CUBAN DOCTOR SEEKS ASYLUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000768

SIPDIS

NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014
TAGS: PHUM PREF CVIS VE
SUBJECT: CUBAN DOCTOR SEEKS ASYLUM


Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(d
)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) Cuban medical doctor Ulises Bernal Perez requested
political asylum March 2. He did not claim or appear to fear
for his safety, nor fear political persecution. Poloff
explained the procedure for political asylum and referred
Bernal to UNHCR. Bernal told poloff he arrived in Venezuela
October 2003 to work with the Barrio Adentro mission staffed
by Cuban doctors, but "defected" December 2003 with his
brother-in-law who he said is now in the U.S. He also
claimed to have been in prison in Tachira State for about 10
months on false kidnapping charges. End Summary.


2. (C) RSO notified poloff March 2 that Ulises Bernal Perez
(DOB 9/8/1973, POB Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Passport number
0228412) a Cuban doctor, was at the Embassy's front gate
requesting asylum. Bernal told poloff he came to Venezuela
in October 2003 to work with the Barrio Adentro mission in
Barquisimeto, Lara State. In December 2003, at his
brother-in-law's suggestion, the two men "defected" from the
program. Bernal told poloff his brother-in-law, also a Cuban
doctor, was now in the U.S. but could not give him
information on how he had gotten to Miami. Bernal asserted
that he and his brother-in-law publicly denounced the Barrio
Adentro program for its lack of medicine when they left the
program.


3. (C) Separating for security, Bernal said, both he and his
brother-in-law attempted to leave Venezuela. Bernal said he
was in Tachira State, on the border with Colombia, where he
claimed some reporters were going to try to get him across
the border. He told poloff he thought one of them got cold
feet, backed out, and denounced him to the authorities.
Bernal said he was imprisoned from February-December 2004 on
charges of kidnapping the reporter. Upon his release, Bernal
said he lived with a family in Tachira State that had
befriended him while he was in the local Santa Ana Prison.
After waiting for family in Miami to send him money, he
traveled to Caracas the week of March 2 to seek asylum at the
U.S. Embassy.


4. (C) Bernal asserted that after his public statements
against the Barrio Adentro program and imprisonment, Cuba
would not accept his return. However, he did not express any
fear of returning to his country of birth. He asserted that
he had no future in Venezuela because of his time in prison
and wanted to leave. After being in prison for several
months, he said, he was trying to be careful and get out of
the country "legally." He claimed that the UNHCR and
Caritas, because they worked with the GOV, could not be
trusted to help him. He therefore came to the U.S. Embassy
which, he said he had heard, offered asylum to Cubans. He did
not claim or appear to be afraid for his safety, nor in
imminent danger. Poloff explained the asylum process and
referred him to UNHCR.

--------------
Comment
--------------


5. (C) Bernal did not seem strongly opposed to or afraid of
the Cuban government or his current situation in Venezuela.
Rather, he appeared to be a searching for a better life and
acting on what he had heard, came to the Embassy to ask for
asylum or assistance leaving Venezuela. While parts of his
story were illogical, inconsistent, or vague, it could easily
have been nerves rather than nefarious intentions.
Brownfield