NEWSROOM 28 SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014
HITS: 134
Brazil Presidential Candidate
Marina Silva Vows to Promote
Democracy in Cuba if
Elected
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 denitions
referred to other countries. We respect Cuba, as
we do with the United States, France or China, to
name some examples," said Garca.
The foreign affairs advisor who has held the job
since 2003 when Lula da Silva rst 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.

Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote... http://www.brazzil.com/info/138-september-2014/23904-brazi...
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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 conicts.
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 Garca.
Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote... http://www.brazzil.com/info/138-september-2014/23904-brazi...
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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 Garca.
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
Brazil Presidential Candidate Marina Silva Vows to Promote... http://www.brazzil.com/info/138-september-2014/23904-brazi...
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