CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: CUBA

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 000066

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE; CALEB MCCARRY, WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM CU EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: CUBA

REF: A. PRAGUE 0058


B. 2005 PRAGUE 1560

C. 2005 PRAGUE 1721

Classified By: A/DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.


1. (U) Summary and comment. This is the second in a series of
cables highlighting Czech democracy promotion efforts (ref
A),and provides details about the critical assistance
provided by the Czechs in Cuba. A peaceful transition to
democracy in Cuba remains a top foreign policy priority for
the Czech Republic. The Czechs have a developed a two-pronged
approach to achieving this goal: (1) to weaken the Castro
regime, the GOCR advocates a tougher EU common policy on
Cuba; and (2) to strengthen the Cuban democratic opposition,
the GOCR funds Czech NGOs to provide training, financial
support, and humanitarian aid for Cuban civil society and
political prisoners. These NGOs also strive to increase
public awareness and governmental support for Cuban democracy
in Europe and Latin America. Details of Czech democracy
promotion projects in Eastern Europe, Iraq, and elsewhere
will be provided septel. End summary and comment.


2. (U) Poloff recently discussed Czech democracy promotion in
Cuba with Gabriela Dlouha, Director of Czech MFA's
Transformation Cooperation Unit (TRANS),and separately with
representatives of TRANS's NGO partner, People in Need (PIN),
including Igor Blazevic, Director; and Kristina Prunerova,
Human Rights and Democracy Department and International
Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC) Secretary.

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Czechs Seek a Tougher EU Common Policy on Cuba
-------------- -


3. (C) Czech MFA officials are currently planning their
strategy for negotiating a tougher EU common policy on Cuba
in advance of the EU policy evaluation, to be completed in
June 2006. According to Igor Blazevic, PIN Director, key
players from the MFA and PIN will meet internally in February
to finalize the strategy. (Comment: new MFA Director of the
Americas, Jakub Skalnik, will likely inject fresh thinking
into the discussions.) The MFA and PIN will then separately
approach prospective partners for support, possibly including
Germany, V-4 countries, and others.


4. (C) The Czechs recently explored ways to advance their
goal to change EU policy through cooperation with the U.S.
For example, the Czechs asked the USG to add Cuba to the list
of priority countries for the U.S.-EU Democracy Initiative
(ref C). They urged the USG to sponsor the 2006 UN Human
Rights Resolution on Cuba. They support the "Cuba Freedom
Fund" proposed by the Cuba Transition Coordinator, as a way
of uniting EU member states on Cuba. And finally, the Czechs
are planning a conference in Latin America (at an
undetermined location) in October 2006, and as mentioned
below, may seek U.S. involvement.

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Czech NGOs Actively Promote Democracy in Cuba
--------------


5. (U) In terms of direct assistance, PIN implements most of
the GOCR's democracy promotion projects in Cuba. According to
Blazevic, the Czech MFA's Transformation Cooperation Unit
(TRANS) and the National Endowment for Democracy provide 60
percent of the funding for the projects. The rest is funded
by other sources, including private Czech citizens. This
year, PIN has budgeted roughly $500K for projects in Cuba.


6. (U) Current PIN projects, summarized below, focus on (a)
promoting freedom of the press, (b) providing support for
political prisoners, (c) providing capacity-building training
for dissidents, and (d) raising awareness.

-- (U) FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. PIN has organized five seminars
that will take place in the Czech Republic in 2006 to provide
training for approximately 60 independent Cuban journalists
in 10 separate groups. The training will focus on journalism
best practices and photography. Pin will also provide the
journalists with hardware, technology, and supplies. As part
of the training, the journalists will produce samizdat
(dissident) magazines.

-- (U) SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS. PIN is particularly
proud of the fact that it has visited the families of all 75
political prisoners to show solidarity, and to bring news and
supplies. PIN arranges medical assistance for the prisoners

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by enlisting the services of like-minded Cuban doctors, and
by supplying medication for the prisoners. PIN provides
financial support to political prisoners and their families.
PIN has also successfully persuaded four Czech politicians to
"adopt" a prisoner, in order to provide solidarity, financial
support, and advice. The politicians have corresponded with
the prisoners, and provided them money from their own
pockets. This year, PIN will try to increase the involvement
of Czech politicians, and invite EU politicians to
participate as well.

-- (U) CAPACITY BUILDING. The hallmark of Czech democracy
promotion is capacity building. In addition to the journalism
training described above, PIN provides training for Cuban
dissidents in areas of key importance for a successful
democratic transition (e.g., economics, self-governance,
judicial reform, defense, social systems, police and military
reform, restitution and privatization issues). Training takes
place either in the U.S., such as at the Miami conference
co-sponsored with the University of Miami in October 2005, or
in the Czech Republic. Over the years, Prunerova estimates
that PIN has provided training for hundreds of Cuban
dissidents.

