Alienating erstwhile friends

The decision by the governments of Mexico and Peru to withdraw their ambassadors from Cuba following scathing remarks by Fidel Castro makes front-page headlines in both countries' newspapers.

In marked contrast, the diplomatic row, one of the most serious to affect Havana in recent years, fails to get a mention on the web sites of Cuba's leading dailies.

Two leading Mexican dailies take issue with their government's decision to downgrade ties and expel the ambassador, as well as other Cuban officials for a number of alleged irregularities unconnected to the Cuban leaders' remarks.

It's reasonable to assume the White House sent Los Pinos [Mexico's presidential residence] warm congratulations La Jornada - Mexico

In Peru, newspapers back their government's decision to bring home the ambassador, indignant at Mr Castro's accusation that Lima was following the diktat of Washington in condemning Havana's human rights record.

"Shameful motives" behind Mexican's decision, cries the leading left-wing daily La Jornada in an editorial.

Doubts

Although it believes the anger at the Cuban leader's remarks is "understandable", it argues that the "hazy allegations" against the other Cubans in Mexico "provoke further doubts about the ill-feeling towards Cuba and demand clear and immediate explanations".

La Jornada sees a "gradual abandonment of Mexico's traditional role in the foreign relations sphere" and a "growing subordination to Washington's line, making it easier to understand the sudden destruction of the historic ties with Cuba".

"It's reasonable to assume the White House sent Los Pinos [Mexico's presidential residence] warm congratulations."

La Jornada quotes the leader of President Vicente Fox's political party, the PAN, as calling the Castro government a "decrepit dictatorship".

The lacerating level this conflict has reached is totally unnecessary El Universal - Mexico

It also quotes the outgoing Cuban ambassador as saying he and his staff "have received phone calls expressing solidarity from all over the Mexican Republic".

An editorial in the centrist El Universal describes the situation as "lamentable".

"We believe the lacerating level this conflict has reached is totally unnecessary," it says.

The paper says the attitude of Mexico towards Cuba has hardened in recent years and was exemplified by the decision to snub the Cuban president during a summit in Monterey in 2002 "so as not to put out George W. Bush".

El Universal believes it is no coincidence that the Mexican decision comes at a time when President Fox is having problems with a number of major political parties over legislative reforms.

"Another sad consequence is that Mexico will not be able to continue as an intermediary in the conflicts between Cuba and Washington, a role it has played with decorum in the past."

Writing in Reforma, in a piece headlined "The Split", political columnist Sergio Sarmiento comments that "Diplomacy seeks to survive until the following century, while politics seeks to sustain itself until the following Friday."

"Mexico and Cuba: A difficult relationship" and "Fox breaks with Cuba" are other headlines in the daily.

'Impertinence'

In Peru, the daily Peru 21 carries a large front-page headline "Crisis - Cuban Style".

It believes Lima's decision to withdraw its ambassador is "no more than the natural reaction of a government offended by the insults of an angry leader".

El Comercio welcomes the "Overwhelming response to Castro's broadside".

Just as it had the strength to condemn the Castro dictatorship, it should do the same over the violation of human rights by the US in countries like Iraq Peru 21 - Peru

And Expreso becomes indignant at "The impertinence of the dictator Castro".

"The vote against the Cuban dictatorship at the UN for violating human rights is historic, because in the past, Peru, wrongly, always sought to avoid condemning Cuba, although it deserved it."

"Expreso supports Peru's stand and calls for it to take a coherent approach towards such issues. Just as it had the strength to condemn the Castro dictatorship, it should do the same over the violation of human rights by the US in countries like Iraq.

"Peru does not need to vote against Cuba to ingratiate itself with the empire. It must do it because of its universal belief in the defence of life and liberty," adds Expreso.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.