GUATEMALA RESPONSE TO CUBAN CRACKDOWN AGAINST

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000784

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL CU GT UNHRC
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA RESPONSE TO CUBAN CRACKDOWN AGAINST
OPPOSITION

REF: A. STATE 75175


B. GUATEMALA 770

Classified By: PolCouns David Lindwall for reason 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In a March 22 meeting with President Alfonso Portillo,
the Ambassador raised USG concerns (Ref A) over the Cuban
crackdown against the opposition. As noted in Ref B,
Portillo acknowledged that the arrests carried out by the
Cuban Government were worrisome, but stopped short of
committing the GOG to issuing a public statement condemning
the arrests.


2. (C) The Ambassador raised the matter again with Vice
President Francisco Reyes Lopez on March 25, noting that
failure by the international community to condemn these
arrests would undermine those who are trying to bring about
peaceful democratic change in Cuba. The Ambassador added
that the dissidents, who were simply exercising rights that
all other inhabitants of the hemisphere have, look to the UN
Commission on Human Rights as a forum where the international
community calls on the Cuban Government to respect their
basic human rights. Failure by Guatemala to vote for a
resolution calling on the Cuban Government to respect basic
human rights, especially in view of the recent wave of
arrests, would be a severe blow to these individuals who are
paying for their defense of human rights with incarceration.
The Ambassador asked the Vice President what arguments
opponents of this resolution could possibly have to oppose a
call on the Cuban Government to respect basic human rights.
Vice President Reyes dodged the question and blamed "the
Congress" for opposition to Guatemala voting with us in favor
of a Cuba resolution. He said, however, that no decision had
been made regarding the vote, and did not rule out that the
recent wave of arrests would be weighed at the moment
Guatemala decided on its vote.


3. (C) The Ambassador was to deliver the talking points to
Foreign Minister Gutierrez on March 25, but the Foreign
Minister canceled the meeting due to illness. In his stead,
the Ambassador spoke with Vice Foreign Minister Jorge Perez
and raised the same concerns. Perez promised to relay our
views to the Foreign Minister and inform us of any response.


4. (C) PolCouns met with MFA Director of Multilateral Affairs
Giovanni Castillo on March 25 to deliver Ref A demarche and
talking points. Castillo said the GOG was aware of the
arrest of dissidents by the Cuban regime, and said he would
forward to the Foreign Minister our request for the GOG to
make a public statement in support of the dissidents. He
asked if other countries in the hemisphere had made
statements. Castillo said he would inform us of any decision
by the GOG in this regard.
HAMILTON