-- (U) For use in this training, PIN recently published a
book in Spanish that describes the Czech "lessons learned."
PIN also hopes this book can be used in other countries, and
is therefore seeking funds to translate the book into Arabic
and English. The book has already been translated into
Belarusan.

-- (SBU) PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS. PIN arranges ongoing
meetings between Czech and EU politicians and the Cuban
democratic opposition to show solidarity, and raise awareness
among European politicians. Several meetings are planned to
take place this year, usually when politicians visit Cuba
under the cover of tourist visas. Other PIN initiatives
include: (1) in Fall 2005, PIN briefed regional government
officials on Cuba in Estonia; (2) PIN continues to sponsor
cultural events, such as panel discussions, and displays of
photographs of the families of political prisoners; and (3)
in 2005, PIN temporarily placed a symbolic jail cell in
Wenceslas Square in Prague. Czech FM Cyril Svoboda and other
well-known Czechs spent time in the cell to raise in-country
awareness on the plight of Cuban political prisoners.


6. (U) PIN's public awareness campaigns are complimented by
the activities of the International Committee for Democracy
in Cuba (ICDC),founded by former Czech President Vaclav
Havel. ICDC's primary mission is to gain support for Cuban
democracy among politicians and NGOs throughout Europe and
Latin America. The following are current ICDC initiatives to
promote public awareness:

-- Fall 2005, the ICDC sent a delegation to Chile, Argentina,
and Uruguay to influence current and former Latin American
leaders to oppose Castro (ref B). According to Blazevic, the
delegation, headed by former Czech dissident Jan Ruml, had a
good reception and will travel to Latin America again in 2006.

-- February 6-7, 2006, the ICDC will host a conference on
Cuba in Stockholm entitled, "Democratic Change: Who are the
Actors?" MFA Dep FM Tomas Pojar will join members of the EU
Parliament, representatives from foreign ministries of EU
partner states, Cuban opposition representatives, and NGOs.
These conference participants plan to discuss EU common
policy on Cuba and ways to support the Cuban opposition.

-- May 11-13, 2006, the ICDC will host a conference in Vienna
for Latin American and EU youth groups, and NGOs. The
conference will take place during the Latin American/EU
Summit.

-- October 2006, the ICDC will host a conference in Latin
America to bring European and Latin American leaders
together. Several American NGOS are partners in this project,
including the Center for a Free Cuba in Washington, and the
Cuban Democratic Directorate in Miami. The ICDC plans to
maximize the impact of the conference by forming delegations
composed of conference participants, and sending them
throughout Latin America after the conference to discuss Cuba
with Latin American leaders.

(Note and comment: PIN may seek USG involvement in this
conference. This could be an opportunity for joint
cooperation, ranging from providing the assistance of the
local U.S. Embassy, to providing speakers or delegation
members, such as Former Secretary Albright, an ICDC member,

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or the Cuba Transition Coordinator.)


7. (U) For more information about TRANS, PIN, the ICDC, or
Czech democracy promotion programs generally, see ref A.
Details of current Czech projects in Eastern Europe, Iraq,
and elsewhere will be provided septel.


8. (C) Comment. On the policy side, the Czechs are still
learning the ropes on how to influence EU policy, but we are
anticipating improved results this spring in the run-up to
the EU policy evaluation, to be completed in June 2006. Our
discussions with MFA and PIN officials suggest the Czechs
remain highly committed to the cause -- with FM Cyril Svoboda
being one of the most enthusiastic and committed proponents
-- and are taking their time to get their strategy right. An
injection of fresh thinking from new MFA Director of
Americas, Jakub Skalnik, may help. Also, the current MFA
leadership may view this as the best, and possibly last,
chance to push through a tougher EU common policy during
their watch, as some top officials may leave office following
the June Czech parliamentary elections. Finally, the
possibility of obtaining support from the new Merkel
government in Germany or the new Polish government could also
help turn the tide. The USG should continue to explore steps
that will encourage the Czechs and pave the way for practical
coordination among EU states to achieve a more effective
common policy.


9. (S) The Czechs, government and NGOs alike, are justifiably
proud of their work in support of the democratic opposition
in Cuba. Czech achievements include: (1) influencing some EU
states to invite members of the Cuban opposition groups to
separate National Day celebrations, (2) elevating
international appreciation of the plight of political
prisoners and their families, (3) persuading European and
Latin American leaders to join the ICDC, demonstrating their
commitment to democracy in Cuba, (4) and training scores of
journalists, and helping them smuggle their photographs and
news out of Cuba via Czech NGOs and the Czech Embassy.
Unfortunately, the real accomplishment of the Czechs --
providing hundreds of Cuban dissidents the expertise they
will need to transform Cuba into a thriving democracy -- will
not be fully measured until the Castro regime falls.
CABANISS