- This visit is a milestone in relations between Norway and Cuba – Dagbladet.no

HAVANA (Dagbladet): Here Foreign Minister Brende (H) honored the symbol tongue Revolution Square in Havana.

– A milestone in relations between our two countries, said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez visit from his Norwegian colleague.

This is the first time a Norwegian Foreign Minister visits the revolutionary island.

– This visit is a milestone in relations between Norway and Cuba, said the Cuban foreign minister when he took Brende to political talks in the Cuban capital yesterday.

He said he wants to strengthen and deepen cooperation with Norway.

Before the meeting visited Conservative politician the symbol tongue Revolution Square in Havana with giant silhouettes of Che Guevara and Camilo Cifuegos facades, where he laid a wreath at the memorial to national hero José Martí.

Met regime critics

But Brende day started with a meeting with critical regime young bloggers, regime critical intellectuals and activists for gays and lesbian rights.

– There has been a change. Civil society must take power and responsibility to define the Cuban community. There’s a little about free speech, not least, the technology provides new opportunities, and the need to exploit, say a radio journalist and LGBT activist Maykel González who also runs a blog.

He says he has been threatened and called in for questioning, but continue to exploit the opportunities he has.

González jobs in the state, and using internet connection he has there, to publish their own blog. He has been threatened and summoned for questioning, he says, but continues to blog.

– We work within the system here, obviously, otherwise we would have been marginalized and isolated, he explains.

Norway Rodríguez stock webpages to an art institute, and also use the job internet to publish their own blog.

– We express the world we live in. We want to tell anything other than the state, and addressing other themes. We write about everyday problems, lack of internet, everything that does not work, he said.

The three bloggers met at a human rights conference in Switzerland.

Much common

– Only that we get to travel out of Cuba, shows that there has been a change after Raúl took over, says journalist and independent blogger Yusimí Pardo let Red.

She emphasizes that she calls herself independent, “autónoma” not “independiente », which is associated with US-backed dissidents.

– We do not seek political power, we just want civil rights, outside the state and government, says La Red.

Pardo let Red is delighted to be invited to meet the Foreign Minister, and think Cuba and Norway have much in common.

– It was a useful meeting, especially in this historical period in Cuba’s history, when Cuba opens up to the world. We will have dialogue with Europe, and I think we have a lot in common with Norway. We’ve been to Miami. There is much we do not want to Cuba, says la Red.

– Pluralistic Cuba

The bloggers hoping for full human rights in Cuba in the coming years.

– As activists, we must be optimistic. We must take back human rights concept. It has been used in the enemy context and rhetoric, we must take the room and define it. We hope for a pluralistic and diverse Cuba about 10 years, says González.

He says he represents gays and lesbians who are impatient and want to go much further than the official policy.

– We will have a marriage between gays, not only partnership, he said.

– For me this was an incredibly important meeting. What they said was that the situation of freedom of expression and freedom than ten years ago. There is now greater openness to their views that the authorities do not stand for. It is important to hear what hope they have for society to come, says Brende Dagbladet.

– Strong meeting

He stressed that the authorities knew about the meeting, and believes that they do not have objections, expresses a change.

– They think the reforms that are started will not be reversed. It was for me greatly to hear. I told you about 10:10 this year is perhaps the press and freedom here. Then someone said that it is rather talk about three to five years, and that I was a little pessimistic, says Brende.

Last night local time met Brende parties to the conflict in Colombia negotiating a peace treaty in Cuba.