DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DEMARCHE ON MEXICO HUMAN

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000758 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA/CAR, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL CU MX DR SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DEMARCHE ON MEXICO HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE REF: STATE 022969 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy officer delivered talking points in paras 5-6 reftel to MFA director for UN affairs Michelle Cohen and separately to deputy director Rhadys Abreu de Polanco, who will go to Geneva for the annual UN Human Rights Committee meeting. Embassy expressed particular appreciation for the Dominican Republic's crucial vote to approve the CHR resolution on CUBA last year. Cohen and Polanco were aware of the Mexican initiative on an "informal consultation mechanism for human rights in Latin America," but neither official had any immediate reaction to our demarche. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: The Dominican Republic in the past has supported country-specific resolutions on CUBA and other human rights violators. However, the Dominican vote last year was decided personally by then-President Mejia (PRD). We do not yet have an indication what position the administration of President Fernandez (PLD),inaugurated in August, may take at this year's CHR. HERTELL