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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01HAVANA4690 |
CUBA: 2001 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2001-12-14 13:43:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER CU |
| 02HAVANA7763 |
(CUBA) 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT [...] RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO REFTEL. 2. A) THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THE GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM. THE GOC REMAINS OPPOSED TO THE U.S.-LED COALITION PROSECUTING THE WAR ON GLOBAL TERRORISM AND IS ACTIVELY CRITICAL OF MANY ASSOCI [...] |
2002-11-15 16:16:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER CU |
| 06HAVANA10031 |
NEW CUBAN AMBO TO BOLIVIA: RAFAEL DAUSA [...] (S) The Cuban regime has nominated senior Foreign Ministry honcho Rafael Dausa Cespedes as its ambassador to Bolivia. This in the context of greatly improved relations between Cuba and Bolivia in the wake of Evo Morales' election. Dausa can be expected to intensify Cuba's assault on Bolivia's [...] |
2006-05-11 13:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PINR PREL ASEC BO CU |
| 06HAVANA10078 |
PAYA PRESENTS PROPOSAL FOR DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban pro-democracy activist Oswaldo Paya has unveiled his latest push for a democratic Constitution, calling for a legal framework that would embrace multiple political parties, private enterprise and "social justice." The document, entitled "All Cubans," stems from a "N [...] |
2006-05-11 22:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA10104 |
"GREEN EYESHADE" SOBERON: CUBA'S SENIOR ECON GUY [...] (C) Summary: Unhindered by his modest background in accounting, Central Bank President Francisco Soberon has become one of Castro's key advisors. The architect of GOC efforts to recentralize the economy, Soberon has recently eclipsed most other ministers in influence and public profile (with [...] |
2006-05-12 15:58:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PGOV EFIN ECON PINR CU |
| 06HAVANA10189 |
CARTAS DE CUBA, SPRING 2006 [...] (U) The latest installment of Cartas de Cuba features the following items: - GOC Delirious Over HRC Win - PR on the Prowl - PR vs. BR - Robinson Liked His Whiskey - Party Shuffle - Feisty - New Strategy: Give 'Em Money, Make 'Em Spend It - Just Below the Surface - CDRs... Who [...] |
2006-05-12 16:54:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PGOV PINR PINS ECON EFIN EAGR SOCI UN CU |
| 06HAVANA10271 |
MOTHER OF ALL MARCHES BY CUBA'S "LADIES IN WHITE" [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's "Ladies in White," relatives of political prisoners, held a successful protest march in Havana on May 13. Seventeen Ladies marched from the house of leading member Laura Pollan to a monument honoring Leonor Diaz, the mother of national hero Jose Marti, and laid flowers to [...] |
2006-05-15 21:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA10738 |
NEW THINKING IS NEEDED, PAYA TELLS CHIEF OF MISSION [...] (C) Summary. Leading Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya, chief of the Christian Liberation Movement and driving force behind the Varela Project, told the COM May 18 that "we all have to do new things" to help bring democracy to Cuba. When asked about a recent overture from Martha Beatriz Roque, he s [...] |
2006-05-22 18:33:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA11234 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP [...] (C) Summary: The health of hunger-striking dissident Guillermo Farinas has taken a turn for the worse, and he is threatening to leave his hospital to "go home to die." The "Ladies in White" are to be awarded Human Rights First's annual prize. Activists reacted positively to their May 24 con [...] |
2006-05-26 21:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA11516 |
"FRIENDS OF DEMOCRATIC CUBA" INSPIRE ACTIVISTS, [...] (C) Summary: Cuban pro-democracy activists got a boost from the May 24 conference call with the "Group of Friends of Democratic Cuba," a loose alliance of US Representatives, European diplomats in Washington, prominent members of the Miami exile community and others. One of the activist part [...] |
2006-06-02 20:53:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA11629 |
CUBA CRACKING DOOR OPEN TO MORE CATHOLIC CLERGY [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government has eased its strict limits on issuing work permits to foreign Catholic clergy. The GOC has long adhered to a policy of approving new applicants only to the extent that they replace clergy who have stopped working in Cuba. However, since June 2005, the GOC ha [...] |
2006-06-05 17:08:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA11650 |
CARTAS DE CUBA: EARLY SUMMER EDITION [...] (SBU) This edition of "Cartas" features the following items: -- Paras 2-4 Medical Malpractice -- 5-8 Baseball, Music and Racism -- 9-11 China Syndrome -- 12-19 Diplomatic Corps Reflections -- 20-22 Bracing for the NAM ------------------- MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ------------------- 2. (U) NEWS: US [...] |
2006-06-05 19:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA11895 |
CUBA RELEASE OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (C) Cuba's Tier 3 placement in the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report presents a challenge in terms of informing the host country, given the Cuban Government's hostility to U.S. criticism and the paucity of news sources available to ordinary Cubans. Since mid-January, the Cubans have refused [...] |
2006-06-06 20:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL CU |
| 06HAVANA11957 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP [...] (C) Summary: With Internet advocate Guillermo Farinas up to Day 128 of his hunger strike, 38 supporters have announced a sympathy fast. Oswaldo Paya of Varela Project fame is summarizing his "Program for All Cubans" in a pamphlet. Paya is also collecting evidence on bogus pro-democracy acti [...] |
2006-06-08 13:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PREL KWMN SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA12488 |
BRITISH POLOFF ANALYZES "COMMON POSITION" ON CUBA [...] (C) Summary: The UK's human rights officer in Havana shared with us June 15 her thoughts on the European Council's recently released draft conclusions on the EU's "Common Position" toward Cuba. (The draft states, among other things, the EU's commitment to seeking dialogue with both the Cuban G [...] |
2006-06-16 15:25:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA12981 |
EX-POLITBURO MEMBER CONVICTED OF INFLUENCE-PEDDLING [...] (C) Summary: A Cuban court has convicted Juan Carlos Robinson Agramonte, a former member of the Cuban Communist Party's Political Bureau (Politburo), of influence-peddling and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. The June 16 conviction was announced June 21 in a page-two bulletin in state-co [...] |
2006-06-22 16:09:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PGOV PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA13065 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government has resumed systematic harassment of pro-democracy activists following a respite in which the European Council discussed a "Common Position" on Cuba and the UN launched its Human Rights Council. After laying low for two weeks, GOC-organized militants on June 2 [...] |
2006-06-22 19:53:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA13740 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP: JULY 5, 2006 [...] (C) Summary: The number of documented political prisoners in Cuba dropped by four percentage points over the past six months, as the Cuban Government stepped up its use of less-scrutinized forms of control, including warnings, beatings and "acts of repudiation." Government-directed thugs hel [...] |
2006-07-05 14:50:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA13782 |
IN HAVANA, A (MOSTLY) HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY [...] (C) Summary: Baseball trumped politics in Havana on July 4, with nearly 600 people attending USINT Havana's baseball-themed Independence Day celebration at the Chief of Mission's Residence. Civil-society figures, including Cuba's most prominent dissidents, mingled with third-country diplomat [...] |
