CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ RECEIVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 001094 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2017 TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SUBJECT: CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ RECEIVING COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL TESTING REF: A. HAVANA 1081 ¶B. HAVANA 1087 Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly: For reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Further to Reftel, dissident figure Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") on 22 November entered the intensive care unit of Hospital Nacional in Havana. Opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) believes that he is receiving quality care and a thorough battery of medical tests. Antunez has not decided whether to seek further treatment abroad. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On 22 November MBR notified COM that Antunez had entered the Hospital Nacional that day. She stated the doctors gave him an electro-cardiogram, MRI, nuclear medical test, ultra-sound of his digestive tract and various blood tests. She reported these results as inconclusive. On November 23, at a time COM was scheduled to visit Antunez, the attending physicians sent him to Havana's Cardiac Institute for further testing. Doctors told MBR that his blood circulation was slow and that they were concerned that an inadequate supply of blood was going to the brain. The medical staff there performed several cardiac and cerebral tests. The doctors are still analyzing the results. Antunez then returned to Hospital Nacional. MBR believes that Antunez will be in the hospital at least another week. ¶3. (C) MBR stated she was satisfied that the hospital was very clean and that Antunez is in a private room with a private bathroom. The hospital director asked MBR to remove from Antunez's room a radio, a cell phone and a laptop stating that these things could interfere with hospital equipment and that Antunez should be in a stress free environment. MBR complied with this request. ¶4. (C) MBR expressed confidence in the treatment that Antunez is receiving. She stated that the Hospital Director Dr. Carrido stated in front of Antunez, MBR and his staff that the entire medical team was "against the revolution." ¶5. (C) MBR said that a representative for the Embassy of the Netherlands would visit Antunez on Monday. She also stated that she had spoken to the Spanish DCM and that the Spanish were interested in the case. Antunez is still weighing whether he wants to pursue further medical care in the Dominican Republic, the US or Spain. We will try to visit Antunez this weekend, and will continue to monitor Antunez's progress. ¶6. (C) Comment: To be admitted into one of the better hospitals, and be given a private room and bath, without being a regime insider, is indeed a rarity in Cuba, especially for a well-known dissident like Antunez. We are confident that this was only possible by orders from the upper echelons of the GOC. PARMLY