CUBA/UNGA: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005543

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CCA AND EB/ESC/ESP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2007
TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM CUBA'>CU ETRD PHUM CUBA'>CU IT UNGA ITPREL UNGA HUMAN RIGHTS
SUBJECT: CUBA/UNGA: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON
ANTI-EMBARGO RESOLUTION
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 ROME 05543 01 OF 02 141424Z

REF: A. SECSTATE 223006

B. ROME 5355

CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE. PLEASE SEE PARA 5.


2. (C) SUMMARY: IN RESPONSE TO A DEMARCHE ON THE CUBAN
ANTI-EMBARGO RESOLUTION, MFA COUNSELOR GORETTI STATED THAT
THE GOI WOULD VOTE THE AGREED EU POSITION. HE DISAGREED WITH
U.S. POINTS ON THE SCOPE OF THE EMBARGO, ITS IMPLEMENTATION,
AND THE EFFECT OF THE RESOLUTION BUT WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE
EU EOV WOULD EMPHASIZE HUMAN RIGHTS. GORETTI SHARED A
READOUT ON THE NOV. 4 EU-CUBA TALKS, WHICH HAD GONE AS HE HAD
EXPECTED--BADLY. THE EU HAD RAISED A NUMBER OF HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREE MARKET CONCERNS, AND THE GOC'S RESPONSES RANGED FROM
"99.9% OF CUBANS LIKE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE," TO "WHY DON'T
YOU GO PICK ON SOMEBODY ELSE?" TO CLAIMING THAT U.S. POLICY
TOWARD CUBA AND CUBAN AMERICANS WAS TANTAMOUNT TO TERRORISM.
END SUMMARY.


3. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REF A DEMARCHE REQUESTING
NON-SUPPORT OF THE CUBAN ANTI-EMBARGO RESOLUTION NOVEMBER 8
TO NICOLO' GORETTI DE FLAMINI, MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR
CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS. GORETTI STATED THAT
THE GOI WOULD VOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EU POSITION.
PRINCIPAL GOI CONCERNS IN CUBA ARE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION. "THE CUBAN POPULATION IS STARVING,"
GORETTI SAID, AS A RESULT OF BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROBLEMS
CAUSED BY A DECREASE IN THE EXPORT PRICES OF SUGAR AND NICKEL
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AND AN INCREASE IN THE IMPORT PRICE OF OIL. GORETTI WAS
CERTAIN THE EU EXPLANATION OF VOTE (EOV) WOULD BE STRONGLY
CRITICAL OF THE GOC HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD.


4. (C) GORETTI TOOK EXCEPTION TO THE ARGUMENT THAT THE
U.S. EMBARGO DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH FREE TRADE, CITING
HELMS-BURTON, BUT AGREED WITH POLOFF'S ARGUMENT THAT THIS LAW
WAS LIMITED TO DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF U.S. FORMER PROPERTY
HOLDERS. HE ALSO DISAGREED WITH THE POINT THAT THE GOC
PRESENTS THE PASSAGE OF THE ANTI-EMBARGO RESOLUTION AS AN
INTERNATIONAL ENDORSEMENT OF ITS REPRESSION.


5. (C) IN GORETTI'S "PERSONAL VIEW," "AMERICANS ARE THE
FIRST NOT TO RESPECT THE EMBARGO." AS HE HAD REF B, HE
REFERRED TO A TRADE EXPOSITION IN WHICH 250-300 AMERICANS HAD
TAKEN PART ALONG WITH CASTRO. HE CLAIMED THAT THE AMERICANS
HAD BROKEN THE EMBARGO BY PARTICIPATING, THOUGH HE MENTIONED
THE SALE OF FOODSTUFFS, WHICH POLOFF CLARIFIED ARE NOT
COVERED BY THE EMBARGO. ACTION REQUEST: POST WOULD
APPRECIATE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS EPISODE, IN CASE
GORETTI RAISES IT AGAIN. END ACTION REQUEST.

