HAVANA, February 17 (Grupo Decoro) - Charles S. Shapiro, Coordinator of the State Department's Office of Cuban Affairs met on February 9 with a group of dissident leaders in Havana, said independent union leader Vicente Escobal Rabeiro.

Mr. Shapiro met with the dissidents at the official residence for the United States Interests Office in Havana. Those invited to the meeting, in addition to Escobal, included Gustavo Arcos Bergnes, general secretary of the Cuban Committee of Human Rights, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, president of the Christian Liberation Movement, Odilia Collazo, president of the Party for Human Rights and Jesús Yanes Pelletier, an independent dissident.

The main topic of discussion was respect and violations of human rights by the Cuban authorities. The dissidents explained the points of view of their respective organizations.

Mr. Shapiro took the opportunity to outline the position of the U. S. government regarding the Elián González affair, saying that the boy should be returned to his father, in spite of the manipulation of the case by the Castro government.

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