MEETING WITH MINREX REGARDING DETAINED DIPLOMATIC POUCHES

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000920 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CCA; FT LAUDERDALE FOR RIMC; FT LAUDERDALE FOR MRDCD; E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017 TAGS: ADPM AMGT KRIM ADCO ASEC CU SUBJECT: MEETING WITH MINREX REGARDING DETAINED DIPLOMATIC POUCHES Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly: For reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) On 17 SEP 2007 EMBOFFS met with representatives from the Cuban Ministry of External Relations (MINREX),Cuban customs, and AeroVaradero Cargo Company to discuss three crates of diplomatic pouch currently held by Cuban customs. This meeting was requested by MINREX through a 14 SEP 2007 diplomatic note. ¶2. (C) In the meeting an official from MINREX Office of Protocol said the Cuban government had confirmed reason to believe that three crates of unclassified diplomatic pouches contained objects that do not meet the Vienna Convention requirements -- that the diplomatic pouch contained diplomatic correspondence, documents and objects for official use only. He then stated that the Cuban government would not authorize the delivery of the shipment and that these three crates will be returned on the next available flight. He said that any objection should be made through official diplomatic note. ¶3. (C) When asked, the officials said that they were not concerned with any other diplomatic pouches and that they had no objections to the way that pouches are marked or packaged and were only concerned with the contents of these specific pouches. He also said that the pouches are unopened and untampered with. ¶4. (C) Comment: This represents the first occasion that the GOC officially acknowledges monitoring, examining and scrutinizing our unclassified pouch shipments. It was clear to our two USINT representatives that based on the MINREX representative's comments; the GOC was sure in their knowledge of the contents of the crated pouches. If the GOC did have this information this leads us to believe they either x-rayed, opened or used some type of spectroscope to identify the contents, notwithstanding contradicting their statement that the pouches were not opened or tampered with. The other possibility is that if the unacceptable materials were democracy outreach items, their contents and actual shipping information could have been compromised at their origin or along the shipping route. Action taken: Post is preparing a dipnote vigorously protesting the detention and return of our shipment, per Article 27 of the Vienna Convention. In the same note, we have requested a meeting with Josefina Vidal, Director of North America Desk. PARMLY