Mexico, Cuba Move to Thaw Chilly Ties

A nasty diplomatic spat between Mexico and Cuba appeared to be on the mend Thursday as the nations agreed to return their recently recalled ambassadors.

After a private meeting on the eve of an international summit here, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told a news conference that he and his Mexican counterpart, Luis Ernesto Derbez, “have agreed on the necessity to reestablish relations.”

Perez Roque didn’t specify a timetable for the diplomats to return to their posts in Mexico City and Havana. They returned home this month after an insult-laden blow-up that has driven a wedge in the historical ties between the two nations.

The fence-mending came as something of a surprise, given that Cuban President Fidel Castro had snubbed Mexico’s invitation to attend the two-day, high-level meeting of 58 leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union. The front pages of Mexico’s two national dailies Thursday carried a blistering salvo from Castro, who accused Mexican officials of making “false and dishonest accusations” against his nation as a pretext for the “unjust expulsion” of Cuba’s ambassador.

Derbez, who spoke to reporters earlier, didn’t mention the ambassadors but called his meeting with Perez Roque the “first step” toward restoring full diplomatic ties.

The fireworks began in April after sharp remarks by Cuban officials about a scandal involving Mexican businessman Carlos Ahumada, who was caught on videotape passing wads of cash to Mexico City officials. Ahumada fled to Cuba, which returned him to Mexican authorities, but not before top Cuban officials insinuated that the government of Vicente Fox had created the video scandal to discredit left-leaning Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. That raised the hackles of the Fox administration, which has denied any involvement.

Then, in his annual May Day speech to Cubans, Castro assailed Mexico for supporting a United Nations measure condemning his government’s record on human rights. He said Mexico’s prestige in Latin America had “turned to ashes” and accused the nation of marching in lock step with U.S. foreign policy. In response, Mexico withdrew its ambassador and expelled Cuba’s envoy, accusing the Cuban government of meddling in its internal affairs.

The breach has been unpopular with Mexicans, who have held demonstrations in Mexico City.

Mexico and Cuba have warm ties going back nearly a century, but the relationship has chilled under Fox, who has aligned his nation more closely with the U.S. Cuba watchers said Thursday’s developments signaled better days ahead for the old friends.

“It’s a positive step,” said Ricardo Pascoe, Mexico’s former ambassador to Cuba. “I hope there is the maturity on both sides to put aside the conflicts and move forward.”