Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HAVANA348
2008-04-29 21:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
RAUL CASTRO ANNOUNCES COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS FOR
VZCZCXRO1298 OO RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC DE RUEHUB #0348/01 1202137 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 292137Z APR 08 FM USINT HAVANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3183 INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 0005 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0010 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0038 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000348
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2013
TAGS: CU PGOV
SUBJECT: RAUL CASTRO ANNOUNCES COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS FOR
2009
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000348
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2013
TAGS: CU PGOV
SUBJECT: RAUL CASTRO ANNOUNCES COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS FOR
2009
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Following the meeting of the 6th plenary of
the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Central Committee, President
Raul Castro announced that the next Communist Party congress
will be held in the second half of 2009. If it takes place
at that time, the congress will be the first full PCC in 11
years. Castro also announced the selection of three new
members of the politburo, the formation of seven permanent
committees to handle specific issues, and the commutation of
the death sentences of all but three of those currently on
death row in Cuba. (Left off the list for now were three
individuals, a Salvadoran, a Guatemalan and a Cuban-American
charged in a series of hotel bombings and killings in the
late 1990s.) The changes appear designed to solidify the PCC
as the principal governing body in Cuba, and one that is
designed to respond to Raul. End Summary
2. (C) Cuban President Raul Castro closed the 6th plenary
session of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Central Committee
on April 28 with a speech that points the probable way
forward in the transition from the government of Fidel
Castro. Raul Castro is the Second Secretary of the party,
the title of First Secretary having been retained by brother
Fidel. Nevertheless, the speech and Raul's management of the
Central Committee meeting showed him to be in full control.
3. (C) Perhaps the most important announcement made by Raul
was that there would be a full Communist Party congress in
the second half of 2009. This will be the first such
congress in 11 years. It had been widely speculated that
there might be a Party Congress as early as the fall of 2008.
The purpose of such a congress would be to decide the future
direction of a Cuba without Fidel, and to build the structure
in the Party that could replace both Fidel and Raul when the
latter passes from the scene.
4. (C) The PCC had traditionally been marginalized by Fidel
Castro, who preferred his personal style of management to any
collective model. Some of the structural changes announced
by Raul seem to take the Party in a new direction. He
announced the addition of three new members of the Politburo,
Ramiro Valdes Menendez, Salvador Valdes Mesa and army general
Alvaro Lopez Miera--all individuals with long histories in
the revolution and all close to Raul Castro. Also announced
was the formation of seven new committees that will report to
the Politburo, including: Ideology and Culture, Economy,
Agro-food supply, Education, Science and Sports, Health and
International Relations. Not surprisingly, these mirror
closely the most important ministries of the Cuban government
and may preview the eventual consolidation of ministries
promised by Raul in his February speech. One internal
observer told us that the ministries themselves will simply
become administrative bodies to carry out the decisions made
in these committees.
5. (C) Castro devoted significant amounts of time to two
issues not directly related to the structure of the PCC
institution. One was the importance he gave to achieving
real reforms in the agro-industrial sector, which he
described as critical at a time of rapidly rising food
prices. The other was the commutation of virtually all death
sentences on the island. He did not announce the abolishment
of the death penalty, stating explicitly that the terrorist
threat to Cuba from the United States mandated that the death
penalty remain in place. He cited three specific cases which
had not been commuted, two of those being a Salvadoran, and a
Guatemalan who had been accused of terrorist bombings of
hotels in 1997 that led to the death of Italian citizen Fabio
de Celmo, and the third that of a Cuban American charged in
the assassination of Arcilio Rodriguez Garcia. Nevertheless,
he left open the possibility that the Council of State could
still commute those sentences too. French Ambassador Dore
told COM he views the commutations as a gesture to the EU, in
view of the latter's principled opposition to the death
penalty. "The Cubans are conscious of our calendar," Dore
commented.
6. (C) COMMENT: Raul's management of the central committee
meeting and his speech following it were a tour de force of
his campaign to take full control of the reigns of
government. The formation of the seven committees gives him
HAVANA 00000348 002 OF 002
a way around the normal Cuban bureaucracy if he feels he
needs it. It is not entirely clear yet why the second half
of 2009 was selected for the Party congress, though it is
true that there still must be a meeting of the women's mass
organization, in flux since the death of its leader and
former spouse of Raul Castro, Wilma Espin. Raul also may
feel that he is not yet fully prepared to take all of the
measures he wishes to, especially with brother Fidel still
alive and sometimes kicking. The commutation of the death
sentences may indicate a change in heart, but likely has some
other more practical objective. Particularly if the
sentences of the final three are also commuted, the GOC may
believe that the extradition from the U.S. of Luis Posada
Carriles will be facilitated.
