Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRAGUE295
2006-03-22 14:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Prague
Cable title:  

CZECHS EXPRESS CONCERN FOR FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN

Tags:  PREL KDEM CU VE XM EZ 
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VZCZCXRO8152
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHPG #0295/01 0811454
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 221454Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7117
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0009
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0011
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0046
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1706
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 000295 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE; CHARLES SHAPIRO, WHA/FO; CALEB MCCARRY,
WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM CU VE XM EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS EXPRESS CONCERN FOR FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN
VENEZUELA, CUBA, AND LATIN AMERICA GENERALLY

Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

----------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 000295

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE; CHARLES SHAPIRO, WHA/FO; CALEB MCCARRY,
WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM CU VE XM EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS EXPRESS CONCERN FOR FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN
VENEZUELA, CUBA, AND LATIN AMERICA GENERALLY

Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------

1. Summary
--------------

(C) On March 16, WHA PDAS Charles Shapiro met with
representatives of Czech NGO People in Need (PIN),parliamentarians, MFA officials, and private citizens
actively engaged in democracy promotion in Cuba. The Czechs
expressed their commitment to Cuba and Latin America
generally, and echoed U.S. concerns for the future of
democracy in Venezuela. The MFA hosted a meeting for Shapiro
of the LatAm Directors of the Visegrad-4 (the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary) to compare notes on Latin
America. Shapiro invited them to participate in the proposed
International Cuba Democracy Fund, to work for a stronger EU
common position on Cuba, and to support Guatemala's candidacy
for the GRULAC seat on UNSC. End summary.

--------------

2. People in Need (PIN)
--------------

(U) Note: PIN is the largest NGO in Central Europe, and is
widely respected for its active promotion of human rights and
democracy in Cuba, Belarus, Burma, Iraq, the Balkans and
elsewhere. PIN is funded by the GOCR through the Czech MFA's
Transformation Cooperation Unit (TRANS),and as well as by
USAID, NED, the Westminster Foundation, the EU and by
donations from private Czech citizens. Septel will describe
current PIN projects in Cuba.

(C) PIN rep Igor Blazevic (Human Rights Director) explained
that former President Havel established the Czech policy of
active opposition to the Castro regime, a policy continued by
the many Havel proteges now working at the MFA and in PIN.
Blazevic noted the June parliamentary elections could
possibly result in a minority government supported by the
Czech Communist party, which could result in a change of the
Cuba policy. In April the Czechs will invite to Prague both
NGOs and foreign ministers from a number of countries active
in COLAT, including Spain, with an eye toward influencing the
EU common position on Cuba. Blazevic said some Latin American

countries may be open to discussing the possibility of a
transition to democracy in Cuba, but in his experience are
more willing to speak freely if the U.S. is not present and
U.S. Cuba policy is not a focus of the discussion. Blazevic
said PIN is concerned about the situation in Venezuela,
largely because of the connection to Cuba. While PIN is not
active in Venezuela, it has met with Venezuelan NGOs such as
Sumate.

--------------

3. Czech Parliamentarians
--------------

(C) Shapiro met with Vladimir Lastuvka (CSSD),Chair of the
Foreign Relations Committee, and Petr Bratsky (ODS),an MP
active on Cuba issues. Shapiro stated that the primary
problem in Latin America is poverty and exclusion and that
the U.S. wants to work with governments who wish to grow
their economies, reduce poverty, and incorporate the
marginalized into the political process. Shapiro said that we
seek a democratic transition in Cuba, not a succession from
one communist regime to another. Referring to the thousands
of Cubans who studied and worked in the now defunct
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Lastuvka said Czechs feel a
historic connection to Latin America and that he supports
Czech and U.S. efforts to promote democracy in Latin America.
Lastuvka was skeptical that democracy could thrive in the
face of unrelenting poverty. Bratsky, a passionate supporter
of Cuban democracy, said he visited Cuba the previous week
and met with Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya, other dissidents,
and family members. He described the conditions in Cuba as
appalling and getting worse. Both expressed concerns about
how a transition in Cuba might unfold and feared violence.

