CUBAN OPPOSITION SEEKS UNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000305

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: CUBAN OPPOSITION SEEKS UNITY


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Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly : For reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: On April 10 twelve leading pro-democracy
activists met for six hours to formulate a common agenda. As
described by spokesperson Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR),the
object was to advance a transition to democracy within an
"atmosphere of national reconciliation". At a press
conference after the meeting MBR read a statement that in
which the participants agreed that their organizations would
coordinate efforts to demand the unconditional release of all
political prisoners, the cessation of the repression against
the opposition, the end of the GOC embargo on the fundamental
rights of the Cuban people, the compliance with all
international pacts, including the UN Declaration of Human
Rights, that GOC has signed and the replacement of the
totalitarian state with a democratic government. Meeting
participants included almost all of the leading dissidents
with the notable exception of Oswaldo Paya. While Paya was
absent from the meeting, MBR stressed that these were steps
in the process of uniting the opposition, and she left the
door open for his involvement at a later date. End summary.


2. (C)) On April 10 twelve leading opposition leaders met
for six hours in the Havana home of dissident, Carlos Cordero
Paez. The purpose of the meeting was to arrive at a common
agenda for promoting the transition to democracy. In
attendance were Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR),Felix Antonio
Bonne Carcasses, Margarito Broche Espinosa, Francisco
Chaviano, Guillermo Farinas, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez
(Antunez),Rene Gomez Manzano, Maria Antonia Hidalgo Mir from
Holguin, Roberto de Miranda, Vladimiro Roca, Idania Yanes
Contreras and Elizardo Sanchez. Originally 18 people were
invited, but for instance, Hector Palacios is overseas and
Jose Diaz Silva was arrested on April 2 and is still being
detained. Speaking to Poloff afterwards, all the
participants described the meeting as frank and productive.


3. (U) After the meeting MBR served as the spokesperson at a
press conference with the international media. She read a
statement stating that the participants had agreed to work in
a coordinated manner for the immediate and unconditional
release of political prisoners, the end of repression of the
political opposition, the end of the GOC's embargo on the
fundamental rights of the Cuban people, the compliance of all
international pacts that the GOC has signed, including the UN
Declaration of Human Rights, and a transition to a democratic
government. The group acknowledged that they could not
resolve differences on the subject of the US economic embargo.


4. (U) MBR said that this effort showed the "maturity" of
the Cuban opposition, acknowledging that in the past there
were "antagonisms". She also said that in some respects the
Cuban opposition was not fully prepared for a transition, but
added they were better prepared than dissident groups in some
other countries, and much better prepared for change than the
government of Raul Castro. She publicly thanked the US based
organizations "MAR por Cuba", "Plantados hasta la libertad y
la democracia en Cuba" and "Juristas por la Democracia" for
their support. When questioned about the absence of Paya,
MBR stated that he had declined to attend the meeting, but
stressed that these were the initial stages of the unity
project, and that Paya did not rule out the idea of future
involvement.


5. (C) After this meeting, Poloff talked to Oswaldo Paya.
Paya stated that this group is using the wrong approach. He
feels that they are pushing an agenda on the population in a
premature fashion. Paya believes that ordinary Cubans need
to be empowered with a sense of their basic rights and then
engaged in a process of developing their own agenda for the
country's future. He has signed up 500 volunteers in every
province for his Cuban Forum project that seeks to involve
ordinary Cubans in this debate.


6. (C) Comment: Many of the participants at this event
stated that they are dismayed that some foreign governments
and some media outlets are saying that Raul Castro has
accomplished a complete and successful transition of power
and is embarking on a course of meaningful reform. They
indicated that the dissident community needs to make a united

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and concerted effort to demonstrate that this is a complete
deception.
PARMLY