Freudian Slip

A recent dispute has developed between Sweden and Cuba. Earlier in March, Sweden had crititicized Cuba over its human rights violations. Cuba has come back with some pretty strong responses. The Cuban representive at the Human Rights Council, Fernández Palacios, responded by saying:

"Cuba, unlike Sweden, does not persecute migrants or carry out ethnic cleansing that only allows those whose skin and hair colour fit with the racial patterns of former Viking conquerors to remain in the country".

Of course, Sweden's chancellor responded by saying that the Viking days are long gone. You can read BBC News version of the row here. In BBC's Spanish version of the story there is another defense from Palacios that I find very interesting:

"Palacios consideró que el ministro [Sweden] actuaba con "hipocresía" al criticar a Cuba omitiendo cualquier referencia a la situación de la base estadounidense de Guantánamo".

Palacios considers Sweden's criticism of Cuba hypocritical, since they did not also criticize American actions in Guantanamo. In other words, Palacios does in fact admit that Cuba violates human rights. Cuba is very animate about what they percieve are human rights violations in Guantanamo. Thus, to accuse Sweden of hypocracy can rightfully be construed that Palacios puts Cuba's violations of human rights in the same class of those they criticize at the American base. Perhaps a Freudian slip. Perhaps a new streak of honesty for the Cuban regime.

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