Cuba, Spain hold 'cordial' talks on human rights, prison conditions

Spain said Thursday it held "frank and cordial" discussions about such thorny issues as human rights, the death penalty and treatment of prisoners in Cuba, despite U.S. complaints it has been too friendly with the communist island.

In a joint statement, Spanish and Cuban authorities did not report any major agreements in the two days of closed-door meetings, and leading Cuban government critics were barred from attending.

Both sides said the meetings remained friendly, despite delving into human rights topics that usually make Cuban officials bristle.

Spain went ahead with the discussions despite recent European Union sanctions against Cuba for imprisoning government critics, as well as comments by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice _ who will make a one-day visit to Madrid on Friday _ that the United States and Spain differ on how to deal with Cuba.

"I'm sure we see eye to eye for the need for democracy in Cuba," Rice said Tuesday. "But I don't see how that course is advanced by simply dealing with the current regime."

The Cuban-Spanish statement said the talks touched on "individual and collective rights for everyone," the death penalty, prison systems and "respect for human rights in the fight against international terrorism."

It described the meeting as "cordial, frank and constructive" and said the two sides agreed to continue talks later this year at a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Many governments and rights organizations around the world accuse Cuba of violating liberties by jailing critics and limiting speech and press freedoms.

The island's communist government rejects those charges, saying it respects human rights more than most nations by offering a wide social safety net that includes free health care. Havana dismisses outspoken critics and dissidents as "mercenaries" of the United States.

The talks were led by Rafael Dezcallar, general director of foreign policy for Spain's Foreign Ministry, and Cuban Foreign Vice Minister Abelardo Moreno.

The dissident Cuban Democratic Project said Tuesday that the meetings were a positive step that sought to "open a new and much-hoped-for space for constructive dialogue."

Spain has been friendly toward Cuba since Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero took office in 2004.

The EU imposed sanctions on Cuba in 2003 after authorities detained 75 dissidents accused of working with the United States to undermine Fidel Castro's government.

Washington denied the charges, as did the dissidents, many of whom were sentenced to long prison terms. Cuban authorities have since released 16 for medical reasons, and in January 2005, the EU lifted its sanctions, which included a ban on high-level talks with Cuban officials.

Rice was to meet Friday with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whom she earlier criticized for failure to meet with dissidents during an April trip to Cuba.

She said Spain has done little to further the democracy Washington hopes will one day take hold on the island.

"The Cubans deserve better," Rice said. "And I think we will talk about that."