CONSENSO ON-LINE: AN IMPARTIAL FORUM IN CUBA?

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000622

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/FO FOR DAS KIRSTEN MADISON
WHA/PD FOR MARY DEANE CONNERS
WHA/PA FOR ERIC WATNIK
WHA/CCA
S/CRS FOR MICHELE SCHIMPP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PROP SCUL
SUBJECT: CONSENSO ON-LINE: AN IMPARTIAL FORUM IN CUBA?


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Classified By: COM MICHAEL E. PARMLY FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) SUMMARY: REINALDO ESCOBAR AND YOANI SANCHEZ, TWO OF
THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE INNOVATIVE AND INCREASINGLY
POPULAR ON-LINE MAGAZINE CONSENSO (CONSENSUS),DISCUSSED
ORIGINAL APPROACHES TO CIVIL DIALOGUE IN CUBA WITH COM
MICHAEL PARMLY AND A/PAO JOHN VANCE. CONSENSO FOSTERS
DISCOURSE FROM ALL POLITICAL AND CIVIC POINTS OF VIEW IN
CUBA'S BARREN, STRICTLY CONTROLLED MEDIA LANDSCAPE. THE VERY
EXISTENCE OF CONSENSO, WHICH PAYS NOTHING TO ITS STAFF OR
CONTRIBUTORS, IS GROUNDBREAKING IN CUBA AND POSES A THREAT TO
A CUBAN GOVERNMENT WITH LITTLE TO GAIN AND MUCH TO LOSE FROM
OPEN DEBATE. RECOGNIZING THE TIGHTROPE ON WHICH IT HAS
WALKED SINCE THE MAGAZINE'S 2004 ESTABLISHMENT, CONSENSO'S
EDITORIAL BOARD AVOIDS AFFILIATIONS WITH SPECIFIC
ORGANIZATIONS, ESCHEWS DONATIONS GIVEN WITH CONDITIONS AND
ADHERES TO A RIGIDLY NON-PARTISAN EDITORIAL POLICY IN ITS
ENDEAVOR TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS: WHAT KIND OF CUBA DO WE
WANT? HOW DO WE ARRIVE? END SUMMARY.

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HERE TO STAY
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2. (C) HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM REINALDO ESCOBAR AND YOANI
SANCHEZ VISITED THE U.S. CHIEF OF MISSION'S RESIDENCE TO
SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF CUBA'S MEDIA ENVIRONMENT AND
EXPOUND UPON THE UNIQUE POSITION THEREIN OF THEIR ON-LINE
PUBLICATION, CONSENSO. ESCOBAR (WHOSE LONG AND
WELL-DOCUMENTED TRACK RECORD OF STUBBORNLY INDEPENDENT
JOURNALISM ONCE EARNED HIM A RIDE ON A DOWNBOUND ELEVATOR
FROM A LOFTY POST AT GOC MOUTHPIECE "JUVENTUD REBELDE" TO A
LIFT REPAIRMAN JOB) IS CONSENSO'S CHIEF EDITOR. YOANI
SANCHEZ, A PHILOLOGIST, IS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN CONSENSO'S
DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS. THE DUO IS UNIQUE
AMONG CUBA'S INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS IN THAT THEY VOLUNTARILY
RETURNED TO CUBA TO HELP EFFECT CHANGE AFTER HAVING
ESTABLISHED SUCCESSFUL CAREERS IN EUROPE. INDEED, CITING THE
FACT THAT "THE BATTLE MUST TAKE PLACE IN CUBA," MS. SANCHEZ
CLAIMS TO HAVE DISCARDED HER PASSPORT.

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CARVING A NICHE
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3. (C) CONSENSO IN ITS CURRENT FORM WAS BORN AS THE RESULT OF
AN EDITORIAL SPLIT AT ITS PRECURSOR BETWEEN FACTIONS LED BY
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVIST (AND ALLEGED REGIME FLACK) MANUEL
CUESTA MORUA AND REINALDO ESCOBAR. UNWILLING TO FOLLOW
CUESTA MORUA'S EDICT FAVORING A PARTISAN EDITORIAL TACK,
ESCOBAR LED A SPLINTER GROUP'S MIGRATION FROM THE BOARD.


4. (C) WHEN CUESTA MORUA'S PUBLICATION SUBSEQUENTLY LOST ITS
EDITORIAL BEARINGS AND FOUNDERED IN 2004, ESCOBAR CLAIMS
SEVERAL MEMBERS OF ITS BOARD ASKED THAT HE TAKE THE REINS AND
RESTORE ITS LUSTER. ESCOBAR ASSENTED WITH THE CAVEAT THAT
THERE MUST BE NO FORMAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THAT HIS
ROLE, GIVEN HIS JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE, WOULD PRINCIPALLY BE
THAT OF A STYLE AND NOT A CONTENT EDITOR. THE RESULT WAS
CONSENSO.


5. (U) ACCORDING TO ESCOBAR, CONSENSO BEGAN ACQUIRING WIDER
READERSHIP ONLY AFTER ITS UNBLINKING JOURNALISM (MOST
RECENTLY SHOWCASED IN CONSENSO'S POWERFUL CONDEMNATION OF THE
GOC, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE VATICAN IN CONNECTION WITH
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CATHOLIC LAY LEADER DAGOBERTO VALDEZ'
INFLUENTIAL PERIODICAL "VITRAL") AND NON-PARTISAN NATURE
GAINED CREDIBILITY WITH BOTH POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS AND ITS
READERSHIP. ESCOBAR BELIEVES THE FACT THAT NEITHER THE
EDITORIAL BOARD NOR CONTRIBUTORS ARE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR
WORK IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT, ALTHOUGH HE ACKNOWLEDGES IT
REDUCES CONSENSO'S POOL OF CONTRIBUTORS, MANY OF WHOM WOULD
RATHER SUBMIT THEIR ARTICLES TO PARTISAN--BUT
PAYING--PUBLICATIONS.