2006-07-05 20:20:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA14841 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP JULY 21, 2016 [...] (C) Summary. Within a 24-hour period, Cuban authorities arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to four years dissident Alexander Santos Hernandez for "dangerousness." Another dissident, Camilo Cairo Falcon, was sentenced to one year of correctional work for "public disorder," following his p [...] |
2006-07-21 20:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA15674 |
ROQUE UNVEILS PLAN FOR TRANSITION GOVERNMENT [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban pro-democracy activist Martha Beatriz Roque has released a 27-page transition plan for Cuba produced by her Assembly to Promote Civil Society. Titled "Anticipating the Day After," the 15-section document is a self-described "compendium of ideas" that focuses on issu [...] |
2006-08-07 22:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA15749 |
ANTI-DISSIDENT ACTIVITIES CONTINUE IN CUBA [...] (C) Summary: Cuban regime agents continue to carry out "acts of repudiation" and other aggressive actions against pro-democracy activists, but to no greater or lesser extent than before the July 31 announcement of Fidel Castro's temporary withdrawal. Since then, at least five anti-dissident i [...] |
2006-08-09 11:49:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA15860 |
CUBAN ACTIVISTS MOURN DEATH OF GUSTAVO ARCOS [...] (C) Cuban pro-democracy activists on August 9 mourned as Gustavo Arcos, grandfather of the island's human rights movement, was cremated in Havana. Arcos died the previous day at a hospital after battling a number of ailments, including Alzheimers. According to his widow, his dying wish was t [...] |
2006-08-09 20:19:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16023 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP AUGUST 11, 2006 [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's "Ladies in White" expressed concern that their weekly march outside Havana's Santa Rita church on Sunday, April 13, will be their most dangerous ever, as it coincides with the 80th birthday of Fidel Castro and could prompt a counter-protest by regime supporters. Elsewhere i [...] |
2006-08-11 20:45:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16137 |
REGIME IMAGES: CASTRO PASSES TORCH TO CHAVEZ [...] (C) Cuban state media on August 14 released still images, and then a video, of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's bedside visit with Fidel Castro a day earlier. Photographic images charged with symbolic meaning are among the hallmarks of Castro's reign; the latest images symbolize Castro's e [...] |
2006-08-15 20:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PGOV PREL VE CU |
| 06HAVANA16439 |
NO RELIEF FOR CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONERS, OR THEIR [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's political prisoners continue to suffer from appalling and unhealthy prison conditions, while many of their family members face vindictive and even terrifying acts organized by the Cuban Government. On August 16 and 17, USINT spoke on the phone with the spouses or parents of [...] |
2006-08-18 17:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16609 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP AUGUST 18, 2006 [...] (C) Summary: The Catholic Church's senior official in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, celebrated a mass for recently deceased pro-democracy activist Gustavo Arcos on August 17, with diplomats, activists and journalists in attendance. For an hour, at least, Arcos got his dying wish of a unified o [...] |
2006-08-18 19:55:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16698 |
DEATH THREAT FOR CUBAN ACTIVIST ROQUE [...] (C) Summary: Cuban pro-regime thugs held a late-night "act of repudiation" August 19-20 outside the home of pro-democracy activist Martha Beatriz Roque and brandished a pistol while inviting her to "step outside so we can kill you." Roque, head of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC), [...] |
2006-08-21 20:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16699 |
RETALIATION FEARED AFTER MASS FOR GUSTAVO ARCOS [...] (C) Summary: Cuban pro-democracy activists are weighing the impact of Cardinal Jaime Ortega's controversial mass, celebrated August 17, for Gustavo Arcos, the recently deceased dean of the island's human rights movement. Activists say the GOC is livid over the event and that retaliation agains [...] |
2006-08-21 21:18:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16867 |
CUBAN ACTIVIST FERRER PREPARES CALL FOR PLEBISCITE [...] (C) Summary: Dissident Cuban doctor Darsi Ferrer remains conspicuously out of prison, two weeks after calling on the Cuban people to openly defy the Government. Ferrer told us August 23 he is fearful and uneasy over the GOC's failure to arrest him for his appeal, which was carried by five Mia [...] |
2006-08-23 20:43:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16868 |
ROQUE ON TENTATIVE COOPERATION WITH PAYA, OTHERS [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban activist Martha Beatriz Roque expressed optimism August 23 over what she described as her warming ties with Oswaldo Paya, the other heavyweight in the splintered dissident community. Roque said that at an August 17 event, she and Paya conversed and saw eye to eye on [...] |
2006-08-23 22:02:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA16901 |
FARINAS HUNGER STRIKE HITS DAY 205 [...] (C) Summary. The hunger strike of Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas reached 205 days on August 24, after the independent journalist allowed the flow of IV fluids to be restored following his transfer to a hospital room where he could receive visitors. Farinas' girlfriend, dissident Noelia Ped [...] |
2006-08-24 17:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA17059 |
RUMOR CONTROL: FIDEL SAID TO UNDERGO NEW OPERATION [...] (C) Summary: As would be expected, Havana is awash in rumors over the health of Fidel Castro. One, from a dissident who has provided accurate information in the past, says Castro underwent follow-up surgery between August 24 and 26, but that no other details are available. Our suspicion that [...] |
2006-08-29 12:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA17126 |
CUBAN ACTIVISTS REACHING OUT TO NAM PARTICIPANTS [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's "Ladies in White" have started distributing a letter to nations that will participate in or observe Havana's September 11-16 meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement. The letter calls on foreign governments to request the immediate, unconditional liberation of Cuba's peaceful p [...] |
2006-08-30 20:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA17683 |
CUBAN FARINAS ENDS HUNGER STRIKE AFTER SEVEN MONTHS [...] (C) Summary: Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas ended his hunger strike August 31 after surviving on IV fluids for seven months in a campaign for internet access for all Cubans. The independent journalist decided to end the hunger strike following a joint appeal by three leading women dissiden [...] |
2006-09-01 18:55:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA17684 |
CUBAN GOVT DETAINS DISSIDENT DOCTOR DARSI FERRER [...] (C) Summary: Around 50 Cuban State Security officers took dissident doctor Darsi Ferrer into custody September 1 and held him at a Havana police station, where, according to his wife, Yusnaimy Jorge, he refused to sign an official warning. The Government accused him of putting up "Cambio" ("Ch [...] |
2006-09-01 19:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA20774 |
REPRESSION IN CUBA WORSE UNDER RAUL, SAY ACTIVISTS [...] (C) Summary: Many Cuban human rights activists believe that repression has worsened on the island since the July 31 "proclamation" that Raul Castro had assumed temporary control. Between October 2 and 5, we asked ten leading human rights and pro-democracy advocates - a majority of them former [...] |
2006-10-06 21:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA20783 |
