PANAMA: LEWIS ON CUBA AND VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000046 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 TAGS: PREL VE CU PM SUBJECT: PANAMA: LEWIS ON CUBA AND VENEZUELA Classified By: Ambassador William A. Eaton. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Despite dragging its feet for months, Panama granted agrement to Venezuela's proposed Ambassador to Panama, Jorge Luis Duran Centeno, First VP and FM Samuel Lewis informed Ambassador on January 16. Before doing so, Lewis said that President Martin Torrijos firmly warned President Chavez, during their meeting on the margins of Guatemala's presidential inauguration, that Panama would not tolerate any "interference" in Panama's electoral process or any "Bolivarian" activity. Also, Lewis said that Panama had requested agrement from Cuba for its proposed ambassador, Luis "Lucho" Gomez. Lewis also suggested that, as evidenced by its January 20 elections, Cuba was undergoing a "leadership renewal." -------------- Chavez Shows Respect for Torrijos -------------- ¶2. (C) "Chavez showed a lot of respect for the President," First VP and FM Samuel Lewis told Ambassador on January 16. "They had a cordial meeting in Guatemala." Noting that Panama was the first delegation to meet with Chavez, Lewis asserted, "Unlike other countries that are always seeking something from Venezuela, Panama gets treated with respect." Lewis said that Torrijos informed Chavez that Panama would grant agrement to its proposed ambassador. (Note: Venezuela has been pushing aggressively for Panama to accept Jorge Luis Duran Centeno, an original member of MBR-200 and currently Venezuela's CG in Sao Paolo, as Venezuela's ambassador. Venezuela has not had an ambassador in Panama City for at least the last six months.) "We warned Chavez though that Panama would not tolerate interference in its electoral process or any bolivarian activity, as we have seen already," Lewis added. Noting that Panama would be changing its ambassador in Caracas, Lewis commented that Panama's ambassador had not worked out given how "chavista" he was. ¶3. (C) Comment: In granting agrement, Panama has finally folded to concerted, months-long Venezuelan pressure to accept its proposed ambassador. There will be ample time in the run-up to Panama's May 2009 elections to evaluate the degree of respect that Chavez has for Panama and Torrijos by heeding Panama's warning to stay out of its internal politics. -------------- -------------- Sending New Ambassador to Cuba; Leadership Renewal Underway -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Turning to Cuba, Lewis said that Panama had requested agrement for Luis "Lucho" Gomez. Gomez would be heading to Cuba at an interesting period, Lewis commented. For example, Lewis said that Panama understood that only thirty-five percent of incumbents would be permitted to be re-elected in the Sunday, January 20 congressional elections on the island. Raul Castro appeared to trying to promote changes on the island, including allowing broader private property rights, unifying Cuba's three monetary systems through a monetary reform, and permitting Cuban citizens to enter tourist hotels. "Raul is serious about change and reform," Lewis said, "and Fidel has promised not to be an obstacle." ¶5. (C) Comment: Gomez, a hard-core member of the leftist "tendency (tendencia)" wing of the governing Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD),has long ties with Cuba. During OPERATION JUST CAUSE in 1989, this Afro-Panamanian took refuge in the Cuban Embassy where he resided for seventeen months before fleeing to Cuba. Gomez returned to Panama in 1995 following a general presidential pardon issued by then President Ernesto "El Toro" Perez Balladares. Moving Gomez to Havana may have more to do with getting Gomez out of Torrijos' hair than with putting the right man in Havana for any prospective democratic process that may begin to unfold on the island. Gomez, who works full-time at PRD headquarters meting out government patronage positions, became an increasing liability for Torrijos as compliants within the party regarding Gomez's handling of appointments rose. EATON