In spite of the decades of pressure coming from the United States, Canada has maintained consistently cordial relations with Cuba—in fact, Canada and Mexico were the only two countries in the hemisphere to maintain uninterrupted diplomatic relations with Cuba following the revolution in 1959. [Interesting Wikipedia fact of the week: Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Fidel Castro were personal friends, and Castro was among Pierre Trudeau’s pallbearers at his funeral in 2000].
The island remains one of the most popular travel destinations for Canadian citizens, and Canadian travelers are the chief source of tourism for Cuba. Considering tourism is Cuba’s top hard-currency earning industry, the relationship with Canada can naturally be considered an important one.
So when Peter Kent, Canada’s top diplomat for the Americas, spoke this week, Havana no doubt listened, at least more than it is inclined to do for other international actors. Kent said that Canadian officials spoke to representatives from Havana in Ottawa about Canadian citizens currently detained in Cuba, including a 19-year-old that has been held since April after a car accident. And Canada was still as inoffensive and accommodating as could possibly be expected in expressing concerns, as Kent reported:
“While aware that Cuban law allows for a lengthy period of investigation, Canadian officials expressed their concern that the investigation into this matter is taking so long.”
This very diplomatic approach from a longtime strategic partner might well elicit a positive response from Havana.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
