EU, Latin America criticize U.S. foreign policy, prisoner abuse

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Latin America and Europe capped a one-day summit with a condemnation of Iraqi prisoner abuse and calls for the world to back the international criminal court and the Kyoto Protocol -- indirect criticisms of the United States that never mentioned the world's superpower by name.

That omission was apparently a nod to Washington from the leaders of 58 nations meeting Friday at the third summit between the European Union and Latin America. It rankled some leaders of developing nations, particularly Cuba, the only delegation to withhold its approval of the final declaration.

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez-Roque criticized the declaration for its "flagrant omissions" and "ambiguous language."

He blamed the European Union for blocking efforts to have the declaration condemn U.S. sanctions against the communist-run island, including the Helms-Burton law, which discourages foreign companies from investing in properties in Cuba seized from Americans.

The Cuban government issued a statement in Havana likening the EU to a "flock of sheep, subordinate to Washington."

The final declaration expressed a commitment "to cooperating in the United Nations on the prevention of conflicts, peaceful resolution of disputes, crisis management, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building operations."

The 104-point document also expresses "abhorrence at recent evidence of the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraqi prisons," and urges all those who have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the international criminal court to do so. The United States has opposed both.

Mexican President Vicente Fox, the summit host, wrapped up the summit exhorting his counterparts to "ensure that we arrive at the next summit with good news."

Both sides insisted they had made headway in the drive to pursue their common goals, including a call to make the United Nations a true arbiter of world conflicts, while discouraging unilateral action by countries anywhere.

"Our common challenge is to ensure that the multilateral approach isn't just the right way, but the effective way," Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern told reporters at a post-summit news conference.

Fox was not as pointed as Perez-Roque but got his point across just as clearly. He was clearly criticizing the U.S. decision to declare war on Iraq without U.N. backing when he said: "Unilateralism could become a real threat."

The summit declaration appeared to recognize Washington when it acknowledged "the commitment by the relevant governments to bring to justice any individuals responsible" for inhumane treatment of prisoners of war.

Perez-Roque, the Cuban foreign minister, faulted the declaration for characterizing "the grave crimes and recent documented tortures" of prisoners in Iraq as "mistreatment."

But European Commission President Romano Prodi fired back at Cuba during a news conference, saying he regretted "very much this attitude from the Cubans authorities because I don't think it's in the best interest of Cuba to confront the European Union."

"The Union doesn't want to isolate Cuba."

Prodi went on to criticize Cuba for what he called "the wave of repression, jailing more than 70 dissidents under appalling conditions."

"The dissidents are in jail for exercising their right to freedom of expression," he said, adding, "This does not mean that we support the Helms-Burton law. We condemn all extraterritorial and unilateral actions."

Cuba was not the only one at the summit with complaints. Hundreds of anti-globalization protesters clashed briefly with police outside the summit for two days, but were dispersed finally on Friday by pounding afternoon rains and volleys of tear gas.