--------------

4. Meeting with V-4 Representatives
--------------

(C) After lunch with MFA Americas Directorate officials,

PRAGUE 00000295 002 OF 003


Shapiro met with Jakub Skalnik, Director of the Americas
Department, and his V-4 counterparts from the Americas
Departments of the Slovakia (Director Dusan Kristofik),
Poland (Deputy Director Jacek Hinz),and Hungary (Director
Lajos Bozi). The V-4 representatives paid close attention to
Shapiro's briefing on Latin America, which closely paralleled
the agenda at the US-EU consultations on Latin America on
March 13. Shapiro urged the V-4 countries to promote
Guatemala's candidacy for the GRULAC seat on the UNSC.

-- On Venezuela, Shapiro urged the V-4 to meet actively in
capitals and in Caracas with Venezuelan intellectuals, labor
leaders, opposition politicians, and NGOs to "maintain
political space."

-- Bozi spoke about the International Center for Democratic
Transition in Budapest, which aims to share the Hungarian
democracy transition experience with other countries in
transition. The Center's director, Ambassador Gyarmati, will
be looking for meetings in Washington the week of March 20.

-- Shapiro urged the V-4 countries to cooperate on Cuba. He
mentioned a proposal made earlier in the day by Igor Blazevic
of PIN to investigate the possibility of mobilizing Cuban
youth groups. Shapiro also said the U.S. was prepared to
contribute $400,000 to the proposed International Cuba
Democracy Fund. (Note: The fund was not discussed further,
but the Czechs have previously expressed their support for
it. End note.)

-- Hinz (Poland),Bozi (Hungary),and Kristofik (Slovakia)
expressed their countries' support for the EU's "dual
engagement policy" of dealing with both Cuban officials and
dissident groups. Shapiro pointed out that as a practical
matter, it not possible to engage with both groups in a
meaningful way since the regime freezes diplomatic contacts
when a country begins meeting with dissident groups. (Note:
The Castro regime does not meet with officials from the Czech
or Slovak Embassies in Havana for this reason.) Kristofik
noted that Cuba had informed the Slovakian MFA without
explanation that it intended to downgrade its embassy in
Bratislava from Ambassador to Charge.

-- Hinz (Poland) criticized the Czechs for rejecting the
Austrian proposal to hold two national day celebrations, the
first for representatives of diplomatic missions and the
Cuban officials, and the second for dissidents. Skalnik
dismissed the second day as a "consolation day" that failed
to provide adequate recognition for the dissidents.

-- All noted that Spain is attempting to pressure the
Visegrad-4 by conditioning Spain's support for opening the EU
labor market on "good behavior" on Cuba.

-- Skalnik requested information about U.S. plans to sponsor
a draft Human Rights Resolution on Cuba in 2006.

--------------

5. Comment
--------------

(C) The Czechs have the advantage of knowing a communist
dictator when they see one. Promoting human rights and
democracy internationally is a key element of Czech foreign
policy. It is the focus of the MFA's Transformation
Cooperation Unit $1.3 million budget for 2006, as well as the
Czech outreach in Cuba, Belarus, Burma and elsewhere. The day
after Shapiro's visit PIN set up a prison cell on Wenceslas
Square and politicians, including Foreign Minister Svoboda,
took turns as political prisoners. On March 18, U.S.
Ambassador Cabaniss joined FM Svoboda and other Czechs who
marched in support of Cuba's Damas en Blanco on the third
anniversary of the arrest of their family members. The Czechs
are strongly committed to Cuba, and seem willing to increase
their engagement in Venezuela and Latin America generally.
This may be a good time to seek opportunities for joint
cooperation, such as by encouraging PIN to initiate capacity
building projects in Venezuela, or by arranging contacts
between activist Czech MPs and their Latin American
counterparts to discuss their experience with democracy. End
comment.


6. (U) PDAS Shapiro has cleared this cable.

PRAGUE 00000295 003 OF 003


CABANISS