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NEWS
Picture taken from Accion Democrática Cubana (www.adcuba.org)
Thursday December 16, 5:36 AM
U.S. rejects Cuba demand to remove Christmas lights
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States
on Wednesday rejected Cuba's demand to remove Christmas lights in front
of the American mission in Havana, saying the display shows solidarity
with local prisoners of conscience.
Cuba threatened retaliation but State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said the mission "has put up decorations like this, Christmas
tree lights, for years, and we do not plan on taking down our holiday
decorations until the holidays are over."
The display includes the number 75, in reference to 75 pro-democracy
activists imprisoned in Cuba. There is an international campaign to free
them.
"It shows our solidarity with Cubans who struggle for democracy and
freedom ... It's a remembrance in the season of peace that there are
people who don't have peace at this season," Boucher told a news
briefing.
He said this may be the first time that a U.S. mission included a
political message in its Christmas decorations but denied the gesture
was provocative.
Cuba jailed the 75 dissidents in March 2003, charging that they were
working with the United States to overthrow the communist government.
Cuban officials have often criticized the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba,
James Cason, for holding dissident events in his residence. Cason
refused on Tuesday to remove the Christmas lights.
Boucher accused Cuba's secret police of trying to intimidate children of
the 75 who were invited to a party last week at Cason's residence.
"Apparently the Cuban government now thinks that Christmas tree lights
and parties for children are somehow threatening its regime," Boucher
said.
Washington broke diplomatic relations with Havana after Castro's 1959
revolution, but the two countries maintain interests sections in each
others' capitals.
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