MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuba divides Chilean ruling coalition.

With 67 favourable votes, 18 against and 18 abstentions the Chilean Lower House condemned the Cuban regime of President Fidel Castro for its human rights policy.

During a heated debate with visitors dislodged from the galleries the initiative was presented by the junior partner of the ruling coalition, Christina Democrats and the two main Conservative opposition parties.

The approved message "requests the President of the Republic to ensure Chile maintains in United Nations the condemnation of the Cuban regime because conditions which previously justified it remain unchanged". It also requests the naming of a special UN humans rights relator to visit Cuba.

Further on the text reiterates that the Chilean Chancellery express concern with the situation of over 70 people who remain detained in Cuban prisons for over a year, and also express interest in the rights of the people and organizations who requested to be received by the Human Rights Committee of the Latinamerican Parliament.

The votes against the proposal came from the senior partner of the ruling coalition, the Socialist Party of President Ricardo Lagos, while other smaller parties abstained.

Christian Democrat and Socialist Deputies bitterly attacked each other during the debate claiming the inconsistency of their opponents' human rights policies.

In the midst of the heated exchange Congressional security evicted over twenty people who began shouting and throwing coins to legislators when the condemnation message was approved.

President Lagos has said that Chile will decide how to vote in the United Nations once the final declaration has been drafted.