Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HAVANA494
2008-06-25 20:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

FIDEL CASTRO LASHES OUT AT EU DECISION ON CUBA

Tags:  PREL PGOV CU EU 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3423
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 0004
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RHMFISS/COGARD INTELCOORDCEN WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000494 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV CU EU
SUBJECT: FIDEL CASTRO LASHES OUT AT EU DECISION ON CUBA
SANCTIONS

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 HAVANA 000494

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV CU EU
SUBJECT: FIDEL CASTRO LASHES OUT AT EU DECISION ON CUBA
SANCTIONS

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


1. (SBU) While opposition members continue to express
disappointment with the EU decision on Cuba sanctions, and
fear that it presages another crackdown on their activity,
former President Fidel Castro appears to be beside himself
with anger over the EU decision.


2. (SBU) Fidel wrote at least three "Reflexiones" pieces on
the issue over the weekend. Interestingly, none was
published in Cuban print media, nor did any appear on radio
or TV. Instead, these latest diatribes were put out only on
the web at the official cubadebate.cu website. Castro minced
no words in his first piece, saying "The disreputable
suspension of sanctions against Cuba adopted by the European
Union on June 19 has been reported on by 16 different
articles in the international press...but now I want to
express my own disdain for the enormous hypocrisy surrounding
the decision. This is even more evident as it coincides with
the brutal European measure to expel from Europe undocumented
immigrants who came from Latin America."


3. (SBU) With more time to contemplate the EU action, Fidel
wrote another item entitled ironically "Truth and Diatribes."
He opens by attacking developed country spending on
development assistance and concludes "Our country has
demonstrated that it can resist all kinds of pressure and
help other peoples. Can Europe say the same?" He then cites
a new UNESCO study praising Cuban education and says "...a
country that systematically violates human rights would not
reach these high levels of knowledge." Having gotten warmed
up, Fidel then launches into the true diatribe, attacking the
U.S. and Europe both for their immigration policies, after
which he concludes: "I did not write any diatribe against
Europe, I simply spoke the truth. If that offends someone,
it's not my fault." He then proceeds to attack Europe and
the U.S. for the actions of NATO.


4. (SBU) After apparently not getting the publicity he
expected, on June 23 he published another "Reflexiones" piece
complaining that the press was not giving due importance to
the UNESCO report on Cuba. He again refers to charges that
his earlier pieces were "diatribes," and somehow twists that
line into an attack against the "slander" perpetrated against
Cuba by challenges to its human rights record. He asks
rhetorically, "If Europe is taking diplomatic measures
against Cuba allegedly in defense of human rights, why does
it not take the same measures against the US for its
genocidal policy in Iraq...?" He then finishes with a
bizarre discussion of the European Cup soccer tournament and
preparations for the Olympics.


5. (C) COMMENT: FM Perez Roque has now been quoted as
saying that Cuba "defeated" the EU sanctions. That he issued
that statement while visiting Angola and not in the lobby of
MINREX is noteworthy. The GOC was more than simply hopeful
that the EU would drop the sanctions; it was quite confident
that it would happen. Apparently, it had not occurred to GOC
officials that the EU might drop the sanctions, which had
become nothing more than a rhetorical device in any case, and
replace them with another statement that the regime would
find even more odious. Perez Roque and company most likely
are still trying to figure a way to turn the EU statement to
their own advantage, but Fidel could not be contained
completely. In the past, he probably would have said many of
the things contained in his "Reflexiones" in a public speech,
and it would have been considered another case of his "never
missing and opportunity to miss an opportunity." This time,
possible damage to Cuba's foreign policy strategy was
mitigated by restricting his statements to the official Cuban
internet, which is read by possibly even fewer people in Cuba
than the official print media outlets Granma and Juventud
Rebelde.
PARMLY