Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MADRID2792
2006-10-31 17:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
SPAIN/CUBA: MIXED SIGNALS FROM MFA
how-toVZCZCXRO5449 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHMD #2792 3041741 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 311741Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1210 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5040 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0460 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0295 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1029 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ PRIORITY 1208 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0561 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 0983 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0461 RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2201 RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0163
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002792
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR FOR A/S FRIED AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/CUBA: MIXED SIGNALS FROM MFA
REF: A. MADRID 2765
B. MADRID 2596
C. MADRID 2495
D. PARIS 2109
E. ROME 2990
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002792
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR FOR A/S FRIED AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/CUBA: MIXED SIGNALS FROM MFA
REF: A. MADRID 2765
B. MADRID 2596
C. MADRID 2495
D. PARIS 2109
E. ROME 2990
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (C) Deputy FM Bernardino Leon told the Ambassador on
October 31 that he is working with FM Miguel Angel Moratinos
to develop an EU statement on Cuba for the next GAERC meeting
in Brussels. The Ambassador had contacted Leon to voice the
USG's frustration with Spain's apparent decision to back away
from a commitment to work with the USG to craft a US-EU or EU
unilateral statement promoting a transition to democracy in
Cuba (Refs A, B, and C). The Ambassador expressed the USG's
deep concern that Spain had made an about face on a
commitment made to the Secretary on an issue of fundamental
importance to the USG. Leon said that statements by Director
General for Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar and Secretary of
State for Ibero America Trinidad Jimenez to the Ambassador,
DCM, and Pol Couns that the time was "not right" for a
declaration on Cuba were not definitive. Leon insisted that
he and Moratinos had made a political decision to pursue the
issuance of a statement on Cuba. He indicated that it might
be helpful for the USG to sound out other EU countries to
gauge their support for a Cuba declaration, but asked that
the USG not raise the possibility of a Spanish statement
since Leon did not want to be seen as working at cross
purposes with Trinidad Jimenez. He said that he understood
Jimenez's desire to risk eliminating her contacts with Cuban
officials so soon after taking up her post, but repeated that
she did not have the final say on this matter.
2. (C) Leon told the Ambassador that he had taken up the
suggestion to look carefully at the Oscar Arias statement on
Cuba as a possible guide for an EU or Spanish statement. He
said the USG might not be happy with criticism of U.S.
sanctions that would likely be contained in any EU document.
The Ambassador responded that the USG was more concerned that
there would be EU silence on Cuba at this critical time.
Leon reiterated his commitment to a statement, saying he had
prepared a draft declaration that Moratinos had seen and
approved. He cautioned, however, that he could not guarantee
that he and Moratinos would win approval to pursue a
statement at the EU level.
//COMMENT//
3. (C) Clearly, the Spanish Government has not closed the
loop on this issue and is engaged in a debate over how to
balance their commitment to us with their reluctance to take
on the Castro regime. We are uncertain at this point as to
who has the final say within the Spanish Government on
political decisions regarding Cuba, and it appears that there
is uncertainty within the Spanish Government as well. A
Spanish newspaper ran a story on October 31 detailing
friction between Jimenez and Leon over which one of them had
the lead on Bolivia and other issues in Latin America. We do
not know who will win this debate and will continue to push
this issue in Madrid. As noted in Ref A, we believe we
should build pressure on Spain by continuing to encourage
other countries to adopt a more forward leaning posture in
support of a democratic transition in Cuba (Refs D and E).
AGUIRRE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR FOR A/S FRIED AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/CUBA: MIXED SIGNALS FROM MFA
REF: A. MADRID 2765
B. MADRID 2596
C. MADRID 2495
D. PARIS 2109
E. ROME 2990
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (C) Deputy FM Bernardino Leon told the Ambassador on
October 31 that he is working with FM Miguel Angel Moratinos
to develop an EU statement on Cuba for the next GAERC meeting
in Brussels. The Ambassador had contacted Leon to voice the
USG's frustration with Spain's apparent decision to back away
from a commitment to work with the USG to craft a US-EU or EU
unilateral statement promoting a transition to democracy in
Cuba (Refs A, B, and C). The Ambassador expressed the USG's
deep concern that Spain had made an about face on a
commitment made to the Secretary on an issue of fundamental
importance to the USG. Leon said that statements by Director
General for Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar and Secretary of
State for Ibero America Trinidad Jimenez to the Ambassador,
DCM, and Pol Couns that the time was "not right" for a
declaration on Cuba were not definitive. Leon insisted that
he and Moratinos had made a political decision to pursue the
issuance of a statement on Cuba. He indicated that it might
be helpful for the USG to sound out other EU countries to
gauge their support for a Cuba declaration, but asked that
the USG not raise the possibility of a Spanish statement
since Leon did not want to be seen as working at cross
purposes with Trinidad Jimenez. He said that he understood
Jimenez's desire to risk eliminating her contacts with Cuban
officials so soon after taking up her post, but repeated that
she did not have the final say on this matter.
2. (C) Leon told the Ambassador that he had taken up the
suggestion to look carefully at the Oscar Arias statement on
Cuba as a possible guide for an EU or Spanish statement. He
said the USG might not be happy with criticism of U.S.
sanctions that would likely be contained in any EU document.
The Ambassador responded that the USG was more concerned that
there would be EU silence on Cuba at this critical time.
Leon reiterated his commitment to a statement, saying he had
prepared a draft declaration that Moratinos had seen and
approved. He cautioned, however, that he could not guarantee
that he and Moratinos would win approval to pursue a
statement at the EU level.
//COMMENT//
3. (C) Clearly, the Spanish Government has not closed the
loop on this issue and is engaged in a debate over how to
balance their commitment to us with their reluctance to take
on the Castro regime. We are uncertain at this point as to
who has the final say within the Spanish Government on
political decisions regarding Cuba, and it appears that there
is uncertainty within the Spanish Government as well. A
Spanish newspaper ran a story on October 31 detailing
friction between Jimenez and Leon over which one of them had
the lead on Bolivia and other issues in Latin America. We do
not know who will win this debate and will continue to push
this issue in Madrid. As noted in Ref A, we believe we
should build pressure on Spain by continuing to encourage
other countries to adopt a more forward leaning posture in
support of a democratic transition in Cuba (Refs D and E).
AGUIRRE