REACTION IN CUBA TO EU DECISION TO LIFT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000469 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2013 TAGS: CU EU PGOV PREL SUBJECT: REACTION IN CUBA TO EU DECISION TO LIFT DIPLOMATICS SANCTIONS Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Civil society members, reaction to the EU decision to drop its already suspended sanctions on Cuba was predictably negative. Though some had continued to hope for a miracle, most had no realistic expectation that the EU would react any other way. Key dissident leaders including Marta Beatriz Roque, Vladimiro Roca, and Oswaldo Paya all had sent messages to selected EU capitals opposing the dropping of sanctions in strong terms, but their contacts with local embassies gave them little hope that their views had any traction in Europe. ¶2. (C) Official reaction so far has been surprisingly muted. It could be that the GOC is not yet sure how to respond to the inclusion of future benchmarks on political prisoners and statements that EU visitors to Cuba will meet with opposition members. In the end, it was not the total vindication they had hoped for. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: We too are disappointed by the EU decision. While the GOC has indisputably instituted changes, to date those changes mostly allow it to shore up areas of the economy where rising expectations might present a threat, and exert more effective control over management of economic actors to set the stage for future economic reforms. They emphatically do not, however, open any political space. If the Europeans are satisfied with promoting a stronger Cuban economy irrespective of civil and political rights, so be it. We do not believe that was their intention, and that makes this decision all the more unfortunate. PARMLY