CUBA ON DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE IN CARIBBEAN

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000242

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL GY XL CU
SUBJECT: CUBA ON DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE IN CARIBBEAN



1. (U) Cuba's Ambassador to Guyana and CARICOM, Alejandro
Marchante Castellanos, presented his credentials to
CARICOM SYG Edwin Carrington March 10. In his remarks,
Castellanos said that Cuba planned to establish four new
diplomatic missions in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname as it seeks to
strengthen relations with individual CARICOM nations.
These missions would give Cuba a diplomatic presence in
all fifteen CARICOM member states.


2. (SBU) Comment: Cuba's diplomatic overture is in part
an attempt to corner, or at least neutralize, CARICOM
votes in international fora. Note: CARICOM tries in the
first instance to reach consensus and vote as a bloc on
multilateral issues. While letting Cuba cozy up to them,
CARICOM nations repeatedly pass up opportunities to take
Cuba to task - at a minimum for its treatment of
political dissidents. The quid pro quo is simple. As
Guyana's President Jagdeo once explained to Ambassador,
Guyana (and other CARICOM nations) avoid criticizing Cuba
because Cuba sends doctors and doles out scholarships.
End comment.

BULLEN