Cuba defends Cuban diplomat expelled by US over drug allegations
Friday, January 9, 2004
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuba on Thursday denied US allegations that expelled Cuban diplomat Roberto Socorro had links to drug trafficking or other criminal activity while working at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington.
Cuba "totally and categorically denies that Roberto Socorro Garcia has associated with individuals or activities related to drug trafficking in the United States, or that he has engaged in activities damaging to the US government or in violation of his diplomatic status," said Rafael Dausa, director of the Foreign Ministry's North America office.
"He always worked strictly within his diplomatic status and the regulations established by international law and the 1961 Geneva Convention on Diplomatic Relations in particular," Dausa said. "Any charge against our official is nothing more than a blatant lie..."
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now expects the editors of The Washington Post to announce who were the sources of this malicious and false commentary and, in the interests of the truth, would appreciate the newspaper publishing
Cuba's response," Dausa added.
On January 3, the State Department said it had expelled a diplomat from the Cuban Interests Section last month, declaring him persona non grata for criminal behavior.
Brenda Greenberg, a department spokeswoman, said the diplomat had been "discovered to have engaged in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status."
Sources familiar with the situation said the expelled man had worked as a third secretary at the interests section and had been involved in "criminal activity."
The United States expelled 15 Cuban diplomats in 2003.
In May, the State Department expelled a group of 14 Cubans, including seven based at the United Nations and seven from the interests section, for spying.
In November of 2002, the State Department expelled four Cuban diplomats for espionage.
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