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The army was continuing its frantic search in the Los Barros mountain range, close to the Argentinian border, yesterday despite heavy snow fall and strong winds. I’m sure it’s in connection with the assembly.” Among those due at the assembly was Martha Beatriz Roque, who was one of the 75 rounded up two years ago She was released by the government on medical grounds.. Soon after, Cuba executed three ferry hi-jackers.Four months ago, however, the EU relaxed sanctions against the island imposed after the crackdown.Senator Schwarzenberg told the Associated Press as he boarded plane for Paris on Thursday evening: “I did nothing against the law They just didn’t like the people I was visiting. Even the best friends of Cuba will now find it difficult to maintain their position,” he said. While most European governments have tended to look on Cuba with a slightly more sympathetic eye than the US does, relations have been tense since President Castro imprisoned 75 dissidents in March 2003.

In Brussels, the development commissioner, Louis Michel, called the expulsions “highly regrettable … Earlier in the week, Cuba also refused to allow entry to two Polish members of the European Parliament.In a statement, the Czech foreign ministry called Cuba’s action “unacceptable”, adding that Havana had no interest in continuing “a constructive dialogue with the EU”. He has since been arrested and charged with illegally entering the US.The President was fairly quiet through the week about the dissidents’ meeting, which both the men had been planning to attend. It was described as the largest such meeting of anti-regime activists ever held since Castro came to power.On Monday, President Castro led a march of tens of thousands through the capital to protest against the presence in the US of one of his oldest foes, Luis Posada Carriles. Mr Posada is wanted in Venezuela, increasingly a Cuban ally, in connection with the 1973 downing of a Cuban airliner. About 500 dissidents are expected to attend the Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society in Cuba.

Barring a last-minute crackdown, it was due to take place in the back garden of Felix Bonne, a veteran critic of President Castro. The action prompted formal objections yesterday from German and Czech officials.This latest drama came at the end of especially tense week. He is appealing agains the conviction and sentence.The evidence against Ms True is said to cover much of the same ground as that against Medici. A Downing Street spokeswoman said that the rebate was mentioned ”in general terms only”.Dr Liam Fox, the shadow Foreign Secretary, said: ”There must be no question of any change to the rebate. The UK taxpayer will understand if people have the courage to explain to them that it is not fair for countries such as Bulgaria or Romania to pay more than them.”He added: ”We are looking for a compromise that is of course acceptable to meet British concerns and at the same time takes note of the evolution of Europe and the evolution of Britain.”Mr Blair insists the rebate is still justifiable and has vowed to use Britain’s veto to prevent the rebate being removed. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has joined calls for cuts to Britain’s £3bn EU rebate.
Speaking after talks with Tony Blair at Chequers yesterday, he backed reform of the rebate, arguing that Britain was now more prosperous than it was 20 years ago when Margaret Thatcher negotiated the deal.Mr Barroso said: “When the UK got the rebate there were good reasons for it, but the situation has now changed.