CUBANS UNEASY WITH DPRK NUKE TEST [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government on October 10 signaled its displeasure with North Korea's reported nuclear test. In language lacking the warmth usually reserved for a fellow communist nation, Cuban state media reported the UN Security Council's condemnation of the reported underground blast [...] |
2006-10-11 20:24:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KN PARM KNNP CU |
| 06HAVANA21100 |
AT CUBA'S INDEPENDENT LIBRARIES, UNCENSORED DEBATE [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's outlawed Assembly to Promote Civil Society (ASPC), led by Martha Beatriz Roque, launched its "Congress" of independent librarians October 10 and reported successful meetings in at least six provinces. APSC said 153 independent libraries are taking part in the four-and-a-ha [...] |
2006-10-13 20:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA21268 |
CUBAN GOVT SIGNALS LINGERING IRE OVER DPRK NUKE [...] (C) Cuban state media on October 14 disseminated a statement from the 183-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), currently headed by Cuba, on North Korea's reported nuclear blast. The statement, approved the previous day at UN headquarters, urges North Korea, a NAM member, to halt its nuclear tes [...] |
2006-10-16 21:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KN PARM KNNP CU |
| 06HAVANA21636 |
CUBAN MILITANTS PUMMEL INDEPENDENT LIBRARIANS [...] (C) Summary: Cuban communist militants brutally attacked two dissidents in Villa Clara province on October 10, the opening day of an extended "Congress" of independent librarians. The attack, which lasted more than an hour and involved forcibly transporting the dissidents from one city to ano [...] |
2006-10-19 22:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA21638 |
CONFERENCE CALL TO MEXICO BRINGS CUBAN YOUTH [...] (S) Summary: Leaders of two Cuban pro-democracy youth groups took part in a USG-facilitated teleconference October 17 with university students in Monterrey, Mexico. At the Havana end, at the PAO Residence, 25 young Cubans took part, mainly from the Marti Youth Coalition (CJM) but also from Yo [...] |
2006-10-19 22:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PHUM PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA22158 |
DISSIDENT DETENTIONS AND ROBBERIES ON RISE IN CUBA [...] (C) Summary and Comment: While rumors abound over how much time Fidel Castro has left (septel), Cuban authorities are increasingly detaining and even robbing pro-democracy and human rights activists. In the past 10 days, at least seven dissidents were detained, most for brief periods, after v [...] |
2006-10-25 22:31:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA22539 |
CUBA FREES POLITICAL DETAINEE, LETS 3 OTHERS LEAVE [...] (C) Summary and Comment: The Cuban Government freed political detainee Ricardo Medina Salabarria on October 25 after holding him without charge for more than 15 months. Medina, head of the religious affairs committee of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC), was taken into custody after [...] |
2006-10-30 17:31:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA22900 |
CUBAN GOVERNMENT TARGETS OPPOSITION YOUTH LEADERS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-02 22:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA22904 |
CUBAN GOVERNMENT TARGETS OPPOSITION YOUTH LEADERS [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government briefly detained opposition youth leader Edgard Lopez Moreno and two other dissidents on November 2 after they visited a USINT internet center. Police seized materials from Lopez and the others and warned them to halt their dissident activities. The detentio [...] |
2006-11-03 14:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23342 |
CUBAN ACTIVISTS SLAM REGIME IN MESSAGES TO [...] (C) Summary: Cuban pro-democracy activists signaled to participants in the Montevideo Ibero-American Summit their dismay over the participants' failure to hold the Cuban Government accountable for human rights violations. Oswaldo Paya of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) released a stat [...] |
2006-11-06 22:45:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23355 |
CUBAN PROSECUTOR SEEKS 15 YEARS FOR PRISON [...] (C) The Cuban Government has informed the family of political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo that he has been indicted for jailhouse disorder and disrespect - charges for which the Pinar del Rio prosecutor is seeking 15 years. Zapata's mother shared a copy of the indictment with us on November [...] |
2006-11-06 22:48:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23502 |
CUBAN INMATES DECRY LACK OF MEDICAL CARE, FRESH AIR [...] (C) In a relatively rare move, Cuba's Foreign Ministry has accepted and promised to respond to a letter from prisoners denouncing conditions at Kilo 5 prison in Pinar del Rio. The letter, dated November 1, was written by a common prisoner, Nestor Hernandez Escalona, and signed by 13 others, th [...] |
2006-11-13 22:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23515 |
DISSIDENT DETAINED AFTER FAILING TO ANSWER SURVEY [...] (C) Summary: A recent incident involving Cuban dissident Niurka Brito Rivas illustrates how the Cuban regime sometimes attempts to incriminate its opponents in illegal activity. Brito spent three days in jail in October, without charges, after she failed to fill out a survey sent by her daughte [...] |
2006-11-15 21:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23521 |
CUBAN INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST GARCIA DETAINED, [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-16 20:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23527 |
CUBAN PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUP TO DISTRIBUTE BULLETINS [...] (C) A leading Cuban pro-democracy group, Martha Beatriz Roque's Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC), plans to start distributing a two-sheet, four-page news "bulletin" on the streets of several Cuban cities on December 10, Human Rights Day. On November 15, Roque shared with us a draft of [...] |
2006-11-17 21:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23544 |
CUBA RELEASES 3 DETAINEES, PROLONGS JAILING OF 2 [...] (C) Summary. The Cuban Government has released from prison three more dissidents, one of whom had been convicted and two held without charges since a July 22, 2005 protest in Havana. The releases bring to at least five the number of political detainees/prisoners freed in recent weeks. Meanwhi [...] |
2006-11-27 14:29:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23546 |
LANDMARK FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER YOUNG CUBAN [...] (C) Summary: An unprecedented opposition youth forum brought together young Cuban pro-democracy activists and counterparts from Monterrey, Mexico on November 24 in Havana. The three-hour-long event, held at the PAO Residence, saw participants engage in open debate after watching an inspiration [...] |
2006-11-27 19:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23547 |
IN WAKE OF GAO REPORT, DISSIDENTS ISSUE STATEMENT [...] (C) As debate swirls within Cuba's human rights community over a GAO report that questions oversight and spending for Cuban democracy programs, four leading activists have signed a statement that they say is aimed at expressing support for certain exile groups, including the Support Group for [...] |
2006-11-28 21:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23548 |
CUBA: CELEBRATING ARMY AND CASTRO DECEMBER 2 [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-28 21:57:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINS ECON CU |
| 06HAVANA23564 |
RAUL DELIVERS CASTRO BIRTHDAY SPEECH [...] No summary [...] |
2006-12-04 20:33:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PREL |
| 06HAVANA23566 |
CUBAN POLITICAL POLICE DETAIN YOUTH ACTIVIST [...] (C) Summary: Cuban State Security officials searched the home of youth activist Ahmed Rodriguez Albacia on December 4 and took him into detention, ten days after he helped organize an opposition youth forum that brought together three influential youth groups. Witnesses said the officials for [...] |
2006-12-04 21:48:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23578 |
