Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07HAVANA543
2007-06-01 18:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
CUBA/SPAIN/EU: EMPTY GLASS APPEARS HALF FULL
how-toVZCZCXRO3239 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHUB #0543 1521807 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 011807Z JUN 07 FM USINT HAVANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1806 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0117 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0099 RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUCOGCA/COMNAVBASE GUANTANAMO BAY CU PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUESDM/JTLO MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000543
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM SP EUN CU
SUBJECT: CUBA/SPAIN/EU: EMPTY GLASS APPEARS HALF FULL
REF: A. HAVANA 539
B. PRAGUE 531
C. WARSAW 1217
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000543
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM SP EUN CU
SUBJECT: CUBA/SPAIN/EU: EMPTY GLASS APPEARS HALF FULL
REF: A. HAVANA 539
B. PRAGUE 531
C. WARSAW 1217
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) Czech Charge d'Affaires Vitor Korselt told COM June
1st that Spain made some headway with the rest of the
Europeans, based on Ambassador Carlos Alonzo Zaldivar's May
31 briefing to EU Chiefs of Mission regarding the May 29-30
Spain/Cuba Human Rights consultations. According to Korselt,
the Spanish ambassador made an effective presentation,
arguing that the GOC would only respond favorably to
respectful engagement. Korselt also observed that he and his
EU colleagues had been impressed by the argument that Cuba's
internet failings were attributable to the U.S. embargo.
2. (C) Korselt said he was the only one who pushed back at
the May 31 briefing, saying that he didn't see any concrete
results from the Spanish consultations and that the prison
visit was like touring a Potemkin Village. The Portuguese
Ambassador on May 29 told COM that he thought the Czechs were
isolated, but Korselt said he could count on support from the
Dutch, as well as the Poles, Slovaks and Hungarians.
3. (C) COM repeated to Korselt the point he made privately to
Alonzo Zaldivar that it was a lie to blame Cuba's internet
shortcomings on the U.S. embargo. "Canadian companies were
installing satellite internet service all over Havana for
foreigners, and could easily do so for Cubans if the GOC
wanted this, but they don't," added COM. Korselt took the
point, and said he had confidence in the Czech MFA to hold
the line in Europe, with a view toward the June 11 Political
Directors meeting and the June 18 GAERC. The Spanish, he
said, were aiming formally to lift the EU's June, 2003
measures, which make reference to Cuba's human rights
problems as an impediment to fully normalized relations.
4. (C) Separately, dissident leader Martha Beatriz Roque
(MBR) called Pol-Econ Counselor and said she was invited by
the Spanish ambassador for a briefing but turned it down,
offering instead that the ambassador visit her at her home.
MBR said that Vladimiro Roca had agreed to hear the Spanish
briefing on Monday, June 4. Roca on May 31 made a public
statement to the effect that the Spanish visit was
non-productive. Finally, MBR relayed a report from Elizardo
Sanchez, who heard from political prisoner Omar Saludes, an
inmate at one of the prisons where the Spanish visited.
According to this sourcing chain, the "Toledo" prison in
question is minimum security, and was clearly stage-managed
for the visit.
5. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUESTED: Cuban diplomacy has
been relentless trying to divide and conquer the EU, and
together with the Spanish they hit the EU in a weak spot by
making the case for dialogue as an objective in and of
itself. We will continue to push back in our meetings with
Europeans, making the case that nothing about the
totalitarian police state has changed to justify a softening
of policy. We believe that strong -- and technical --
talking points on the internet issue would be helpful to us,
and perhaps to the other missions.
PARMLY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM SP EUN CU
SUBJECT: CUBA/SPAIN/EU: EMPTY GLASS APPEARS HALF FULL
REF: A. HAVANA 539
B. PRAGUE 531
C. WARSAW 1217
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) Czech Charge d'Affaires Vitor Korselt told COM June
1st that Spain made some headway with the rest of the
Europeans, based on Ambassador Carlos Alonzo Zaldivar's May
31 briefing to EU Chiefs of Mission regarding the May 29-30
Spain/Cuba Human Rights consultations. According to Korselt,
the Spanish ambassador made an effective presentation,
arguing that the GOC would only respond favorably to
respectful engagement. Korselt also observed that he and his
EU colleagues had been impressed by the argument that Cuba's
internet failings were attributable to the U.S. embargo.
2. (C) Korselt said he was the only one who pushed back at
the May 31 briefing, saying that he didn't see any concrete
results from the Spanish consultations and that the prison
visit was like touring a Potemkin Village. The Portuguese
Ambassador on May 29 told COM that he thought the Czechs were
isolated, but Korselt said he could count on support from the
Dutch, as well as the Poles, Slovaks and Hungarians.
3. (C) COM repeated to Korselt the point he made privately to
Alonzo Zaldivar that it was a lie to blame Cuba's internet
shortcomings on the U.S. embargo. "Canadian companies were
installing satellite internet service all over Havana for
foreigners, and could easily do so for Cubans if the GOC
wanted this, but they don't," added COM. Korselt took the
point, and said he had confidence in the Czech MFA to hold
the line in Europe, with a view toward the June 11 Political
Directors meeting and the June 18 GAERC. The Spanish, he
said, were aiming formally to lift the EU's June, 2003
measures, which make reference to Cuba's human rights
problems as an impediment to fully normalized relations.
4. (C) Separately, dissident leader Martha Beatriz Roque
(MBR) called Pol-Econ Counselor and said she was invited by
the Spanish ambassador for a briefing but turned it down,
offering instead that the ambassador visit her at her home.
MBR said that Vladimiro Roca had agreed to hear the Spanish
briefing on Monday, June 4. Roca on May 31 made a public
statement to the effect that the Spanish visit was
non-productive. Finally, MBR relayed a report from Elizardo
Sanchez, who heard from political prisoner Omar Saludes, an
inmate at one of the prisons where the Spanish visited.
According to this sourcing chain, the "Toledo" prison in
question is minimum security, and was clearly stage-managed
for the visit.
5. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUESTED: Cuban diplomacy has
been relentless trying to divide and conquer the EU, and
together with the Spanish they hit the EU in a weak spot by
making the case for dialogue as an objective in and of
itself. We will continue to push back in our meetings with
Europeans, making the case that nothing about the
totalitarian police state has changed to justify a softening
of policy. We believe that strong -- and technical --
talking points on the internet issue would be helpful to us,
and perhaps to the other missions.
PARMLY