CUBA, HUMAN RIGHTS, SECURITY COOPERATION AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000006

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018
TAGS: ETRD KCRM PGOV PREL XL ZL
SUBJECT: CUBA, HUMAN RIGHTS, SECURITY COOPERATION AND
HEALTH ON DECK AS THE AMBASSADOR PAYS FAREWELL CALL ON
BARBADOS PM THOMPSON

Classified By: Classified By: Ambassador Mary M. Ourisman Reasons 1.4 (
b/d).

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Summary
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1. (C). During a December 19 farewell call on Barbados Prime
Minister David Thompson, the Ambassador thanked Thompson for
his efforts to work with us to strengthen regional security,
urged him to reassess his government's approach to UN human
rights resolutions, and reaffirmed U.S. support for combating
HIV/AIDS in the region. PM Thompson highlighted his
government's solidarity with Cuba and expressed hope that the
U.S. would end its economic embargo. He reiterated his
concern about Barbados financial services sector falling into
the crosshairs of potential changes in US laws restricting
overseas financial activity. The PM also affirmed that his
government would welcome additional security support and
continued training assistance. End Summary

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Bilateral Relationship on Positive Trajectory
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2. (C) During a December 19 farewell call on Prime Minister
Thompson, the Ambassador expressed her gratitude for the
close cooperation she had enjoyed with the Government of
Barbaods and from the Prime Minister during her tenure. PM
Thompson thanked the Ambassador for her service to Barbados,
saying he was confident about the positive direction of his
country,s relationship with the
U.S. Thompson expressed hope that Barbados could increase
dialogue with the new Administration and the Congress.
Referring to meetings in Colorado during the Democratic
National Convention, the PM noted that several Congressmen
had told him the region only comes to them when it has a
problem. Congressman Rangel had urged Thompson and his
regional counterparts to build long-term relationships with
the Members of Congress and key committee staffers, the PM
said.

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Shared Focus on Regional Security
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3. (C) Recalling the Secretary,s September launch of a
Caribbean Security Dialogue and meetings Thompson hosted in
March with Assistant Secretary Shannon and SOUTHCOM Commander
Admiral Stavridis, the Ambassador emphasized the continuing
U.S. interest in working with the region to strengthen
security cooperation and drug interdiction capabilities. The
PM agreed on the importance of keeping the dialogue on track,
despite the cancellation of the December meeting. (We
subsequently learned that Thompson has written his CARICOM
colleagues conveying his regret that the meeting was
cancelled and urging priority attention to the security
dialogue in the New Year. The Ambassador also urged Thompson
to think about Caribbean-specific priorities that might be a
focus for the April Summit of the Americas in Trinidad,
noting that the first ever Summit hosted in the Caribbean
offered the region an opportunity to call attention to its
priorities. The PM said he is looking forward to the summit
and to active participation by Caribbean leaders. Thompson
also observed that regional mechanisms such as the Regional
Security System (RSS) have served the region well, abut
pointed out that funding is a concern going forward,
particularly in the current global economic environment. He
added that only three of the Eastern Caribbean countries have
functioning coast guards, and the others are not likely to be
able to upgrade their capabilities in the medium term due to
the lack of resources.


4. (C) The Ambassador praised Barbados for making the most
of the many training opportunities the U.S. provided
countries in the region. She noted that the USS Swift )- a
Navy training platform -- will be making lengthy port calls
in Barbados in January and March, offering an extensive menu
of training modules. She encouraged the Prime Minister to
ensure Barbados took full advantage of the offerings.
Thompson responded that Barbados recognized the importance of
training for military and government personnel and said he
would welcome increased training, particularly for junior
military officers. He reiterated that the region as a whole
lacks the necessary training capacity to meet its security
needs, and the U.S. role in providing security and law
enforcement training remained critical to the region,s
security.