PAYA ON RAUL SPEECH: FREEDOM NEEDED, NOT SHOW OF [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban human rights activist Oswaldo Paya of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) has responded to General Raul Castro's December 2 speech by saying the Cuban people need basic freedoms, not a show of military force. Paya, founder of the Varela Project signature drive f [...] |
2006-12-06 22:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23579 |
CUBAN 75ER PALACIOS GAINS CONDITIONAL RELEASE [...] (S) Summary: The Cuban Government granted conditional probation December 6 to self-described pro-democracy activist Hector Palacios Ruiz, allowing him to head home from the Havana hospital where he says he spent the last three years. Palacios, apparently freed on health grounds, belongs to the [...] |
2006-12-06 22:39:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23582 |
ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, CUBAN MOB ATTACKS ACTIVISTS [...] (C) Summary: A large group of Cuban communist militants and State Security officials broke up a Human Rights Day march by 12 peaceful activists, throwing several to the ground in front of UNESCO's Havana office. The activists, led by Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramirez, were pushed, kicked and punched, [...] |
2006-12-11 21:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23588 |
SCENESETTER FOR CODEL FLAKE: FIDEL EBBING AWAY [...] (SBU) Summary: CODEL Flake arrives at a pivotal, historic time in Cuba. We and others consider Fidel Castro's health to be so critical that he could die any day. His brother, Raul Castro, has been in charge since July 31, 2006, and has done nothing to significantly change the Cuban regime's [...] |
2006-12-12 18:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | OREP PREL PGOV ECON PHUM KDEM SMIG CU |
| 06HAVANA23602 |
PAYA: IT'S TIME FOR U.S.-CUBA DIALOGUE [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban pro-democracy activist Oswaldo Paya told COM on December 13 that the time has come for the United States and Cuba to hold talks in order to "change the atmosphere" in bilateral relations. Paya said the Cuban Government has for decades succeeded at making the United [...] |
2006-12-14 21:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23608 |
CUBAN REGIME STIFFS CODEL FLAKE [...] (C) Summary: A Congressional Delegation led by Rep. Jeff Flake (R/AZ) spent the December 15-17 weekend publicly urging a change in US policy, but privately getting rebuffed by a Cuban regime that insisted it had no reason or desire to reform itself. The CODEL presented a letter requesting re [...] |
2006-12-18 17:00:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | OREP PREL ECON PHUM KDEM CU |
| 06HAVANA23611 |
"LADIES IN WHITE" WEBSITE LAUNCHED [...] (C) A new, polished website on Cuba's "Ladies in White" was launched on December 18, produced by the NGO Spanish Solidarity With Cuba. The professionally crafted website (www.damasdeblanco.com), created with the Ladies' permission, describes the group's genesis (in April 2003, following the " [...] |
2006-12-18 20:44:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23612 |
CODEL FLAKE PRESS CONFERENCE [...] (SBU) Summary: CODEL Flake was besieged by international press upon arrival in Havana on December 15 (reftel). Both in their individual comments to the media and in a joint statement read at a December 17 press conference, CODEL members characterized this as a time for dialogue and an "histor [...] |
2006-12-18 20:55:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | OREP PREL ECON PHUM KDEM CU |
| 06HAVANA23617 |
CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP UNVEILS NEW MAGAZINE [...] (C) Summary: A new 75-page magazine, "Dawn," has been produced by the Cuban Human Rights Foundation, headed by blind activist Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva of Ciego de Avila. A Foundation member shared the first edition with us on December 18. Some of the material is already outdated, but the pu [...] |
2006-12-19 21:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA23623 |
CUBA: REGIME ECONOMIC THINKING, PLANNING CONTINUE [...] (C) Summary: A well-informed off-island source briefed us on December 20 on what he had learned of the evolving activity within the regime leadership to address the economic situation. Our source reports that the regime for the moment is focusing new ideas in just two provinces -- Pinar del R [...] |
2006-12-21 16:35:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINT ECON KDEM CU |
| 06HAVANA23624 |
RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL PRESS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-12-21 19:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU KPAO PGOV |
| 06HAVANA23634 |
CUBAN PARLIAMENT: NO FIDEL; RAUL ADMITS PROBLEMS [...] (C) Summary: Friday December 22 was Cuba's annual parliamentary session, at which Raul Castro permitted public admission of shortcomings in transportation, agriculture and housing, just after the economy minister bragged that Cuba grew by 12.5 percent in 2006. Parliamentary president Ricardo [...] |
2006-12-26 18:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON CU |
| 06HAVANA8633 |
"IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR HEALTH..." (AILMENTS AMONG [...] (C) Summary: Castro has reduced his public profile since February, but rumors of debilitating ill health are unfounded. Russian officials who met with him last week described Castro as "lively." In contrast, Raul Castro wears a back brace and appears to be in worse physical condition than his [...] |
2006-04-20 20:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR ECON SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA8769 |
CASTRO'S YOUTHFUL RECRUITS WAGE WAR ON CORRUPTION [...] (C) Summary: One of Castro's top concerns this year is the battle against corruption. In a campaign that began five months ago, hundreds of state workers have been fired or transferred. Thousands of "social workers" (unemployed youth) were enlisted to man the gas pumps and oversee the books at ho [...] |
2006-04-24 15:33:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI ECON CU |
| 06HAVANA8986 |
(CUBA IS) A STATE ON THE TAKE [...] (C) Summary: Castro has spent the past five months battling corruption in a country where trickery has become a way of life. Because most Cubans work for the state, the entire system - from petty officials to Castro's closest advisors - is rife with corrupt practices. Given state control over all [...] |
2006-04-26 18:34:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI ECON CU |
| 06HAVANA9060 |
ROQUE ROUGHED UP, BLOCKED FROM ATTENDING USG EVENT [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban pro-democracy activist Marta Beatriz Roque was recovering on April 26 after being roughed up by Communist militants who prevented her from leaving her neighborhood to attend a USG-organized event. Roque was not alone in being blocked; Elsa Morejon, the wife of polit [...] |
2006-04-26 21:42:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9102 |
ROCA, SANCHEZ RAP USINT'S INTERNET-ACCESS POLICY [...] (C) Summary: XXXXXXXXXXX on April 18 requested a meeting with COM, without declaring the reason. At the April 24 meeting, they presented a list of 10 independent journalists banned from USINT's two Internet Centers since 2004, saying they had been unfairly blacklisted. XXXXXXXXXXX called the [...] |
2006-04-27 19:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9342 |
POLITICAL PLURALISM KEY TO CUBA'S FUTURE, SAYS PAYA [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban pro-democracy activist Oswaldo Paya met with the COM on April 27 and argued that it will be imperative for a future, legitimate Cuban Government to embrace political pluralism. Paya said individual members of the Communist Party (CP) should not be excluded from the [...] |
2006-04-28 22:15:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PREL SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9343 |
POLITBURO MEMBER GOES DOWN HARD [...] (C) Summary: Politburo member Juan Carlos Robinson Agramonte was abruptly dismissed on April 28 for "arrogance, pretension, and behavior unbecoming of a communist." The harsh language suggests that Robinson's misdeeds were seriously offensive to top-level regime officials. He may also have b [...] |
2006-04-28 23:00:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9369 |