6. (U) IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETAIN IMMEDIACY AND GAIN RELEVANCY,
AT THE BEGINNING OF 2007 CONSENSO INCREASED ITS ANNUAL OUTPUT
FROM TWO TO TWELVE EDITIONS. IF THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN
CONSENSO'S WEBSITE'S (WWW.DESDECUBA.COM) PAGEVIEWS IS ANY

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INDICATION, IT WAS A WISE MOVE. BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MAY THE
NUMBER OF VISITS INCREASED FROM 11,800 TO 67,422--AND JUNE IS
ON TRACK TO EXCEED MAY'S RECORD BY A HEALTHY MARGIN.
(COMMENT: BECAUSE CONSENSO IS WEB-HOSTED OFF THE ISLAND, WE
EXPECT MOST CUBANS ON THE ISLAND ARE UNABLE TO BREAK THROUGH
GOC INTERNET FILTERS TO ACCESS IT. STILL, WE HAVE HEARD FROM
CUBANS ON THE ISLAND THAT THEY ARE FAITHFUL READERS.)

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"PLURAL, RESPECTFUL, SERIOUS AND INDEPENDENT"
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7. (U) BILLING ITSELF AS "A SPACE FOR REFLECTION AND DEBATE
ON PROGRESSIVE CUBAN THINKING" CONSENSO ADDRESSES ISSUES
ACROSS THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, ECOLOGICAL,
HISTORICAL, ETHICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND SPIRITUAL SPECTRA.
CONSENSO CLAIMS TO BE "MORE A PARLIAMENT THAT EXAMINES AND
DISCUSSES THAN A TRIBUNAL WHERE ONE DENOUNCES AND
ASSEMBLES...AND MORE AN OBJECTIVE SEARCH THAN A PARTISAN
INTENT; WITHOUT HEROIC HASTE BUT WITHOUT FEAR OF THE TRUTH OR
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SPEAKING IT." CONSENSO'S BOARD VALUES
ITS PLURALISM, NOTING CONSENSO "WILL ALWAYS HAVE SPACE FOR
ALL TENDENCIES WITHIN THE BROAD MEASURE OF DIFFERENT
PROGRESSIVE CURRENTS...WORKING FOR CUBA'S AND THE WORLD'S
WELFARE, CULTURE, DEMOCRACY AND PEACE;" RESPECT, "BECAUSE
(CONSENSO) ALWAYS AVOIDS PERSONAL ATTACKS, VERBAL VIOLENCE
AND INSULTS OF ANY TYPE, SUCH AS THE VICE OF DISQUALIFYING
THOSE WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY;" SERIOUSNESS, BECAUSE CONSENSO
INSISTS THAT ITS CONTRIBUTORS SPECIFY WHERE THEY OBTAINED
THEIR FIGURES OR STATE WHY THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS
RELIABLE SOURCES; AND ITS INDEPENDENCE, "BECAUSE CONSENSO IS
NOT OVERSEEN OR AFFILIATED WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY,
ORGANIZATION OR UNION--NOR DOES IT RECEIVE FINANCING FROM ANY
CUBAN INSTITUTION OR ANY FOREIGN GOVERNMENT."


8. (C) COMMENT: NOBODY LOOKS BAD IN THEIR OWN MEMCON.
ESCOBAR HAD A STORY TO TELL AND DID SO PERSUASIVELY.
MOREOVER, ESCOBAR'S WEBSITE "WALKS THE WALK" TO MATCH HIS
"TALKING THE TALK," IN TERMS OF TAKING ON HOT TOPICS.
ACCEPTING VIEWS FROM ALL POINTS OF THE IDEOLOGICAL COMPASS
WHILE ENDORSING NONE OF THEM, CONSENSO'S EDITORS ARE STAKING
THE PUBLICATION'S SURVIVAL ON ITS IMPARTIALITY. THAT SAID,
ONE WHO SPENDS ANY LENGTH OF TIME IN CUBA DEVELOPS A HEALTHY
CYNICISM. CONSENSO'S AIM TO CREATE A MARKETPLACE FOR THE
UNTRAMMELED EXCHANGE OF IDEAS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN CUBA. THE
MOST RECENT ISSUES CLEARLY ILLUSTRATE CONSENSO'S EDITORS ARE
SERIOUS ABOUT THE EFFORT. INDEED, CONSENSO'S UNEQUIVOCAL
STANCES ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES MAY SPELL AN UNTIMELY DEMISE
FOR CONSENSO BUT THE CONCEPT ESCOBAR AND HIS TEAM ESPOUSE
WILL NOT BE SO EASILY QUELLED IN THE LONG TERM. AT THE CLOSE
OF HIS VISIT, ESCOBAR SUBMITTED AN INTERVIEW REQUEST
SOLICITING RESPONSES TO EIGHTEEN QUESTIONS (SEPTEL). IT
WARRANTS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
PARMLY