CUBAN REGIME STIFFS CODEL FLAKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HAVANA 023608

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OTTAWA FOR USINT COM MICHAEL PARMLY
DEPT FOR H, AND FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2016
TAGS: OREP PREL ECON PHUM KDEM CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN REGIME STIFFS CODEL FLAKE

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Classified By: Charge d'affaires Buddy Williams; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) Summary: A Congressional Delegation led by Rep. Jeff
Flake (R/AZ) spent the December 15-17 weekend publicly urging
a change in US policy, but privately getting rebuffed by a
Cuban regime that insisted it had no reason or desire to
reform itself. The CODEL presented a letter requesting
release of 59 political prisoners and urged the GOC to give
it something to use if/when the Congress holds hearings in
2007 on Cuba policy. Cuban interlocutors, chiefly Foreign
Minister Perez Roque, Communist Party Foreign Relations
Secretary Remirez Estenoz, and Assembly president Ricardo

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Alarcon, told them they were only interested in enhanced
cooperation with the U.S. on narcotics, migration and
counter-terrorism. In a pre-departure press conference the
CODEL members continued to advocate a change in US policy and
opening of negotiations with the GOC. This would respond to
a line to that effect in Raul Castro's December 2 speech.
They emphasized, that on the US side, they would look into
trade, travel and oil exploration. However, responding to
questions from international media, the CODEL expressed
disappointment that Raul Castro wouldn't see them, and one
member with the GOC's unwillingness to have free elections,
free access to media, and to respect human rights. The CODEL
also repeated in public the GOC's line to them that Fidel
Castro did not have cancer and was recovering, although
private discussion of that subject made GOC interlocutors
nervous. The CODEL did not meet with dissidents, but
accepted a letter from some of them urging that any follow-up
from a recently published GAO report not cut off their
sources of assistance. End Summary.


2. (SBU) A bipartisan CODEL led by Reps. Jeff Flake and
William Delahunt (D/MA) came to Havana December 15 to 17 with
the express purpose of reaching out to the GOC in response to
Raul Castro's line in his Armed Forces Day speech regarding
negotiating with the USG. The full CODEL roster was as
follows:

Reps Flake, Delahunt, as noted,
Michael Conoway (R/TX)
Lincoln Davis (D/TN)
Jo An Emerson (R/MO)
Jane Harman (D/CA)
Gregory Meeks (D/NY)
Jerry Moran (R/KS)
Jim McGovern (D/MA)
Hilda Solis (D/CA)

Most of the delegation had traveled to Cuba before, had
worked on the Trade Sanctions Reform Act (TSRA) of 2000,
and/or were members of the "Cuba Working Group." They
advertised themselves as the biggest CODEL to Cuba in 50
years, and said that the size of the delegation, as well as
the visit's timing, was significant.


3. (C) Meetings with Cuban Government officials: Their
interlocutors were as follows:

-- ALIMPORT Director Pedro Alvarez
-- Communist Party International Relations Secretary Fernando
Remirez Estenoz
-- Basic Industries Minister Yadira Garcia
-- National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon
-- Central Bank President Francisco Soberon
-- Foreign Minister Felipe Perez-Roque.

All of them had a scripted set of talking points and did not
give the impression that they could speak freely. CODEL
members said they had hoped the Cubans could meet them
halfway and give them something to work with when they held
hearings in 2007. Answer: "The ball is in your court, we
have no reason or desire to reform our governance. We are
the victims of your policy, but would be willing to expand
cooperation on narcotics, migration and terrorism." When
presented with a list of political prisoners that the CODEL
asked to have released, the Cubans responded criticizing U.S.
human rights practices, particularly at Guantanamo. They
stated the party line on the "Five Heroes" (spies imprisoned
in the USA) and on the Posada Carriles case. The ones with
economic and trade portfolios made the case that Cuba's

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economy was booming, and that US Agricultural Exports under
TSRA were significant (Cuba in 23rd place worldwide as farm

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export destination),but only a small fraction of the benefit
potentially available if/when the embargo ends and trade
opens up. Perez Roque said that Cuban economic growth is
strong and irreversible, meaning that Cuba did not need more
trade with the USA and would not accept any preconditions for
trade talks. The CODEL also discussed offshore oil
exploration with Yadira Garcia.