STATE TAXIS: A TEAMING, THIEVING MICROCOSM OF GOC [...] (SBU) Summary: State taxi drivers are expected to hand over their earnings to the GOC but do everything possible to avoid it. They play various tricks on the meter, from turning off the ignition and coasting down the hills, to jimmying the odometer. The GOC retaliates by installing sensors i [...] |
2006-05-03 14:04:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9469 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP [...] (C) Summary: Leading Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque is recovering after being roughed up by Communist militants outside her home. Roque, weary but defiant, met with COM April 29 and expressed pleasure with the wide media coverage of the incident and subsequent foreign-government attenti [...] |
2006-05-05 14:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9846 |
ROADTRIP BY CANADIAN POLOFF YIELDS HUMAN RIGHTS [...] (C) Summary: Canadian Poloff Ram Kamineni, who covers human rights, briefed us May 5 on his recent weeklong road-trip to the cities of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Manicaragua, Puerto Padre, Santa Clara and Santiago. Kamineni met dozens of pro-democracy activists and "Ladies in White" (relatives of [...] |
2006-05-08 20:18:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM SOCI CU |
| 06HAVANA9928 |
TEMPERS FLARE AT CUBAN HIV/AIDS SANITARIUM [...] (C) Summary: Around 227 sufferers of HIV/AIDS at a sanitarium outside Havana have reportedly launched a protest over inadequate food and medical care. At the facility in San Jose de las Lajas, in Havana Province, the 227, out of a total facility population of 252, are ignoring guards' orders [...] |
2006-05-09 22:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA1001 |
FIRST ROUND OF CUBAN ELECTIONS: "IT'S THE PROCESS, [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The first round of elections in Cuba covering only municipalities proceeded uneventfully as expected on October 21. A leading dissident, Guillermo Farinas, was detained in Villa Clara when he attempted to vote (to vote NO in his case). Two election observers, one Czech and [...] |
2007-10-22 17:02:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINS PREL |
| 07HAVANA1005 |
CUBA DETAINS SOME DIPLOMATIC POUCHES [...] (C) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: For the second time in a month, the Cuban government detained unclassified pouches destined for USINT Havana. Cuban officials claimed that the contents of these rejected pouches may violate the Vienna Convention by including items for personal rather than offi [...] |
2007-10-25 11:24:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | AMGT ATRN CU |
| 07HAVANA1011 |
TSA DELEGATION VISIT TO CUBA: 7-22 OCTOBER [...] (C) SUMMARY: A delegation from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) visited Cuba from 7 to 22 October to assess the security of Cuban airports where U.S. (OFAC-licensed) charter flights operate: i.e., Havana, Cienfuegos, Camaguey, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguin. Interchanges with [...] |
2007-10-26 07:59:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC EAIR ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA1018 |
CUBAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STAGE MASSIVE PROTESTS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Several hundred students at the University de Oriente in Santiago de Cuba participated in a protest the past several weeks. Initially a small group of students had surrounded the car of the dean to express their outrage in the wake of the rape of a female student about the lac [...] |
2007-10-26 16:35:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1019 |
PRESIDENT'S SPEECH STRIKES CHORDS IN CUBA [...] (C) SUMMARY: The President's October 24 speech on Cuba clearly struck several nerves on the island. Among the dissident community, especially those who attended a live screening of the speech at USINT, the speech and the appearance of close friends and relatives of Cuban political prisoners [...] |
2007-10-26 16:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU ECON PGOV PHUM PINR PINS PREL |
| 07HAVANA1029 |
USINT DISCUSSES POTUS SPEECH WITH LOCAL DIP CORPS [...] (C) Following up on the President's October 24 speech, USINT hosted meetings with ambassadors or their representatives from 46 embassies in Havana on October 29 and 30 to provide copies of the full text of the speech, highlight the most important points, and answer questions regarding the pr [...] |
2007-10-31 18:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1036 |
U.S. CHARTER AIRLINES IN CUBA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: This is a follow-up to HAVANA 01011, regarding the 10/7-22 visit by a delegation from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This cable addresses specifically the operations of OFAC-licensed U.S. charters in Cuba. Based on information gathered during the trip, we [...] |
2007-11-02 15:31:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL ASEC EAIR CU |
| 07HAVANA1037 |
CRACKDOWN ON YOUTH IN CENTRAL HAVANA [...] (C) SUMMARY: Independent journalist Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leyva informed several news outlets that between 60 to 70 youths were detained in Central Havana for wearing bracelets with the word "Cambio" ("Change") on them. Leyva has given staff at USINT several contradictory versions of how man [...] |
2007-11-02 18:18:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1038 |
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? [...] (C) SUMMARY: On Wednesday, October 24, Cuban state television broadcast a 14-minute excerpt of President Bush,s speech on Cuba only hours after he had delivered it. The next day,s issue of state-owned newspaper Granma devoted its entire second page to excerpts of the President,s speech, inclu [...] |
2007-11-02 18:18:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA1044 |
DAMAS DE BLANCO MEMBER DETAINED FOR CHANGE BRACELET [...] (C) SUMMARY: On 4 November a policeman took Bertha Soler, a leading activist in Damas de Blanco, an organization of the wives of Cuban political prisoners, to a police station in Central Havana after she refused to remove a bracelet with the word Cambio (Change) on it. After Bertha asserted [...] |
2007-11-05 21:53:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1052 |
CUBAN NATIONALISM AND THE BOLIVARIAN IDEAL [...] (C) Statements made by FM Perez Roque in a CNN interview at the UN last week that Cuba is "prepared to give up its sovereignty and flag" to become part of a greater Latin America seem to be arousing still further a dormant nationalism among ordinary Cubans. The first hints that Cubans are gr [...] |
2007-11-07 15:35:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PREL |
| 07HAVANA1056 |
INDEPENDENT ACADEMICS LABEL CUBA'S EDUCATIONAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: On 3 November 72 independent academics from all parts of Cuba attended a conference organized by Roberto de Miranda in his home in central Havana. They discussed all aspects of the state education system. The teachers and professors concluded that despite the government's com [...] |
2007-11-08 22:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1057 |
CUBA: IMPRESSIONS OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OUTSIDE [...] (C) SUMMARY: This is the third and final cable of a series regarding the 10/7-22 visit by a delegation from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Specifically, this cable conveys general impressions about economic conditions outside Havana from USINT's Econoff, who, by way of th [...] |
2007-11-08 22:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA106 |
ANATOMY OF AN INJUSTICE: CUBA'S RENE GOMEZ MANZANO [...] (C) Summary: Cuban political detainee Rene Gomez Manzano, who has spent more than 18 months in prison without charge, is a poster child for legal-system injustice. An attorney disbarred in 1995 for advocating legal reforms, Gomez was nursing a cold at home on July 22, 2005 when five political [...] |
2007-01-31 20:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA1068 |
LETTER FROM PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM WINNER [...] (C) BELOW IS AN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF A HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM DR. OSCAR ELIAS BISCET, THANKING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR AWARDING HIM THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM. THE NOTE, ROLLED UP LIKE A SMALL STRAW AND TUCKED INSIDE A SANITARY NAPKIN, WAS SNEAKED OU [...] |
