MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Carlos Salinas, Mexico's reviled former
                   president who fled into self-imposed exile in 1995, has moved to Cuba from
                   Ireland, the Mexican newspaper La Jornada said on Friday.

                   Salinas' sister, Adriana Salinas, confirmed the move after she returned to
                   Mexico from a visit to Havana with Ana Paula Gerard de Salinas, the
                   ex-president's second wife, the newspaper said.

                   "My brother Carlos was in Mexico at the end of last year and is not planning
                   to visit our country soon, and as a matter of fact we're just back from visiting
                   him," Adriana Salinas told La Jornada.

                   The Cuban government refused on Friday to discuss Salinas' whereabouts.

                   "There is no information on this," a Foreign Ministry spokesman told Reuters.

                   Officials added that Cuba's position remained unchanged from the one it took
                   in January 1999 when it was mum on reports that Salinas was visiting the
                   island nation then.

                   "Cuban authorities do not normally give public information about entries or
                   departures of people who come as tourists, or on private and family matters,
                   regardless of whether they are citizens of greater or lesser national or
                   international public relevance, as long as they strictly follow the laws of our
                   country," that statement said.

                   "Clearly and categorically, we want to make it known that if Carlos Salinas de
                   Gortari travels to Cuba, or is present or absent from our national territory, the
                   Cuban authorities will not give any information on the subject," it added.

                   Salinas was widely blamed for the economic crisis that shook Mexico shortly
                   after he left office in December 1994. At the time, the Mexican peso lost half
                   its value and interest rates soared above 100 percent.

                   His reputation suffered further after the arrest of his brother Raul on murder
                   charges.

                   Salinas is known to have visited Cuba before, during and after his 1988-1994
                   presidency.

                    Copyright 2000 Reuters.