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Addressing Human Rights in the UN
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5. (C) The Ambassador encouraged the Prime Minister to
reconsider his government's approach on human rights
resolutions in the United Nations. Barbados has consistently
voted against or abstained from voting on resolutions
concerning human rights in Iran and Burma, she noted, and we
would hope that Barbados would stand up for the freedoms of
others in international fora the way it stands up for such
freedoms at home. Thompson said he understood that there is
dissonance over how to approach the issue of UN human rights
resolutions, but maintained Barbados sees things from a
slightly different perspective than the U.S. Given our
shared heritage of respect for human rights and democracy,
the DCM observed, our countries should be on the same page on
these issues. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to
urge Barbados to recognize Kosovo as 53 other nations have
already done.

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Thompson Defends Cuba
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6. (c) With his Foreign Minister fresh from the Bahia Summit
in Brazil, PM Thompson then turned the conversation to Cuba,
emphasizing that CARICOM would like to see the U.S. end its
embargo. He said that he and his colleagues were hopeful
that the new administration will take a different approach
with
Cuba. Barbados, as one of the first countries in the English
Caribbean to recognize Cuba, will do whatever it can to
facilitate a rapprochement between the U.S. and Cuba,
Thompson added. After his recent visit to Havana, he noted,
it was his sense that there is genuine desire to regularize
relations with the U.S. (Note: Thompson was in Cuba on
December 8, 2008 attending the CARICOM-Cuba
Summit. End note.) The Ambassador reassured the PM that the
United States stands ready to regularize relations with Cuba,
but pointed out that there has to be real, sustained
democratic change in that country for that to take place.
Releasing political prisoners, she noted, would be a clear
gesture of the regime,s sincerity. This is an area where
the other nations of the Caribbean could be particularly
helpful, the DCM explained. If they sincerely hoped to see a
rapprochement, encouraging the Cubans to do the right thing
on political prisoners would be the best way to promote
movement in that direction. The Ambassador emphasized that
the United States would like to see genuine political and
economic reforms in Cuba so that the Cuban people can enjoy
the same freedoms and prosperity that Barbadians enjoy.

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Praise for HIV/AIDS Work
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7. (C) The Ambassador reaffirmed United States, support for
efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and explained that the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program would soon
include a first-ever regional program, which would be
supported in part from our Embassy in Barbados. The
Ambassador praised Barbados for the seriousness with which
the government and the ministers have embraced this issue.
In particular, she and made it a priority and congratulated
the PM on the outstanding work done by the health authorities
in Barbados in combating the spread of HIV, noting that
recent public efforts to combat discrimination against
victims of the disease were commendable.

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Tax Haven Legislation Concerns
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8. (C) As he has in other venues, PM Thompson raised his
government,s concern about tax issues arising from the "Stop
Tax Haven Abuse" legislation that had been launched during
the last Congress. The bill, he noted, lists Barbados and
several OECS countries as tax havens -- a moniker Barbados
believes to be inaccurate, given the strict regulation of,
and transparency in, its banking sector. The offshore
financial sector is critical to the Barbadian economy,
Thompson emphasized, and his Government was very concerned
that the bill could lead to job losses in the midst of the
ongoing economic crisis,which was already proving to be a
drag on tourism.


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Comment
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9. (C) Thompson was warm and engaging in this final call, and
was clearly appreciative of the Ambassador,s efforts during
her tenure to forge a stronger relationship, including her
role in coordinating his White House meeting with the
President and his meetings with A/S Shannon and Admiral
Stavridis. Barbados greatly appreciates such high-level
contacts and the sense of being consulted that they provide.
Thompson can be expected to be one of our key allies in
advancing our security dialogue with the region, as he was
personally concerned that the December meeting had been
cancelled by CARICOM with little regional consultation. The
PM,s focus on Cuba, we later learned, was intended for
public consumption, as he had the Government Information
Service widely publicize his comments in favor of ending the
embargo. The expectation in Barbados, as in much of the
region, is that changing the relationship with Cuba involves
only U.S. action, with nothing required of Cuba. We tried to
encourage Thompson to recognize that Cuban actions, such as
releasing political prisoners as a first step, would be
essential.
OURISMAN