2007-11-14 21:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA1070 |
25TH HAVANA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR [...] (C) SUMMARY: The 25th Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV-07) was held November 5-10 in Havana. This cable contrasts changes and new developments since last year. U.S. sales to Cuba have stagnated since last year and have dim prospects of improving. The Spanish government's policy of e [...] |
2007-11-16 13:44:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA1076 |
URGING THE SWISS TO PRESSURE THE CUBANS [...] (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 4. 2. (C) The Swiss Ambassador to Havana Bertrand Louis on November 15th met with Teresita Vicente, head of the Cuban Ministry of Exterior Relations (Minrex) Europe division, to request that USINT COM be received to discuss the current unclas [...] |
2007-11-16 20:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU |
| 07HAVANA1077 |
HAVANA POUCH STRATEGY [...] (C) Summary: The Government of Cuba (GOC) continues to reject bags from USINT unclassified diplomatic pouch deliveries, though a pattern of objectionable items is not discernable. USINT will implement a strategy with U.S. Despatch Agency Miami to identify types of materials being rejected. [...] |
2007-11-16 21:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU |
| 07HAVANA1081 |
DISSIDENT LEADER RECOMMENDS GRAVELY ILL ACTIVIST [...] (C) SUMMARY: Leading opposition leader Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") fell seriously ill on 17 November. He is currently hospitalized. Noted dissident Martha Beatriz Roque stated that she fears that Antunez may die in a Cuban hospital and recommends that the US make an offer of treatme [...] |
2007-11-19 22:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1087 |
ILL DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ MAY SEEK MEDICAL CARE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Further to Reftel, dissident figure Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") checked himself out of the hospital in Placetas (Villa Clara). He then traveled to Havana and several prominent dissidents asked GOC state security on 20 November for a commitment to provide quality medica [...] |
2007-11-21 21:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1089 |
BRAZIL'S NEW ENGAGEMENT WITH CUBA [...] (C) SUMMARY: Several recent developments point to Brazil's interest in building stronger bilateral ties with Cuba. The Brazilian government will increase export credits for its companies and will push for an audience with Fidel Castro during President Lula's upcoming visit. Petrobras has a [...] |
2007-11-23 16:57:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA1094 |
CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ RECEIVING [...] (C) SUMMARY: Further to Reftel, dissident figure Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") on 22 November entered the intensive care unit of Hospital Nacional in Havana. Opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) believes that he is receiving quality care and a thorough battery of medical tests [...] |
2007-11-23 23:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1096 |
CUBA: COM MEETING WITH POLISH AMBASSADOR [...] (C) USINT COM and POL officer met with Polish Ambassador Marzenna Adamczyk on 23 November to discuss the recent visit of a Polish delegation to inspect a new embassy facility and the efforts of Poland to engage Cuba,s civil society. Adamczyk reported that the delegation, which was led by the [...] |
2007-11-27 13:52:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA1098 |
SPAIN/CUBA: DISTINCTIVE POLICY CAN LEAD TO [...] (C) SUMMARY: SPANISH AMBASSADOR TO HAVANA ALONSO ZALDIVAR TOLD US 21 NOVEMBER THE NEXT ROUND OF THE BILATERAL HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH CUBA WOULD PROBABLY NOT OCCUR UNTIL EARLY 2008, WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED TO "SCHEDULING PROBLEMS." ALONSO EXPRESSED PLEASURE AT THE DROP IN POLITICAL PRISONERS O [...] |
2007-11-27 20:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM SP CU |
| 07HAVANA1102 |
CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ WANTS MEDICAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: Further to Reftel, dissident figure Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") left the Hospital in Havana because he did not want to undergo the exploratory surgery recommended by the doctors. Cuban medical staff did a large number of tests but the results were inconclusive as to id [...] |
2007-11-28 21:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1111 |
CUBA: FIDEL CASTRO'S HEALTH, CRITICS OF HUGO [...] (C) POL officer met with Spanish Embassy Political Counselor on 26 November for an informal discussion re the status of on-island affairs. Spanish POL Counselor noted that he was again hearing vague rumors from his own embassy and the Spanish business community regarding Fidel Castro,s deter [...] |
2007-11-30 14:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA1113 |
PASTORS FOR PEACE SERVE AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENTS THREATS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER [...] (C) On November 23, 2007 at the first ever meeting of USINT's American citizen wardens (SEPTEL to follow), a fifth year medical student at Havana's Latin American Medical School reported that he and the other students receiving scholarships from Pastors for Peace were warned against contact with US [...] |
2007-11-30 17:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | CASC CU KDEM PHUM SCUL |
| 07HAVANA1115 |
DISSIDENTS WANT TO CONSTRUCT HOMES FOR POOR CUBANS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Todos Unidos, an umbrella organization of several dissident organizations, is entering a totally new field of activity by developing a project to renovate the homes of poor Cubans. They plan to start with 12 homes in the Arroyo Naranjo neighborhood of Havana. USINT believes t [...] |
2007-11-30 18:57:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1121 |
CUBANS REACT TO VENEZUELAN VOTE WITH MIXTURE OF [...] (C) SUMMARY: Cuban dissidents are overjoyed with the defeat of Chavez's proposed constitutional changes. They see this as the end of a messianic campaign of Chavez to be leader of an anti-US bloque. Many also feel that the referendum is a powerful lesson in democracy for the Cuban people. [...] |
2007-12-05 14:09:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1134 |
POLICE BEAT DISSIDENTS IN CHURCH IN SANTIAGO DE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Cuban police on 4 December entered the church of St. Teresita in Santiago de Cuba and beat with clubs and used pepper spray on about 25 dissidents who along with other parishioners were awaiting the beginning of mass. The dissidents had held a peaceful march to the church to pr [...] |
2007-12-06 21:34:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1136 |
POLICE ASSAULT DISSIDENT LEADER ANTUNEZ [...] (C) SUMMARY: On 6 December opposition leader Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") while he planned for a peaceful march of activists in Placetas noticed that police vehicles were surrounding the area. He went to the corner in front of his home where he had planned to meet the 10 other part [...] |
2007-12-07 17:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1145 |
CUBA TO SIGN UN ACCORDS AS DEMONSTRATIONS MARK [...] (C) SUMMARY: Human Rights Day in Cuba saw a wide variety of activity. The Damas de Blanco held two well attended marches on Sunday and Monday to mark the Day. Although state security forces monitored these activities closely, the authorities avoided any significant confrontation. In contr [...] |
2007-12-12 13:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1153 |
PROPOSED GOC TAX ON HARD CURRENCY EARNINGS: [...] (U) Beginning in early January, 2008, the GOC will tax previously undeclared salaries paid to Cubans employed by foreign companies. These employees officially work for the GOC entity CUBALSE, which receives payment for them from the foreign companies and passes a minimal amount on to the empl [...] |