PARMLY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2013
TAGS: CU PGOV
SUBJECT: RAUL CASTRO ANNOUNCES COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS FOR
2009
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Following the meeting of the 6th plenary of
the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Central Committee, President
Raul Castro announced that the next Communist Party congress
will be held in the second half of 2009. If it takes place
at that time, the congress will be the first full PCC in 11
years. Castro also announced the selection of three new
members of the politburo, the formation of seven permanent
committees to handle specific issues, and the commutation of
the death sentences of all but three of those currently on
death row in Cuba. (Left off the list for now were three
individuals, a Salvadoran, a Guatemalan and a Cuban-American
charged in a series of hotel bombings and killings in the
late 1990s.) The changes appear designed to solidify the PCC
as the principal governing body in Cuba, and one that is
designed to respond to Raul. End Summary
2. (C) Cuban President Raul Castro closed the 6th plenary
session of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Central Committee
on April 28 with a speech that points the probable way
forward in the transition from the government of Fidel
Castro. Raul Castro is the Second Secretary of the party,
the title of First Secretary having been retained by brother
Fidel. Nevertheless, the speech and Raul's management of the
Central Committee meeting showed him to be in full control.
3. (C) Perhaps the most important announcement made by Raul
was that there would be a full Communist Party congress in
the second half of 2009. This will be the first such
congress in 11 years. It had been widely speculated that
there might be a Party Congress as early as the fall of 2008.
The purpose of such a congress would be to decide the future
direction of a Cuba without Fidel, and to build the structure
in the Party that could replace both Fidel and Raul when the
latter passes from the scene.
4. (C) The PCC had traditionally been marginalized by Fidel
Castro, who preferred his personal style of management to any
collective model. Some of the structural changes announced
by Raul seem to take the Party in a new direction. He
announced the addition of three new members of the Politburo,
Ramiro Valdes Menendez, Salvador Valdes Mesa and army general
Alvaro Lopez Miera--all individuals with long histories in
the revolution and all close to Raul Castro. Also announced
was the formation of seven new committees that will report to
the Politburo, including: Ideology and Culture, Economy,
Agro-food supply, Education, Science and Sports, Health and
International Relations. Not surprisingly, these mirror
closely the most important ministries of the Cuban government
and may preview the eventual consolidation of ministries
promised by Raul in his February speech. One internal
observer told us that the ministries themselves will simply
become administrative bodies to carry out the decisions made
in these committees.
5. (C) Castro devoted significant amounts of time to two
issues not directly related to the structure of the PCC
institution. One was the importance he gave to achieving
real reforms in the agro-industrial sector, which he
described as critical at a time of rapidly rising food
prices. The other was the commutation of virtually all death
sentences on the island. He did not announce the abolishment
of the death penalty, stating explicitly that the terrorist
threat to Cuba from the United States mandated that the death
penalty remain in place. He cited three specific cases which
had not been commuted, two of those being a Salvadoran, and a
Guatemalan who had been accused of terrorist bombings of
hotels in 1997 that led to the death of Italian citizen Fabio
de Celmo, and the third that of a Cuban American charged in
the assassination of Arcilio Rodriguez Garcia. Nevertheless,
he left open the possibility that the Council of State could
still commute those sentences too. French Ambassador Dore
told COM he views the commutations as a gesture to the EU, in
view of the latter's principled opposition to the death
penalty. "The Cubans are conscious of our calendar," Dore
commented.
6. (C) COMMENT: Raul's management of the central committee
meeting and his speech following it were a tour de force of
his campaign to take full control of the reigns of
government. The formation of the seven committees gives him
HAVANA 00000348 002 OF 002
a way around the normal Cuban bureaucracy if he feels he
needs it. It is not entirely clear yet why the second half
of 2009 was selected for the Party congress, though it is
true that there still must be a meeting of the women's mass
organization, in flux since the death of its leader and
former spouse of Raul Castro, Wilma Espin. Raul also may
feel that he is not yet fully prepared to take all of the
measures he wishes to, especially with brother Fidel still
alive and sometimes kicking. The commutation of the death
sentences may indicate a change in heart, but likely has some
other more practical objective. Particularly if the
sentences of the final three are also commuted, the GOC may
believe that the extradition from the U.S. of Luis Posada
Carriles will be facilitated.
PARMLY