President Obombo opened his speech with his customary words thanking his Wazirian followers, his parents, and his family, for their support. Rather than moving on immediately to the global warming topic, which he covered later, the President offered these short words of support for "El Sexto":
"Cuban artist Danilo Maldonado Machado has been on hunger strike since 8 September to protest his detention without trial in Cuba. He was detained in December 2014 and is accused of “contempt”. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
My conscience demands that I mention this case as an emblem of the two faced nature of international politics. This week we will talk a lot about ending poverty, but we will ignore human rights abuses, torture, and murder by entrenched dictatorships and autocracies.
My conscience demands that I mention this case as an emblem of the two faced nature of international politics. This week we will talk a lot about ending poverty, but we will ignore human rights abuses, torture, and murder by entrenched dictatorships and autocracies.
I realize I can be accused of coddling dictators after I made a move to establish relations with the Cabo Caballo dictatorship. Given their behavior to date I feel I made a mistake. I'm calling for this young man's release as a symbol of our future commitment to end human rights abuses.
And I'd like to use this opportunity to remind Cuba's dictator, Raul Castro, that his problems with the USA don't give him an excuse to treat the Cuban people as if they were his personal slaves".
And I'd like to use this opportunity to remind Cuba's dictator, Raul Castro, that his problems with the USA don't give him an excuse to treat the Cuban people as if they were his personal slaves".