Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote Democracy in Cuba if Elected

Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote Democracy in
Cuba if Elected
NEWSROOM 28 SEPTEMBER 2014 SEPTEMBER 2014

Brazilian resident Dilma Rousseff's main foreign affairs' advisor Marco
Aurelio Garcia denied Brazil has any "imperial intentions" in reply to
claims relative to Cuba from presidential opposition candidate Marina
Silva.

"Brazil has no imperial calling or intentions; it's not a certifying
agency which distributes definitions referred to other countries. We
respect Cuba, as we do with the United States, France or China, to name
some examples," said García.

The foreign affairs advisor who has held the job since 2003 when Lula da
Silva first became Brazilian president, objected to statements from
Marina Silva, Rousseff's main challenger for her re-election bid on
October 5, referred to Cuba and the huge investments Brazil has made in
the Castro brothers' island.

Silva was quoted saying that "the best way to help the Cuban people was
to understand that they can make the transition from the current regime
to democracy, and that we (Brazil) don't need to cut diplomatic relations".

The candidate pledged that if elected she would help through diplomacy
to defend values such as human rights and promote democracy in the island.

Brazil has invested heavily in Cuba helping to build a free zone area
and a harbor where the Cuban government is planning to set up an
industrial free zone area to attract foreign investors, following the
Chinese development model, and with all the guarantees from Havana of
low wages and no labor conflicts.

Garcia argued that any attempt to make statements or be involved in
another country's internal affairs is contrary to the standing position
by Brazilian diplomacy.

"We don't have any position in support of intervention in any country in
the world, and we respect the principle of self determination. This has
been paramount in our relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.
The course of action of the Cuban state is something which belongs
strictly to the Cubans", underlined García.

However despite this strong statement, Garcia was one of the promoters
in June 2012 of suspending Paraguay from Mercosur in punishment for
having removed then president Fernando Lugo. This despite the fact that
Lugo was overwhelmingly voted out, even by members of his ruling
coalition, following impeachment.

At the time he was quoted saying that the incorporation of Venezuela to
Mercosur was "a stone decision" and this must be accepted by Paraguay.

The Paraguayan Senate repeatedly warned it would vote against having
Venezuela as full member of Mercosur because of its repeated violations
of human rights and persecution of members from the opposition.

Mercopress

Source: Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote
Democracy in Cuba if Elected -
http://www.brazzil.com/info/138-september-2014/23904-brazil-presidential-candidate-marina-silva-vows-to-promote-democracy-in-cuba-if-elected