1. (C) Cuba's Tier 3 placement in the 2006 Trafficking in
Persons Report presents a challenge in terms of informing the
host country, given the Cuban Government's hostility to U.S.
criticism and the paucity of news sources available to
ordinary Cubans. Since mid-January, the Cubans have refused
all of our requests for appointments with their Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MinRex), regardless of the issue.



2. (C) For these reasons, USINT favors targeting, to the
extent that we can, the Cuban people, rather than the GOC.
Cubans will not be surprised to hear that the island is a
destination for sex tourists, or that large numbers of Cuban
minors are commercially exploited sexually, sometimes with
the complicity of GOC officials. However, we do see some
utility in informing the Cuban public that when it comes to
trafficking in persons, their country ranks with chronic
offenders such as Burma and North Korea.



3. (C) We are announcing Cuba's Tier 3 classification on our
streaming billboard. We also intend to use some or all of
the following options:

(a) distributing a press release on this subject to
accredited and independent Cuban journalists and librarians,
and to the scores of human rights activists with whom we are
in frequent contact;
(b) having our COM take part in an interview with Radio
Marti, which attracts considerable interest on the island;
(c) translating a brief summary of the TIPR and making it
available to all NIV, IV/Parole and Refugee applicants, as
well as to users of USINT's Internet centers;
(d) sharing the aforementioned press release or summary
with the embassies of Britain, Canada, Czech Republic,
Norway, Poland, Slovakia and other missions interested in
promoting human rights in Cuba.
PARMLY