MFA OFFICIAL PESSIMISTIC ON CHANGE IN CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 002289

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CCA AND EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2022
TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM PREL CU PL
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIAL PESSIMISTIC ON CHANGE IN CUBA

REF: HAVANA 1096

Classified By: Mary T. Curtin, Political Counselor for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Emboffs met with Daniel Gromann, Deputy Director of
the MFA's Americas Division, and until August 2007, Poland's
Charge d'Affaires in Havana. Gromann spent six years in
Havana, and was Charge for his final two years. He played an
instrumental role with respect to setting up the video
conference between Cuban dissidents in Havana with former
Polish President and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa in early

2006. For his efforts in keeping in contact with dissidents,
Gromann was harassed by Cuban authorities, including threats
leveled against his young son.


2. (C) Gromann gave the Warsaw readout of Americas Division
Chief Andrzej Jaroszynski's recent visit to Havana (reftel)
to examine new property to relocate the Polish embassy. On
Poland's relationship with Cuba, Gromann described very
limited political engagement, but said that Poland's economic
and investment policies would be in line with that of the
European Union in not seeking to prohibit trade and
investment. Nonetheless, actual Poland-Cuba trade is quite
small (septel report on Libertad Act to follow). He added
that he hoped the new Polish Embassy would be able to provide
expanded internet availability to the dissident community, a
big focus of EU missions in Havana. He praised the efforts
of the USINT and the Canadian Embassy in this regard. He
said that embassy staff had been expanded to include a new
officer nominally in charge of public affairs, who would
spend most of her time working with the dissident community.
He hoped that under Ambassador Marzenna Adamczyk, Polish
diplomats would have greater opportunities to travel outside
of Havana and meet dissidents elsewhere on the island.


3. (C) Gromann expressed pessimism that Cuba was undergoing
any kind of meaningful transition as power shifted from Fidel
to Raul Castro, pointing to a speech made by Raul Castro in
July 2007. Gromann said that the speech was received by
hardliners as evidence of little meaningful change, but by
moderates as pointing to possible relaxation of the
government's control of the Cuban people. Gromann offered
that depending on an individual's perspective, anyone could
find something in the speech to support their underlying
view. He added that he did not believe that any meaningful
change could come to Cuba before Fidel Castro has been buried.
HILLAS