GOC GRANTS ACCESS TO ALAN PHILIP GROSS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000768

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CCA AND CA/OCS
DEPT PASS TO NSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2019
TAGS: CASC PREL PGOV CU
SUBJECT: GOC GRANTS ACCESS TO ALAN PHILIP GROSS

Classified By: COM Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MINREX) called in COM and CG on December 24 to inform the
U.S. Interests Section (USINT) that access to arrested Amcit
Philip Alan Gross had been granted for Monday, December 28.
The Government of Cuba's (GOC) response to other outstanding
consular access issues, including initial consular access to
two arrested Cuban-Americans is still pending. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On the morning of December 24, Chief of Mission
Jonathan Farrar and Consul General Martha Melzow were invited
to MINREX for a meeting to discuss consular access. MINREX
officials present in the meeting were Director of the North
America Office Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, Deputy Director of
the North America Office Johana Tablada de la Torre, and
Counselor Eduardo Martinez Borbonet. Vidal opened by
mentioning that she was aware of USINT's request for consular
TDY assistance from the U.S mission in Mexico. She said that
the new CG in Mexico City, Sean Murphy, had contacted the
Cuban Embassy there in this regard. The CG informed her that
one request was being processed through the Cuban Interest
Section (CUBINT) in Washington and the other through Mexico
City.


3. (U) Vidal provided a positive MINREX response to the
three USINT dipnotes requesting access for Consul General
Martha Melzow and a consular assistant to visit arrested
American Citizen Alan Phillip Gross. The consular visit will
take place on Monday, December 28, 2009 at 10:30 A.M. at
Villa Marista. Vidal confirmed that Gross had spoken to his
wife for the second time the evening of Wednesday, December

23.


4. (C) When queried concerning USINT's request for a meeting
on the repatriation process for incarcerated Cuban-Americans,
Vidal informed the COM that MINREX was consulting with the
legal department of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) as
well as the consular affairs section in MINREX to determine
who would attend.


5. (C) The CG informed Vidal that USINT was still awaiting a
response to requests for initial consular access to arrested
American citizens Lazara Estrella de Armas (currently
detained in Prision Occidental de Mujeres, Manto Negro) and
Xiomara Pena (currently detained at 100 y Aldabo in Havana).
Vidal responded that both requests had been forwarded to
MININT and more precise details would be forthcoming.

FARRAR