DISCUSSION WITH DISSIDENTS FOLLOWING POTUS VTC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000363

SIPDIS

NSC FOR DAN FISK AND MIKE KOZAK
COMMERCE FOR SECRETARY GUTIERREZ
STATE WHA FOR TOM SHANNON, KIRSTEN MADISON AND CALEB MCCARRY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2013
TAGS: CU ECON PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION WITH DISSIDENTS FOLLOWING POTUS VTC


Classified By: COM Michael E Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Immediately following the May 6 VTC with POTUS, COM
and other USINT officers sat down with Cuban participants
Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR),Berta Soler, and Antunez (Jorge
Luis Garcia Perez) to discuss with them further the points
they had made to the President. With any nervousness
generated by the direct conversation with POTUS dissipated,
the three reinforced the points contained in MBR's opening
statement (SEPTEL) in much stronger language.

Assistance to the Island
--------------


2. (C) MBR, supported by both Berta Soler and Antunez,
argued again that it is critical that assistance be delivered
directly to those on the island who are working for genuine
change. MBR said the current system, in which funds are
channeled through exile-dominated organizations in Miami is
not cost effective and that too few resources are reaching
those who need them on the island. She argued that the Miami
community has gotten so far out of touch with the day-to-day
realities of life in Cuba that its management of the
resources is suffering. All three commented that their goal
is to bring together large numbers of people to support their
activities, whether it is handing out copies of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights or organizing a Damas de Blanco
protest in support of political prisoners, but that they
cannot do so if they lack the resources to bring together
more than a handful of people at one time. All decried the
micromanagement of their efforts by those controlling the
funds, reminding USINT officers that it is they who are
positioned best to know what needs to be done. They
emphasized that what is needed now is funds to support
operational activities rather than mere subsistence funds.

Remittances
--------------


3. (C) In a related area, MBR explained further her
suggestion that restrictions on remittances be lifted. On
the one hand, expanded remittances will enable the purchase
of consumer goods and services--most of which are currently
unaffordable for the average Cuban--whose availability has
been touted recently as a major advance. While the proceeds
of such sales go to the regime, the greater purchasing power
created by the remittances would force the regime either to
provide the goods and services desired or explain why it
cannot. More importantly from the standpoint of the
opposition, opening the remittances spigot will create a new
source of funds for their own activities. MBR and others in
the dissident movement believe very strongly that the Cuban
community in the U.S. could do much more to help them through
such direct funding than it does now trying to manage
appropriated funds from the USG.

Assistance to Prisoners
--------------


4. (C) Antunez provided more detail on what could be done in
support of the political prisoners. He reiterated the need
to generate more international pressure on the regime for
their release, but also added some practical requests. He
said the prisoners need a broad range of medications and
basic hygiene items. Antunez, MBR, and Berta Soler all
acknowledged that they had been receiving a steady supply of
such material from USINT, but complained that fewer of these
items are arriving than in the past, and what is arriving is
frequently outdated or sample prescription medication that is
of no practical use. They are willing to provide detailed
lists of the most suitable items so that future shipments
will be more useful. USINT officers pointed out that the
regime already is restricting shipments to it through the
pouch and may do the same with personal luggage of USINT
personnel. Because of this additional pressure, delivery of
large quantities of medicine is increasingly difficult, but
that the requests for specific items will be forwarded.

Letters to Principals
--------------


5. (C) MBR undertook to draft letters to be signed by all
three and sent to POTUS with copies to the Secretaries of
State and Commerce, and to senior congressional leadership,
which will cite the conversation with POTUS and outline
formally the proposals they had made. In response, COM
agreed to transport the letters to Washington personally on
May 9.


6. (C) COMMENT: We have heard these points before, but the
conversation with the President brought them into sharper
focus. All three insisted that the views expressed were
theirs alone, but they track very closely with the messages
have been getting from all of the civil society leaders:
i.e., we are closest to the reality in Cuba and we should be
making the decisions as to how resources are used. End
Comment.
PARMLY