2007-12-13 22:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU ECON EFIN PGOV PINR |
| 07HAVANA1157 |
SWISS PRESS CUBANS ON USINT TREATMENT, AND DRAW A [...] (C) SWISS AMBASSADOR LOUIS BRIEFED USINT LATE MORNING 14 DECEMBER, JUST AFTER HIS MEETING WITH CUBAN MINREX DIRECTOR FOR NORTH AMERICA JOSEFINA VIDAL. DRAWING ON INSTRUCTIONS HE HAD RECEIVED LAST WEEK FROM BERN, AT HIS 12/14 MEETING AT MINREX, LOUIS PRESENTED VIDAL A SHORT DIP NOTE ASKING MINR [...] |
2007-12-14 23:31:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU US |
| 07HAVANA1170 |
IS FIDEL DONE? [...] (C) International press reports have zeroed in on the last two sentences of a letter from Fidel Castro to the evening talk show Mesa Redonda (Round Table) that dealt mostly with the Bali conference on global warming as an indication that he has announced his intention to "give up power" in C [...] |
2007-12-18 22:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PINR PINS PREL |
| 07HAVANA1171 |
DAUGHTER OF INDEPENDENT LIBRARIAN HELD [...] (C) SUMMARY: On 12 December, independent librarian Nereyda Rodriguez Rivero reported that she had not heard from her 19 year old daughter Yuricel Perez Rodriguez since 7 December. She said that a state security agent who had infiltrated her organization revealed that Yuricel had been picke [...] |
2007-12-18 22:24:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA1186 |
REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF SECTION 565 PROHIBITION [...] USINT Havana requests a waiver of Section 565 of Title V, Part C of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal years 1994 and 1995 (PL 103-236) (22 USC 2679c) as it applies to contracts that expend funds appropriated to the Department of State, and that would go to persons who comply with [...] |
2007-12-27 21:24:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ABLD AFIN AMGT ASUP ECON KBCT PHUM |
| 07HAVANA1188 |
COM CONVERSATION WITH FRENCH AMBASSADOR [...] (C) On December 27, COM lunched with Frederic Dore, the new French Ambassador to Havana, as part of our regular contact with the French embassy, but also in anticipation of France taking the EU lead in Cuba for the next year. Slovenia, the next leader of the EU Troika has no representation in [...] |
2007-12-28 21:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EU PGOV PINR PINS PREL |
| 07HAVANA1190 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP DEC. 14-28 [...] (C) ACTIVISTS DISTRIBUTE HUNDREDS OF COPIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION: On 21 December on a major thoroughfare in central Havana noted dissidents Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") and Felix Antonio Bonne Carcasses distributed over 400 copies of the UN Universa [...] |
2007-12-28 22:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA120 |
CUBA: 2006 MADRUGA PROTEST EXAMINED [...] (C) Summary and Comment: USINT has reviewed a videotape filmed by a resident of the Havana provincial town of Madruga, which shows a spontaneous neighborhood protest against police seeking to evict a well-respected citizen from his home and extort from him all his valuable property. The even [...] |
2007-02-06 14:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PHUM PGOV CU |
| 07HAVANA136 |
CUBAN GOVT RELEASES DETAINEE RENE GOMEZ MANZANO [...] (C) In a surprise move, the Cuban Government released prominent dissident Rene Gomez Manzano on February 8, after holding him without charge (reftel) following a 2005 protest. Gomez left Nieves Morejon prison in Sancti Spiritus province at 11 am and was driven to his Havana home, arriving arou [...] |
2007-02-08 20:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA143 |
INTELLECTUALS' DEBATE CONTINUES [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-09 19:53:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KPAO CU |
| 07HAVANA181 |
CUBA'S INDEPENDENT LIBRARIANS GATHER, DESPITE [...] (C) Summary: Despite an aggressive sabotage campaign by Cuban State Security, dozens of dissidents affiliated with Martha Beatriz Roque's organization held a one-day meeting in Havana on February 23 to mark the end of a six-month "Congress" of independent librarians. Around 50 activists took p [...] |
2007-02-26 18:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA198 |
CASTRO CALLS IN TO CHAVEZ' RADIO SHOW [...] (U) Summary: Media Tuesday evening February 27 aired a tape of Fidel Castro's call to Hugo Chavez during the latter's on-air radio show called "Alo Presidente." We believe the half-hour conversation was genuine, and did not appear edited. Castro and Chavez commented on Tuesday's stock-marke [...] |
2007-03-01 19:57:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ECON VE CU |
| 07HAVANA210 |
CUBAN OPPOSITION TO REGIME: THE (ART) SHOW MUST GO [...] (C) Summary: Using detentions, mob actions and other methods, the Cuban Government blocked at least 27 pro-democracy and human rights activists from attending a USINT-facilitated opposition art show on March 2, but at least 70 others managed to participate. State Security focused on youth acti [...] |
2007-03-05 19:45:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA22 |
POLITICAL PRISONERS DESCRIBE ANGUISH IN CAMAGUEY [...] (C) Summary: In a letter smuggled out of Cuba's infamous Kilo 7 prison in Camaguey, 16 political prisoners have denounced "barbaric" conditions, including violent and humiliating repression, a shortage of food, medical neglect and a visitation system "designed to destroy family ties." The lett [...] |
2007-01-08 20:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA228 |
WOMEN IN CUBAN OPPOSITION EXPRESS DEFIANCE, HOPE [...] (C) Summary: Women in the Cuban opposition expressed defiance to the regime and hope for the future in a meeting with COM Parmly on March 7, the eve of International Women's Day. Twenty-two women discussed the emergence of the "Ladies in White" as a powerful force within the opposition, as wel [...] |
2007-03-08 16:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KWMN KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA23 |
LADIES IN WHITE TO CINDY SHEEHAN: VISIT A CUBAN [...] (U) Summary: Cuba's "Ladies in White," relatives of political prisoners, have written to visiting American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and urged her to stop by a Cuban prison during her time on the island. Sheehan and other activists arrived in Havana on January 6 with plans to march to t [...] |
2007-01-09 11:15:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA239 |
RENE GOMEZ MANZANO: PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS [...] (C) Summary: Recently released political detainee Rene Gomez Manzano of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC) told COM Parmly and Emboff on March 6 that relations between Cuban pro-democracy groups are better than they have been in years. Gomez noted that all key opposition groups are u [...] |
2007-03-12 18:59:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU KDEM PHUM SOCI |
| 07HAVANA248 |
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF CUBAN CRACKDOWN DRAWS NEAR [...] (C) Summary: Cuban opposition groups are planning relatively few events to mark the March 18-20 anniversary of the 2003 "Black Spring" crackdown, in which the GOC arrested, quickly tried and sentenced 75 peaceful pro-democracy activists to lengthy prison terms. (Fifty-nine of the 75 remain in [...] |
2007-03-14 18:22:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA252 |
XXXXXXXXXXXXNEED A MILLION CUBANS IN THE STREETS [...] (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told COM and Pol-Econ Counselor March 14 that she was withdrawing from her day-to-day running of the APCS for health reasons and also to focus on the bigger picture. XXXXXXXXXXXX objective for the next few months is to plan for how to mobilize a million Cubans to take to the s [...] |
2007-03-15 19:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM CU |
| 07HAVANA258 |
CUBA: HOW BELIEVABLE IS A FIDEL CASTRO COMEBACK? [...] (C) Summary: XXXXXXXXXXXX passed us a document March 14 that describes Fidel Castro's declining health, as analyzed by a respected, XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX. The document concludes by saying that Castro has a terminal condition, and will suffer an inevitable deterioration of his faculties until [...] |
