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Cuba accuses US to promote subversion on the island
February-21-2010

The Cuban government accused Saturday the United States of "promoting subversion" in Cuba, and "mobilizing tens of mercenaries" in Havana.

A statement made by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MINREX) on the cover of the official Communist Party daily "Granma " said that after the migratory talks, the officials of the Department of State met with a dozen of "mercenaries."

The statement said meeting with the opposition to the Cuban government is contrary to the spirit of cooperation and understanding shown by the Cuban delegates during the talks on Friday.

"With that offensive behavior to the Cuban authorities and people (...) the U.S. government shows its lack of real willingness to improve the ties with our country and to leave behind their actions of crude interference ", the statement said.

The official text accused the U.S. delegation who participated in the migration meeting of "supporting the counterrevolution and the promotion of subversion to overthrow the Revolution."

The statement said that after arriving in Havana, Craig Kelly, head of the U.S. delegation and undersecretary of state for the west hemispheric affairs, was warned by the Foreign Affairs Ministry about the organization of a provocative event.

It accused the U.S. government of spending 20 million dollars a year to finance destabilization and subversion activities against Cuba.

The statement said "the lack of a real willingness to improve the ties with our country and to leave behind the actions of crude interference" on the part of the United States has been the greatest obstacle for the normalization of Cuba-U.S. relations.

Nevertheless, the statement reiterated "the disposition expressed by the Cuban government to hold a respectful dialogue on any issue with the Government of the United States, but always between equals, without compromising of the Cuban independence, sovereignty and self determination".

With the arrival of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency, Washington resumed the migration talks with Cuba, interrupted by George W. Bush in 2003. The restoration of direct post services is also being discussed.

Relations between the two countries were strained last December after the arrest on the island of an American citizen who distributed illegal satellite communication equipment among the oppositions to the Cuban government.