14 OCTOBER REPATRIATION OF CUBANS AT CABANAS

UNCLAS HAVANA 000655 DEPT FOR WHA/CCA, INL/HSTC, CA/FPP SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SMIG PREF PREL KCRM CU SUBJECT: 14 OCTOBER REPATRIATION OF CUBANS AT CABANAS ¶1. USINT officer transferred 4 Cubans from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter PEA ISLAND to Cuban authorities on October 14 without incident. ¶2. The cutter docked in the Cuban port of Cabanas at approximately 10:00 am local time to transfer the migrant. USINT officer briefed the returnees and provided standard information packets on legal immigration methods. Officer advised the returnees that USINT officers would attempt to contact them in the next several months to assess their well being, including visiting some Havana-based returnees in their homes. Returnees were also advised that they could meet with a U.S. official at the Refugee Annex Fridays 10 am to discuss specific claims of harm, including retaliatory acts such as being unjustly dismissed from one's job, being frequently detained by police, or being the target of public acts of repudiation. ¶3. No returnees protested the repatriation to USINT or USCG personnel. The cutter departed without incident. The returnees were met by Ministry of Foreign Relations (MINREX) and Ministry of Interior (MININT) officials for transport to a Cuban Processing Center. ¶4. The following 4 Cuban returnees were repatriated. Corrections and/or additions are in parentheses: ¶A. Odelsy Canete-Blanco (Canete/not Canyete) ¶B. Alfredo Emilio Ramirez-Aguilado ¶C. Ariamna Barragan-Ortega ¶D. Carlos Gourriel-Gorrin (Gourriel/not Gouriel; Gorrin/not Gorin; Alquizar/not Altisar) ¶5. Repatriated Cubans during this month: 15 Farrar