-------------- --------------
EU READOUT ON MEETING WITH CUBA: DIALOGUE OF THE DEAF
-------------- --------------


6. (C) GORETTI SHARED AN EU DOCUMENT THAT GAVE A DETAILED
READOUT OF THE NOVEMBER 4 EU-CUBA DISCUSSIONS IN COPENHAGEN.
THE FOLLOWING QUOTES REFER TO WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE
DOCUMENT AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY QUOTES OF WHAT WAS SAID IN
COPENHAGEN.
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7. (C) THE EU TOLD THE GOC, "CONTINUOUS (CONTINUING)
HARASSMENT OF DISSIDENTS IS OF DEEP CONCERN." IT HAD "HOPED
FOR A PROPER DISCUSSION IN THE CUBAN ASSEMBLY OF THE VARELA
PROJECT." IN REPLY, THE GOC ASSERTED, "NOBODY ACCUSED CUBA
OF SYSTEMATIC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, NOR FOR EXAMPLE OF
TORTURE OR DISAPPEARANCES AS IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.... THE
VARELA INITIATIVE WAS PROOF THAT CUBANS CAN SPEAK." EIGHT
MILLION CUBANS HAD VOTED TO MAKE THE SOCIALIST CHARACTER OF
THE CONSTITUTION INVIOLABLE.


8. (C) URGING THE GOC TO RELEASE POLITICAL
PRISONERS--NAMING LEYVA, BRUZON, PADRON, AND BRIZUELA,
SPECIFICALLY--THE EU ASKED THE GOC TO RATIFY THE CIPPR AND
CESCR HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES. IN RIPOSTE, THE GOC SAID THAT
"POLITICAL PRISONERS WERE PAID BY THE UNITED STATES, SO IN
MANY COUNTRIES, THEY WOULD GET WORSE TREATMENT," BUT IN CUBA
THEY WERE TREATED THE SAME AS OTHER PRISONERS. THE GOC
SUGGESTED THAT, INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF THE UNITED
STATES, WHICH "HAD A VENDETTA AGAINST CUBA," THE EU SHOULD
CONCERN ITSELF WITH HUMAN RIGHTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, SUCH AS
CHINA.

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"BLAH, BLAH, BLAH" AND THE FIGHT AGAINST (U.S.) TERRORISM
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CONFIDENTIAL PTO8165

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ACTION WHA-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00
CTME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01
SSA-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00
VCE-00 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 DHS-00 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00
TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /014W
-------------- 0864F1 141425Z /38
R 141310Z NOV 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6911
INFO AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
USINT HAVANA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USEU BRUSSELS 2955
USMISSION GENEVA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005543

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CCA AND EB/ESC/ESP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2007
TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM CU ETRD PHUM CU IT UNGA ITPREL UNGA HUMAN RIGHTS
SUBJECT: CUBA/UNGA: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON
ANTI-EMBARGO RESOLUTION
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 05543 02 OF 02 141424Z


9. (C) GORETTI INDICATED THAT THE REST OF THE DIALOGUE HAD
CONTINUED "BLAH, BLAH, BLAH" OR IN A SIMILAR VEIN, WITH THE
EU PRESSING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND MARKET FREEDOMS, AND THE GOC
REPLYING DEFENSIVELY OR AGGRESSIVELY. THE EU NOTED THAT
THERE HAD BEEN NO PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SO IT WOULD LIKE
TO SEND THE UN HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE GOC
REFUSED. THE EU CITED PROBLEMS FOR EUROPEAN INVESTORS AND
SAID CUBA NEEDED TO INSTITUTE MARKET REFORMS. THE GOC
THANKED THE EU FOR ITS POSITION ON THE EMBARGO, WHICH IT
CLAIMED WAS "ENDING STEP BY STEP BECAUSE OF PRESSURE FROM
U.S. BUSINESS ON CONGRESS."


10. (U) GORETTI SHARED A THICK BOOK THAT THE GOC HAD
DISTRIBUTED AT THE MEETING. ENTITLED "THE FIGHT ON
TERRORISM: CUBA--CONTINUING TERRORIST U.S. ACTION," THE BOOK
CATEGORIZED U.S. ACTS SUCH AS REMARKING ON CUBA'S BIOLOGICAL
WARFARE PROGRAM AS TERRORISM. IT FURTHER PROVIDED A LIST OF
"TERROR ATTACKS" AND MIAMI-BASED "TERROR CELLS," MANY OF
WHICH IT CLAIMED ARE SUPPORTED BY THE USG.


11. (U) LOOKING FORWARD, GORETTI PREDICTED A SIMILAR UNHRC
RESOLUTION TO LAST YEAR'S, URGING ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
REFORMS. THE NEXT EU-CUBA MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER
2003 IN HAVANA.
SKODON

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2002ROME05543 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL