DEMARCHE: DISCOURAGING EU DEVELOPMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000237 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL EUN CU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: DISCOURAGING EU DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER'S VISIT TO CUBA REF: STATE 20108 CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JOSIE SHUMAKE, REASONS 1. 4(B),(D). ¶1. (C) POLCOUNS DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE MARCH 3 TO MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR IBEROAMERICA JAVIER SANDOMINGO, URGING THE GOS TO REINFORCE THE MESSAGE THAT EU DEVELOPMENT AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE COMMISSIONER MICHEL'S VISIT TO CUBA WAS INOPPORTUNE, AND, IF THE VISIT WENT FORWARD, MICHEL SHOULD MEET WITH DISSIDENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY AND EMPHASIZE TO THE GOC THE IMPORTANCE OF RELEASING OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS. ¶2. (C) SANDOMINGO SAID MICHEL WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE THIS VISIT AND THE GOS COULD NOT CHANGE HIS MIND. HE SAID THE GOS FOCUS WAS ON MICHEL'S MESSAGE. WHILE THEY WERE NOT OVERLY WORRIED BY MICHEL'S VISIT, THEY DID SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET THE GOC KNOW THAT THE RECENT EVENTS IN CUBA HAD BEEN DISAPPOINTING. SANDOMINGO SAID THEY HAD URGED MICHEL TO FOLLOW THE TWO-TRACK POLICY AND INSIST ON SOME SORT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITION EVEN IF THE GOC RESISTED. MORE BROADLY, SANDOMINGO SAID THIS WAS A MOMENT OF CONFUSION IN CUBA AND THAT EU COOPERATION SHOULD RESUME BUT ON THE SAME TERMS AS GOS ENGAGEMENT, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS INCLUDING THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH FIGURES OUTSIDE THE GOC. AGUIRRE