28 JANUARY REPATRIATION OF CUBANS AT

UNCLAS HAVANA 000072 DEPT FOR WHA/CCA, INL/HSTC, CA/FPP SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SMIG PREF PREL KCRM CU SUBJECT: 28 JANUARY REPATRIATION OF CUBANS AT CABANAS ¶1. USINT officer transferred 16 Cubans from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Key Biscayne to Cuban authorities on January 28 without incident. ¶2. The cutter docked in the Cuban port of Cabanas at approximately 10:00 am local time to transfer the migrants. 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 16 Cuban returnees were repatriated. Corrections and/or additions are in parentheses: ¶A. Alexei Arturo Guzman-Perez ¶B. Evian Gonzalez-Torres (Santiago de las Vegas/not Santiago la Vega) ¶C. Yoel Vega-Rivero ¶D. Horby Diaz-Pena ¶E. Dagoberto Martinez-Garcia ¶F. Norvis Dennis Rodriguez-Almaguer ¶G. Alexis Garcia-Torres ¶H. Yusnier Viltre ¶I. Enrique Manuel Diaz-Gomez ¶J. Rafael Rodriguez-Vega ¶K. Yosvanis Azcue-Vega (Azcue/not Ascue; Rpto Hatuey/not Hatuay) ¶L. Michael Gonzalez-Verdes (Michael/not Michayle) ¶M. Arnaldo Oliveros-Alvarez ¶N. Caridad Niuris Duran-Martinez ¶O. Wuille Gomez-Garcia (Alberro/not Alberjo) ¶P. Yordani Alonso-Fuentes (San Miguel del Padron/not San Miguel) ¶5. Repatriated Cubans during this month: 59 ¶6. Repatriated Cubans FY-2010: 103 Farrar