the drop during the first half of the 1990s, but in a more productive way than in the past. In the sugar cane industry, for example, we are producing more sugar, more efficiently, and at a cheaper price as a result of higher productivity.
We are also expanding new sectors of the economy. Since 1995, tourism has replaced sugar as the main source of income. We have expanded mineral and oil production. With new techniques of drilling and extraction, we have been able to increase our oil production substantially. It is still heavy oil, but by 1999, 40% of our electricity generated using Cuban oil and natural gas, which is quite remarkable for a country which has always been dependent on fuel imports.
The economic indices of the population are still below those of 1989, but the situation has improved since the mid-1990s. Life is a bit more comfortable that during the critical moments of that time.
PV: What can you tell us about the state of relations between Canada and Cuba?
Fernandez: There have been some political differences expressed by the Canadian government, there is no doubt about that, but Canada is still a very important relationship for Cuba. The level of bilateral interaction is still very large, in terms of trade, investment and tourism. The overall basis of our relationship has continued.
PV: What can you tell us about the Elian Gonzalez situation?
Fernandez: For Cubans, this is a very sensitive issue. We have seen a terrible injustice committed against this child, and against his father and his family. Cubans are also enraged because there is little they can do besides protesting and trying to draw the attention of the international community. Time goes by and even though the US government agrees the right decision is to return this boy to his father, they are unwilling to take action. They are under pressure from extremist groups in Miami, who benefit from the corrupt nature of the legal system of the United States.
Today there is a rally in Miami by Pastors for Peace and several other organizations demanding the return of Elian to his home. In Cuba we will continue to protest. We cannot just cross our arms and forget this insult to the Cuban people.
PV: What's your impression of the scope of Cuban friendship activities in Canada?
Fernandez: I haven't travelled to all parts of Canada. But I am impressed by the numbers of organizations and people involved, of different types, some because they have a full understanding and agreement with Cuba's economic and political reality, and others motivated by the injustices committed against Cuba by the United States. Some people who are involved in the arts and culture, science, or the environment, have an inclination towards greater friendship with Cuba. All these trends are very positive.
I have been to Manitoba, Edmonton, and Newfoundland, where I found such attitudes. Not everybody has the same approach towards Cuba, or the same interests. But in general, it has been very friendly.
PV: Has there been any progress on the request to establish a Cuban Consulate in Vancouver?
Fernandez: This is still in Ottawa's hands. We have made our official request, but we have not received an answer. We are convinced that this would be beneficial for our bilateral relationship, especially for western Canada. Of the 275,000 Canadians who visited Cuba last year, the greatest growth came from Alberta and BC.
PV: Are there any new developments regarding proposals for Canadian investments in Cuba?
Fernandez: We continue to meet with people all over Canada who have an interest in trade and investments. The embassy does not do the negotiating, but we talk to them about the general framework we have for foreign investments, and about the reality in Cuba. Some projects have not been announced because of the level of pressure from the United States.
The main areas for investment continue to be in tourism, mining, and oil prospecting. Our oil industry is offshore along the north coast, with the drilling done horizontally from land. Since Cuba does not have the capital, the technology, and the expertise, we have joint partnerships in which we share the profits.
PV: Is the extent of interest in Cuba by trade unionists growing in Canada?
Fernandez: Yes, it is growing. Unions in Canada are becoming better informed, there is a better understanding of what Cuba stands for, including our unions. There is increasing cooperation between Canadian and Cuban trade unions. While some questions were raised last year about the "dissidents" in Cuba, I think part of that was due to a lack of understanding. I don't see that issue being raised now. It was a fabricated issue in many ways, one which was manipulated to create confusion.
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