ILO: CUBA AND VENEZUELA REPRISALS AGAINST

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002619 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR DRL, IO; GENEVA FOR PSA AND LABOR ATTACHE; DEPT LABOR FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ELAB DR CU SUBJECT: ILO: CUBA AND VENEZUELA REPRISALS AGAINST DOMINICAN CANDIDATE TO CHAIR ANNUAL MEETINGS IN JUNE REF: SANTO DOMINGO 1597 ¶1. Dominican Minister of Labor Milton Ray Guevara mentioned to EcoPol counselor on April 28 at the dedication of a Dept of Labor sponsored program that the Venezuelan and Cuban missions in Geneva are lobbying against his candidacy to chair the ILO annual meetings, specifically because they perceived that the Dominican Republic had cast the decisive vote on the UNHRC resolution on Cuba. ¶2. Ray Guevara said that the Canadian mission is being supportive, but he appeared concerned about the prospect that the Americas group might not put him forward as its candidate if the Venezuelans and Cubans persist. He said that CARICOM states, previously leaning his way, are now hesitating. ¶3. Ray Guevara is well and favorably known to the Embassy Santo Domingo; we ask that the Department (WHA and IO) and Mission Geneva consider measures to counteract the campaign against Ray Guevara, which is to some extent a deliberately anti-U.S. effort. HERTELL