SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: TITLE III SUSPENSION OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 001000 DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PD AND WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2018 TAGS: CU ETRD ETTC PREL SUBJECT: SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: TITLE III SUSPENSION OF THE LIBERTAD ACT REF: A. STATE 126578 ¶B. SAN JOSE 000629 ¶C. SAN JOSE 636 Classified By: DCM Peter M. Brennan for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (U) Costa Rican President Oscar Arias remains a leading critic of the Castro government and an advocate for democratic change and human rights reform in Cuba. The USG should encourage and bolster Costa Rica's continued support for democracy in Cuba. Suspending Title III of the Libertad Act in regard to Costa Rica remains in the USG national interest. ¶2. (C) While Costa Rica has long promoted democratic change in Cuba, earlier this year Embassy San Jose detected indications that the GOCR was reconsidering its Cuba position (and contemplating re-establishing full diplomatic relations). This was being pushed by some members of the executive branch and the legislature as a way to help Cuba democratize faster (Ref B). Since then, talk of establishing full relations has died down. In addition, Costa Rica is set to join Venezuela,s Petrocaribe in early 2009 (Ref C),with a number of legislators, commentators and political observers wondering whether Chavez will demand Costa Rica,s recognition of Cuba as an eventual political price for joining. The Arias administration is adamant that Petrocaribe is an economic agreement only. ¶3. The following responses are keyed to Ref A questions: A) (U) Costa Rica remains a leading critic of the Castro government and an advocate for democratic change and human rights reforms in Cuba. B) (U) The Costa Rican government has continued to make public statements in support of democracy in Cuba. On February 19, 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement in which it reaffirmed Costa Rica's "support for the democratic desire of the Cuban people." C) (C) Post is not aware of any high-level diplomatic visits between Cuba and Costa Rica in the past six months. In a June 24, 2008 briefing by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Stagno, the Russian Ambassador to Costa Rica asked point-blank about Costa Rica,s relations with Cuba. Minister Stagno answered that the GOCR was open to talk to the Cubans and did so from time to time, but that nothing formal was in the works (Ref B). In addition, Minister Stagno shared a plane with Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque on the way to Lima, Peru to participate in the Latin America-European Union Summit in May 2008. Costa Rica maintains a consulate in Miramar, Cuba and Cuba maintains a consulate in San Jose. D) (U) Post is not aware of any major Costa Rican business investments in Cuba. However, many Costa Rican businesses import cigars from Cuba and repackage them. In addition, Costa Rican tourists regularly visit Cuba and vice versa. E) (U) Post is not aware of any bilateral trade agreements between Costa Rica and Cuba. F) (U) Costa Rica did not offer humanitarian or other assistance to Cuba after Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release expressing solidarity with the people of the Caribbean affected by the recent hurricanes. G) (U) Post is not aware of any exchange programs between Costa Rica and Cuba. A limited number of Costa Rican students have accepted scholarships to study medicine and film in Cuba, but Post is not aware of any formal exchange or scholarship programs between Cuban and Costa Rican universities. Post is unaware of any Costa Ricans who have traveled to Cuba for medical treatment, given the availability of publicly subsidized health care in Costa Rica. Post estimates that there may be hundreds of Cuban doctors working in Costa Rica, either in private practices or with Costa Rican hospitals. Many of these doctors fled Cuba for greater political and economic freedom in Costa Rica. Many of these doctors eventually naturalize as Costa Rican citizens. CIANCHETTE