Cuban dissident Valdes visits Estonia
13.03.2008
TALLINN, Mar 13, BNS - A prominent Cuban dissident, Osvaldo Alfonso Valdes, paid a two-day visit to Estonia this week.
Valdes, who was released from jail in Cuba a few years ago, had meetings with members of parliament and Foreign Ministry officials.
Even if no visible steps towards liberalization of the society have yet been taken since Fidel Castro handed power to his brother Raul, change is inevitable, Valdes said in a meeting with MPs Andres Herkel, Peeter Tulviste, Silver Meikar and Paul-Eerik Rummo today.
He considered it extremely important for countries with communist regime experience such as Estonia to be ready at the right time to share their experience of implementation of political and economic reforms.
The purpose of Valdes' trip was to shed light on the Cuban situation and forge ties with Estonian politicians, journalists and public figures.
On Wednesday he met with the chairman of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, Mart Laar, and Foreign Ministry officials.
Valdes was one of the more than 70 Cuban dissidents thrown behind bars in what is known as the Black Spring of 2003.
In 2005 the communist regime released some of the prisoners for health reasons. One of them was Valdes who then settled in Sweden.
Estonian politicians have had contacts with Cuban opposition before. Herkel, a Hungarian and a Dutch lawmaker, staying in Cuba on tourist visas last August, met with opposition leaders and were threatened with expulsion because of it. Cuban issues are also dealt with by Laar, who sits on the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee
 
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