NETHERLANDS/CUBA: LIBERTAD ACT REVIEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002566 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC CU NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/CUBA: LIBERTAD ACT REVIEW REF: STATE 191752 Classified By: DCM Chat Blakeman; reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Dutch investments in Cuba are minimal, and post is aware of no bilateral trade agreements between the Cuban and Dutch governments. Post is aware of no exchange programs. The GONL is a leading EU advocate for human rights, and both the government and Dutch NGOs are active in promoting human rights in Cuba. Post is aware of no high level diplomatic visits between Cuba and the Netherlands in the past six months. End summary. ¶2. (C) The GONL considers questions related to implementation of the Libertad Act a European Union matter. It prefers to allow the EU to issue a common response to our questions. The GONL shares, however, our interest in promoting democracy and human rights in Cuba. Moreover, the Netherlands has been extremely useful in promoting a more robust European Union engagement in Latin America. Dutch investment in Cuba minimal -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Dutch investment in Cuba remains minimal. Demex Shipyards, which operates a facility in Santiago (El Nispero Shipyard),is the largest Dutch business interest. UK-Dutch consumer products company Unilever maintains a sales office. ¶4. (SBU) The large Netherlands-based bank, ING, operates a joint venture in Curacao with two Cuban based companies. The joint venture is the Curacao-based Netherlands Caribbean Bank N.V. (NCB). On the basis that NCB is "substantially" owned by Cuban entities, Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) recently blacklisted it. Dutch press have reported that an ING office in the U.S. had transferred money, through NCB's Curacao branch, to NCB's Havana branch. These press reports also said that ING's U.S. office may be subject to fines for these actions. ING is investigating the matter internally. ¶5. (SBU) Post is not aware of any bilateral trade agreements between Cuba and the Netherlands. Exchange programs: None -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Post is aware of no exchange programs between the Netherlands and Cuba. Dutch actively promote democracy and human rights in Cuba -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The Netherlands actively promotes a common EU position in Cuba, with the long-term goal of democratic change. The Dutch are closely following developments in Cuba, and are anxious to coordinate with the U.S. on transition planning. Senior MFA officials have acknowledged that the EU policy of engagement has failed. ¶8. (SBU) Several Dutch NGOs (or Dutch braches of NGOs) continue to focus public attention on human rights in Cuba, including Pax Christi, HIVOS, NOVIB and Cuba Futuro. No high level diplomatic visits -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Post is not aware of any high level diplomatic visits between Cuba and The Netherlands in the past six months. ARNALL