BAHAMAS STRENGTHENS DIPLOMATIC TIES TO CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 001096 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR KJMCISAAC E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2016 TAGS: PREL CU BF SUBJECT: BAHAMAS STRENGTHENS DIPLOMATIC TIES TO CUBA Classified By: Acting Political Chief Hugh Simon for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Bahamas opened an embassy in Cuba July ¶17. This expansion of diplomatic ties appears driven by a pragmatic goal of addressing chronic Cuban migration issues. However, as a result of embarrassing incidents involving Cuban migrants, The Bahamas' vote for Cuba on the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the opening of the embassy in Havana, the Government has come under increasing pressure from the opposition and the Bahamian public, making Cuban relations a likely election issue. END SUMMARY. -------------- BAHAMAS OPENS EMBASSY IN CUBA -------------- ¶2. (U) On July 17, The Bahamas opened an embassy in Havana, upgrading its former consulate. The Embassy will be headed by Carlton Wright, former Consul in Havana, who will be joined by vice consul Nestor Sands, Defense Attache Oral Woods, and vice counsel/second secretary Chanelle Brown. ¶3. (U) The Bahamian Government believes a physical presence in Cuba is necessary to provide consular services to the approximately 20,000 Bahamians that travel to Cuba each year, to address bilateral migration issues and to avoid a repeat of a miscommunication in 1980 between Cuban and Bahamian navies that led to the death of Bahamian sailors. On July 18, Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell said he planned to use the opening of the embassy to rework The Bahamas' current migration accord with Cuba, addressing prompt repatriation of illegal migrants and better addressing refugee issues. ¶4. (U) These stated goals are supported by the choice of Ambassador to Cuba. Carlton Wright is a career foreign service officer with a background in consular affairs and immigration. He has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1973, with breaks to serve as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and as Permanent SIPDIS Secretary in the Ministry of Immigration, where he worked on SIPDIS Cuban migrant issues. At MFA, he has served as Consul in Miami, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Undersecretary in charge of Consular Affairs, Charge d'Affairs of the Bahamian Embassy in Haiti, advisor to OAS on Haitian immigration matters and as Consul in Havana. He is respected for his work on international refugee and migration issues. -------------- MIGRATION DILEMMAS LIKELY A DRIVING FACTOR -------------- ¶5. (U) Illegal migration is one of the most important domestic issues in coming elections, which must be held no later than May 2007. The fear that The Bahamas could easily be overwhelmed by Cuban or Haitian migrants is frequently discussed by Government officials as The Bahamas' primary national security concern. Cuban migrants interdicted in Bahamian waters are taken to the Carmichael Road Detention Center, where the repatriation process is often painfully slow. Cuban Government delays in approving the return of migrants cost The Bahamas hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the threat of Cuban refusal to repatriate strikes a sensitive cord with Bahamians. ¶6. (C) In addition to regular embarrassment caused by escapes and Florida media attention, Cuban migration issues also create significant diplomatic challenges. The Bahamas views itself as a neutral party in international matters, unwilling to take sides or criticize other nations. As said by Foreign Minister Mitchell, "it is better for us to stay out of the affairs of others." However, two Cuban dentists held at the Detention Center for 11 months, and claimed by both Cuba and the US, put the MFA in a position to choose. Its inability to make a decision on the fate of the dentists created a firestorm of controversy that put Cuba-Bahamian relations at the forefront of public discussion. -------------- CUBA TIES CREATE POSSIBLE ELECTION ISSUE -------------- ¶7. (C) While foreign policy has not traditionally been central to Bahamian elections, perceived pro-Cuba decisions -- the opening of the embassy, the vote for Cuba on the United Nations Human Rights Council, the delay in sending the Cuban dentists to the US -- have resulted in significant local criticism of the Government. Following The Bahamas' vote to put Cuba on the UNHCR, Ambassador Rood penned a strong op-ed discussing the need for governments to reflect their internal values in international fora. That theme has been picked up by opposition party and the editorial boards of the two main newspapers, resulting in pressure on Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell and the Christie government. As said by Leader of the Opposition Hubert Ingraham to the press following the UNHCR vote, "If the FNM were in office, Cuba would not have had the nerve or the gumption to ask us to vote for them." -------------- -------------- RELATIONS ARE WITHIN CARICOM AND G-77/NAM FRAMEWORK -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) COMMENT: The Bahamas relationship with Cuba, while expanding, is largely pragmatic. The need to work closely with Cuba on migration issues is real. Other aspects of the relationship are consistent with the actions of a committed member of G-77/NAM and a Foreign Minister dedicated to maintaining strong relations with all of The Bahamas' neighbors. However, current Bahamian interest in Cuba also has an ideological aspect. In response to criticism of The Bahamas' vote for Cuba on the UNHCR, Mitchell defended Cuba as a great friend, and said of Cuba, "no other country, unsolicited, has offered the level of assistance to this country, assistance that is not of direct benefit to the country offering the assistance." And while easy to dismiss as rhetorical participation in CARICOM, The Bahamas has been willing to strongly criticize US foreign policy towards Cuba in a manner not necessarily consistent with its protestations of pure neutrality. Nevertheless, we expect The Bahamas to employ its Cuba relationship gently as a sort of ideological balance reinforcing Bahamian independence from the US, but primarily as a pragmatic tool to address consular and migration concerns. END COMMENT. ROOD