TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD ACT - TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000501 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2016 TAGS: ETRD ETTC PREL TD CU SUBJECT: TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD ACT - TRINIDAD & TOBAGO REF: A. SECSTATE 57782 ¶B. 05 PORT OF SPAIN 2009 ¶C. PORT OF SPAIN 244 Classified By: DCM Eugene Sweeney per 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (c) Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) and Cuba enjoy cordial relations, and are co-members of the Association of Caribbean States. There are no substantial T&T investments in Cuba, and post is aware of no/no examples of trafficking in confiscated property or other assets. ¶2. (c) In the six months since submission of ref B, T&T has begun legislative and other arrangements necessary to establish a trade office in Cuba. That process has not been completed. When opened, as post reported in ref C, the office is designed to serve as a conduit between T&T manufacturers and Cuban state companies. At the same time, there is no/no movement toward establishing a T&T embassy in Cuba. ¶3. (c) There have been no high-level diplomatic exchanges in the past six months. Meanwhile, low-level technical exchanges, including medical personnel, continue to be in place. T&T has adhered to Caricom positions on Cuba in the UN, which do not generally line up with the USG. Post is not aware of any GOTT initiatives in support of promoting human rights in Cuba. ¶4. (c) While T&T has officially friendly relations with Cuba, it is resisting closer ties, as noted in para 2 above. As a member of Caricom, Trinidad will continue to seek further integration of Cuba into the wider Caribbean, regardless of the U.S. embargo. Nonetheless, post believes it is in the U.S. national interest to suspend Title III of the Libertad Act for Trinidad & Tobago, based on its role as a reliable supplier of safe and secure energy to the U.S. and the importance of T&T as an economic leader in the eastern Caribbean. AUSTIN