SANT'EGIDIO THANKS UNCLE SAM AND CHIDES

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 001152 SIPDIS EUR/WE (D.MENNUTI); PD/ECA (SEXTON); INL (ELY-RAPHEL); DRL/MLA G.FOELLER; WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2012 TAGS: CO CU IT MZ PHUM PREL SOCI VT ZL SUBJECT: SANT'EGIDIO THANKS UNCLE SAM AND CHIDES "HYPOCRITE" FIDEL. REF: REF A: VATICAN 00445 REF B: VATICAN 00700 REF C: VATICAN 00578. CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON. REASONS 1.5 (B,D). ¶1. (U) ANDREA RICCARDI, FOUNDER OF THE SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY, HOSTED AMBASSADOR AND EMBOFFS 2/19 AT A DINNER IN RECOGNITION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 01152 051435Z USG. RICCARDI EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR CONTINUING ECA/PD GRANTS THAT SUPPORT SANT'EGIDIO CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROJECTS (REF A). HE FURTHER ENDORSED THE MAY 15-16 ANTI-TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE (REF. B) THE EMBASSY IS PLANNING IN CONCERT WITH THE HOLY SEE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND THE VATICAN, AND OFFERED SANT'EGIDIO ASSISTANCE. ¶2. (C) SEPARATELY, RICCARDI SPOKE CRITICALLY TO AMBASSADOR OF HIS 1999 MEETING IN CUBA WITH FIDEL CASTRO, A MARATHON EVENING COLLOQUY THAT LASTED PAST 3 AM. RICCARDI HAD SHARP WORDS FOR WHAT HE TERMED CASTRO'S HYPOCRISY, PARTICULARLY ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN CUBA. HE DERIDED CASTRO'S AVOWED PERSONAL OPPOSITION TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT COUPLED WITH HIS INSISTENCE THAT HE WAS OBLIGATED TO UPHOLD THE LAW OF THE STATE. ¶3. (C) DON MATTEO ZUPPI, IN HAVANA THIS JANUARY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN OFF-SITE FARC-COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT ENCOUNTER (REF C),REMARKED TO EMBOFFS THAT CASTRO HAD PULLED HIM ASIDE AND UPBRAIDED THE SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY AND ZUPPI PERSONALLY FOR THE NGO'S RELUCTANCE TO COLLABORATE WITH HAVANA IN 1999. ACCORDING TO ZUPPI, CASTRO HAD SOUGHT TO EXPLOIT SANT'EGIDIO IN THE CONTEXT OF THE 1999 KOSOVO CONFLICT BY DEPLOYING 1,000 PURPORTED HUMANITARIAN WORKERS TO KOSOVO AND YUGOSLAVIA UNDER THE AUSPICES OF SANT'EGIDIO. ¶4. (U) IN ASIDE TO DCM, DON MATTEO ZUPPI REQUESTED SUPPORT FOR SANT'EGIDIO'S PROPOSED $5 MILLION HIV/AIDS PROJECT IN MOZAMBIQUE. SANT'EGIDIO HAS FORWARDED A PROPOSAL TO THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS. ZUPPI IS SEEKING GENERAL EXPRESSIONS OF USG SUPPORT TO THE GLOBAL FUND'S DIRECTORS. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 01152 051435Z NOTE: WHILE POST CANNOT SPEAK TO PROJECT'S TECHNICAL MERITS, SANT'EGIDIO HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN HUMANITARIAN AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROJECTS. NICHOLSON CONFIDENTIAL > 2002VATICA01152 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL