Dissident death scuppers Havana deal

After the death by hunger strike of Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata on 23 February, relations between the EU and Havana are at a low, leads El Mundo. The Spanish EU presidency, which had initially intended to sign “a political, commercial and even humanitarian agreement” with the Castrist regime, now believes that “the atmosphere is not appropriate”. Spanish minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos has declared that the Union’s 1996 common position calling for a democratic transition and dialogue with dissidents will no longer be “modified or eliminated” when it comes up for review by EU foreign ministers in June. El Mundo also reports that the European Parliament’s has passed a resolution condemning “by a very large majority” Zapata’s death and lack of democratic progress. Havana has retaliated by cancelling a meeting with EU’s representatives in Madrid, the Madrid daily concludes.