Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler should immediately revoke the recently signed cultural exchange memo with Cuba, according to the United Bermuda Party (UBP).

"There's been a longstanding policy of isolating Cuba throughout the world - not just the United States," said Louise Jackson, the Shadow Community Affairs Minister.

American-born Mrs. Jackson reminded the public of Mr. Butler's opposition to links with Cuba before he became a Minister.

Opponents to Cuba links cite concern about the Caribbean country's human rights record and the risk of harming relations with the United States, Bermuda's biggest trading partner.

"Just recently on April after a one day trial, dissident Julio Valdes was convicted of conspiring with US diplomats to commit crimes against the national sovereignty and economy of Cuba," she said.

"He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a one day trial. And the judges who condemned him, condemned his library materials as 'lacking in usefulness' and ordered them destroyed by fire.

"This is just one incident. When I was driving home last night I heard on the international news that the Brazilian president was condemned for making a trip to Cuba."

Asked her views of the United States' human rights record, she said : "I've been elected to represent the interests of the people in Bermuda."

And she reiterated her party's concerns that relations with the United States could be threatened. "I cannot understand why we could be threatening our friends and our relationship with the United States and the international community at large for a cultural exchange."

Government has touted the cultural exchange agreement as of tremendous benefit to Bermuda's cultural development.

"There are other countries with artists and artisans that we can have a wonderful exchange with and have had through the years. I don't know what kind of message we are sending our children. When we go to Cuba we are treated as royalty when the workers and the masses in Cuba live in abject poverty. This is a fact," she said.

"My whole thing is 'will the real Mr. Butler please stand up?' He gave this passionate speech and said 'we need to pause and reflect on the fact that the human rights record of Cuba leaves a lot to be desired.'"

Mr. Butler had sided with the UBP on the issue when he was a backbencher. He signed the agreement September 10 in Havana. He has already defended his decision saying that as a Minister he must abide by the principle of collective responsibility and that he can bring up his concerns about human rights informally with the Cuban authorities.

"I find that very weak because first of all he reminds me very much of people who stood by and watched books being burned during the Nazi regime in Germany," said Mrs. Jackson.

Asked if she would have resigned if put in a similar position she said : "I would not have put myself in that position in the first place. So I can't get into that."