CUBA: Spanish Intelligence Took Part in Recording Carlos Lage and Felipe Perez Roque

[magbana]

ABC (Spain): Spanish intelligence took part in recording Lage, Perez
Posted by: "Walter Lippmann" [e-mail] walterlx
Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:47 pm (PDT)


ABC.es
Saturday, June 20 2009 Madrid
Agents of the CNI in Cuba took part in the recording
that put an end to Lage and Pérez Roque

BY D. Martínez, C. Morcillo and P. Muñoz | MADRID

http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs2492.html
A CubaNews translation by Giselle Gil.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.

THE RÉGIME WITHDREW THE DIPLOMATIC STATUS
THAT ALLOWED THE TEAM TO OPERATE IN THE ISLAND.
MADRID AND HAVANA STILL LOOK FOR A SOLUTION

The center operability in the Magreb, was also affected


It is not solved yet. Although a month has gone by since the Cuban authorities' uneasiness over the CNI's activities ion the island came to light, the "conflict" continues. It occurred simultaneously with the fall from grace and dismissal of the first Minister of the Castro régime, Carlos Lage, and of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Felipe Pérez Roque. The reaction of dictator Castro's government was to request the departure of the CNI agents and as a preliminary measure withdrew the diplomatic status that allowed them to operate on the island. According to sources consulted by ABC, the reason for this decision was the belief that agents of the Center took part in the recording in which the two Cuban politicians criticized the Havana régime.

In Spain the public learned of this conflict on May 21st. In short, ABC called it: "The CNI analyzes its situation in Cuba after the discomfort of the régime for its activities". These "activities" had to do with ambient recordings taken of former Cuban First Minister Carlos Lage and Cuban Chancellor Felipe Pérez Roque, strong men of the communist régime until their devastating fall from grace.

If these notables were playing two of the leading roles in the CNI "activities" that bothered Cuba so much, the scenario where the activities took place was a country hacienda in Matanzas, property of Cuban engineer Conrado Hernández. Hernandez is the liaison between the Basque Industry Counseling Board and the Cuban Society for Industrial Promotion and Reconversion (SPRI). This man, who has Spanish citizenship, although Cuba doesn't recognize the double nationality and has been Lage's friend since they were young, was stopped on February 14th at the Havana airport, when he was going to Bilbao with his wife.

The SPRI offices in Havana were searched by police on February 27th confiscating numerous documents. Seventy-two hours later, on March 3rd, the Official Note from Cuba's Council of State announcing that Lage and Pérez Roque had been "relieved" of their respective positions was made public. This note didn't give the cause of this change, although régime spokespersons accused them of trying to bring "capitalism" to the island. Fidel Castro also raised his voice to qualify his former collaborators as "dishonorable" for being "seduced by the honey of power."

Epicenter of the conflict

The epicenter of the CNI conflict is located at Hernandez' hacienda. This is where Lage and Perez Roque were invited and where their strong criticism of the Castro regime was recorded. In this operation CNI agents participated directly, some sources report that they even made certain comments to elicit harsh comments on the part of the two politicians. It didn't take long before the Cuban Government learned of the meeting in Hernández's country property and of the CNI's participation. This is why it compelled the agents to abandon the island, and withdrew their diplomatic status.

Conrado Hernández, as parsley in all sauces, also had strong links with the Basque managerial group UGAO, established in Cuba since 1987, and presided over by ETA member José Miguel Arrugaeta San Emeterio. UGAO has financed several projects in sectors like thermal energy, light industry and health services; they have also provided advance technology to the Island.

Due to the importance of this case, the government Zapatero presides, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has intensified its conversations with the Cuban authorities seeking a diplomatic solution. From the beginning, his intention has been to correct the situation as soon as possible and to avoid other consequences that could affect the relations between the two countries. The interest in not spoiling these relations is more important now that Spain is intensifying its actions to direct relations between the UE and the Castro régime.

Although Zapatero's Government and Cuba have a good understanding, the efforts to solve the CNI issue are not having the expected results. Sources underline that in the Caribbean country time management is very different, so things are not moving along at the pace Spain wants.

Negotiations are being carried out from a political-diplomatic point of view and the CNI's position during this month has been to await the decision. Spain has chosen this path taking into account the "singularities" of the Castro régime and is carrying out negotiations with the stealth of a, so called, "top secret" issue.

The two that were recorded and fell from grace:

CARLOS LAGE, Former head of Cabinet. He had a reputation of being one of the open-minded in the Castro régime. A reformer, mainly of the economy, he was the one who re-planned the battered Cuban economy after the collapse of the USSR. He was also part of Fidel Castro's inner team and his role since 1986 was that of a "Prime Minister."

Carlos Lage –age 58 and originally an MD - was until last March one of the five vice-presidents under Raul's authority, and "de facto" Cabinet head. He was very popular in Cuba, a reason that would have motivated his crushing fall from grace (supported by Fidel in an article in "Granma"). He was one of the "soft-hearted" of the régime, both inwards and outwards.

FELIPE PÉREZ ROQUE, Former Minister of Foreign Relations One of those "chosen" by Fidel. This was the former Cuban Minister of Foreign Relations, Felipe Pérez Roque who at only 26 years of age and with a promising political career before him – he won his first "medals" from the régime at the University leading the youth organization of the Communist Party - was called by the dictator himself to be part of his inner circle as part of his Coordination and Personal Support Team: he was Fidel's secretary.

Cuban Minister of Foreign Relations during the last decade, Pérez Roque represented, until Raul's purge of March 2nd, the continuity of the "pro-Castro" régime after the dictator's illness. He was considered one of the hardest men among the "apparatchiks."

http://www.abc.es/20090621/nacional-politica/agentes-cuba-intervinieron-grabacion-20090621.html

[flamingdem]

1. So that's what happened..

.. took forever to get news on this. It was so murky for so long.

[Judi Lynn]

2. It still doesn't seem possible. They were such fixtures. Respected pillars. Wow. n/t