MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuban Human Rights: Argentina abstains, Chile condemns.

Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa told Congress this Wednesday that Argentina will abstain from voting in United Nations on the controversial issue of human rights in Cuba because “we're convinced” that condemning “will not contribute materially to improve human rights in the island”.

Mr. Bielsa added that this year's Argentine abstention "has nothing to do with favouring Cuba, it's an absolutely rational decision", and claimed that Cuba is not the only country in America "that does not respect human rights".

The annual UN vote on human rights in Cuba usually splits Latinamerica and this year is not different: Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica have anticipated they will condemn Cuba, while Argentina will abstain and Mexico and Brazil have decided not to anticipate their vote.

The US sponsored project to be considered this week in Geneva will be presented by Honduras with the support of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Australia and Czech Republic.

Honduran president Roberto Maduro was publicly criticized by Cuban president Fidel Castro for what he described as "servility".

The Chilean government of Socialist president Ricardo Lagos for the last three years has voted against Cuba, and this year failed in an attempt to agree a common position with Brazil and Argentina.

Meantime in Mexico the press revealed that President Vicente Fox received a personal call from President George Bush and although no details were made public there's strong speculation that the coming Cuban human rights vote figured in the agenda.