4. (SBU) Fidel/Raul: The CODEL had requested a meeting with
Raul Castro but was not granted one. When they discussed
Fidel Castro's health or succession plans the Cuban
interlocutors got nervous and told them the party line:
"Fidel is recovering, and does not have cancer." Fidel
Castro's medical condition was the subject of media
questioning at the CODEL's departure press conference. Rep.
Harmon repeated what she had been told by the Cubans, adding
that public statements by intelligence officials on this
subject should be based on facts.


5. (C) Other meetings: The CODEL saw Cardinal Jaime Ortega,
who was supportive of their position against the US embargo,
saying that it was wrong to wait for a popular pressure to
change the government of Cuba before engaging with the
country. Ortega, on the other had, was critical of Hugo
Chavez, who he said Cubans would never accept as a
replacement for Fidel Castro. The CODEL met with some
members of the diplomatic corps, all of whom disagree with
the US embargo, but some of whom described their outreach
programs with civil society. The Swiss ambassador also had a
private meeting with Rep. Flake at which he described GOC
harassment and administrative squeezing of USINT, and the
role of the Swiss in seeking solutions to USINT's operational
problems. The CODEL did not meet with any dissidents, but
accepted a letter (via USINT)from Vladimiro Roca (also signed
by Martha Beatriz Roque, Gisela Delgado and Elizardo Sanchez)
making the case for continued USAID assistance to the
democratic opposition, even if the GAO has found a few
isolated irregularities.


6. (C) USINT Briefing: COM Parmly hosted and led a briefing
at The Residence Sunday morning, at which USINT described the
regime's continuing totalitarian style since Raul Castro took
charge July 31, with special emphasis on human rights abuses
and a more realistic appraisal of the Cuban economy. CODEL
members pushed hard on what they called the "failure" of US
policy and the need to relax the embargo, especially the
travel restrictions. We replied that containment of the USSR
took over 50 years to prove that it was the correct policy,
and was consistent with our values. Now, with stresses and
strains about to weigh heavily upon Raul Castro, the
Administration did not see this as the appropriate time to
unilaterally give away the embargo, in exchange for nothing.
COM Parmly reiterated the President's and other senior USG
officials' comments to the effect that USG policy underscored
the lead of the Cuban people to bring about change, echoed
last week by A/S Shannon's statement that Raul Castro's
negotiation should be with the Cuban people, not with the
USG. Additionally, our Coast Guard attache answered
questions regarding ongoing US working-level contact with the
GOC on narcotics and migration issues.


7. (SBU) Media: International media were all over the CODEL
(septel provides more detail),throughout their visit.
Members took many opportunities to give on-camera interviews
and state their views about US policy toward Cuba. Before
the final press conference, Rep. Flake released this
statement:

"It is time for the U.S. to enter a dialogue with Cuba.

America has important interests in Cuba and strong
disagreements with the Cuban government. At a time when Cuba
is changing and the opportunities to advance our interests
and values in Cuba are not known, we unanimously believe that
the U.S. should respond positively to the proposal made by
Raul Castro in his speech of Dec. 2.

No one should be under the illusion that a negotiation with
Cuba would be easy, or that results would be guaranteed. But
if we refuse to engage in normal diplomacy, we are guaranteed

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to produce no results at all.

We should be consulting regularly about migration issues, to
protect national security and to save lives. We should see
if more can be done to fight drug trafficking. We should be
talking right now about Cuba's offshore oil exploration,
given its potential impact on our own marine environment. We
know there are fugitives from American justice here, and
there are some in U.S. custody who are of interest to Cuba.
Perhaps there is the basis of an agreement there.

There may be other areas of opportunity. Only by probing
Cuba's proposal is it possible to find out. Our visit
provided the first official American contact with senior
Cuban officials since the delegation of executive powers last
July 31 (from Fidel to Raul Castro). We appreciate the time
and courtesies that our hosts extended throughout our visit."


8. (C) Comment: If nothing else, this visit proved that the
current Cuban ruling clique is wedded to its totalitarian
style, unwilling to make even the slightest concession, even
when being presented a generous opening offer by the CODEL
members. The visit also demonstrates that Cuba's strategy to
engage a wide swath of the U.S. congress on agricultural
exports has paid dividends. The bipartisan nature of the
delegation is attributable to this strategy. The CODEL's
trip reinforced to us that the post-Castro future of Cuba
should not be plotted out in meetings between the USG and
Cuba's Gang of Four, but rather by an open consultation
between the GOC and the Cuban people.
WILLIAMS