2007-03-16 18:28:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR CU |
| 07HAVANA265 |
PAYA: CUBAN REGIME NERVOUS ABOUT POLITICAL [...] (C) Summary: Cuban human rights leader Oswaldo Paya says that although the Cuban Government is projecting an air of confidence, thanks to Venezuelan largesse and expanding business with China, the regime is desperate about the domestic political situation and showing great insecurity. During a [...] |
2007-03-19 11:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA271 |
EMOTIONAL MARCH 18 FOR DAMAS DE BLANCO [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), spouses/relatives of political prisoners, commemorated the fourth anniversary of the 2003 crackdown with their trademark appearance at Santa Rita Church and march down Havana's 5th Avenue, followed by an emotional video-conference with form [...] |
2007-03-19 19:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | SOCI PHUM KPAO CU |
| 07HAVANA272 |
CUBAN REGIME BLOCKS "LADIES" FROM APPROACHING KEY [...] (C) Summary: Deploying 16 vehicles and dozens of officials, Cuban State Security prevented 20 "Ladies in White" from approaching Revolution Plaza at around 8:30 pm on March 18, the fourth anniversary of the start of the 2003 crackdown. The incident marked the first time in recent memory that [...] |
2007-03-19 19:41:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA285 |
CUBAN THUGS CONFRONT "LADIES IN WHITE" [...] (C) Summary: A Cuban Government-directed mob of at least 100 communist militants and State Security agents confronted the "Ladies in White" as they marched through Havana on March 20, the last of four days of activities to commemorate the 2003 "Black Spring" crackdown. At least three Ladies we [...] |
2007-03-21 18:19:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA298 |
CUBA/ITALY: WE WANT TO BUT WE CAN'T [...] (C) Summary: Italian Ambassador to Havana Vecchione said Cuban Foreign Minister Perez Roque's March 15 visit to Rome reached a predictable impasse: Roque wanting to improve relations with Italy, but with conditions unacceptable to the Italians. The Italians, in turn, told Roque to accept the [...] |
2007-03-23 18:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL CU IT EUN |
| 07HAVANA311 |
WITH NGO BACKING, "LADIES IN WHITE" TO APPEAL TO [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's "Ladies in White" will send a note to the UN's Human Rights Council on March 28, calling on the body to demand that the Cuban Government immediately release its prisoners of conscience. The note, translated unofficially in Paragraph 3, is supported by ten of the country's [...] |
2007-03-28 17:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA315 |
CUBA: SWEDES GET TASTE OF OUR WORLD [...] (C) Swedish Ambassador Christer Elm on March 29 gave COM and Pol-Econ Counselor an update on the recent diplomatic flap between Sweden and Cuba, beginning with Foreign Minister Carl Bildt's March 12 mention of Cuba at the UNHRC as a country of Human Rights concern. The rough sequence of event [...] |
2007-03-30 12:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SW CU |
| 07HAVANA317 |
CUBAN REGIME REMOVES JUSTICE MINISTER [...] (U) Cuban official media announced March 24 that Justice Minister Roberto Diaz Sotolongo would be replaced by Vice Minister Maria Esther Reus. Additionally, Water Resources Institute Director Jorge Luis Aspiolea would be replaced by his deputy, Rene Mesa. 2. (U) Although the regime's public ann [...] |
2007-03-30 16:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV CU |
| 07HAVANA318 |
ANOTHER CUBAN GROUP, ANC, SEEKS PRISONERS' RELEASE [...] (C) Summary: Seventeen Cuban pro-democracy activists affiliated with the National Constitutionalist Alliance (ANC) gathered in Havana on March 29 and called for the release of political prisoners. State Security did not interfere with the meeting. ANC leader Angel Pablo Polanco told reporter [...] |
2007-03-30 17:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA33 |
CUBA'S VALDES TAMAYO, FREED 75ER, DIES AT HOSPITAL [...] (C) Summary: Cuban pro-democracy activist Miguel Valdes Tamayo died at 50 on January 10 after battling heart problems. Valdes, an executive of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society (APSC), was among the 75 activists rounded up and sentenced to long terms in March/April of 2003. In June 2004, [...] |
2007-01-11 20:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA332 |
CUBA/SPAIN: MORATINOS VISIT CAUSES HARM [...] (C) Summary: Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos' high-profile visit to Cuba, which ended April 3, gave a boost to the Cuban regime, at the expense of Cuba's democratic opposition. To the extent that Cuba and Spain have created a Human Rights "mechanism," it does not appear to obligate the Cu [...] |
2007-04-04 19:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM KDEM CU SP |
| 07HAVANA342 |
CUBA: TOURISM'S DECLINE MAKES GOC NERVOUS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Cuban tourism figures for the first trimester of 2007 were dismal: An overall decrease of 15 percent, the worst drop in 15 years. For years the GOC ignored the warnings from foreign hotel companies about addressing weaknesses in the sector. Successful competition from alterna [...] |
2007-04-06 14:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD EINV PGOV CU |
| 07HAVANA355 |
GERMANY ON CUBA/EU AFTER MORATINOS VISIT [...] (C) German Charge Michael Klepsch told Pol-Econ Counselor April 11 that EU embassies in Havana this week would be sending in their on-the-ground observations to the EU's COLAT, at which Spain was expected to report on Foreign Minister Moratinos' visit and try to sell a new approach to Cuba. K [...] |
2007-04-12 11:52:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM CU EUN |
| 07HAVANA360 |
CUBA: INNOVATIVE PUBLICATION SHUTTING DOWN, AT [...] (U) As has been reported widely in the media, the Church-sponsored independent magazine called "Vitral" (stained glass), launched in 1999, is now shutting down. Its editor, Dagoberto Valdes, who had obtained permission and material support from the Bishop of Pinar del Rio to run the magazine, [...] |
2007-04-12 19:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | SOCI PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA362 |
REPRESSION IN CUBA DECLINING? DON'T BELIEVE IT. [...] (C) Summary: In the eight months since Fidel Castro "delegated" power to Raul, the Cuban Government has managed to maintain and even broaden the level of repression against dissidents, while reducing the number of political prisoners. The GOC has succeeded in convincing some observers that r [...] |
2007-04-13 16:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA367 |
CUBAN OPPOSITION AGREES ON UNITY STATEMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: THE TOP CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADERS HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON A UNITY TEXT, WHICH THEY REPORT WILL BE RELEASED THE EVENING OF APRIL 15. THE TEXT IS THE HANDIWORK OF OSWALDO PAYA, BUT HAS THE SIGNATURES OF MARTHA BEAITRIZ ROQUE, LAURA POLLAN, VLADIMIRO ROCA, ELIZARDO SANCHEZ, OSCAR E [...] |
2007-04-14 16:45:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | PINR PREL PHUM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA372 |
CUBAN OPPOSITION AGREES ON UNITY STATEMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: THE TOP CUBAN DISSIDENT LEADERS HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON A UNITY TEXT, WHICH THEY REPORT WILL BE RELEASED THE EVENING OF APRIL 15. THE TEXT IS THE HANDIWORK OF OSWALDO PAYA, BUT HAS THE SIGNATURES OF MARTHA BEAITRIZ ROQUE, LAURA POLLAN, VLADIMIRO ROCA, ELIZARDO SANCHEZ, OSCAR E [...] |
2007-04-16 17:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PREL PHUM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA373 |
CUBA: MORE ON THE OPPOSITION UNITY DOCUMENT [...] (SBU) Pol-Econ Counselor followed up April 16 with "All United" leader Vladimiro Roca on next steps for the "Unity for Freedom" document that he and twelve other key dissidents had signed on Friday April 13 and released to the media on Sunday April 15. According to Roca, each of the original [...] |
2007-04-16 17:45:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA386 |
BISCET, PULIDO SUFFER IN PRISON, AND OTHER ABUSES [...] (SBU) Political Prisoners Wither Away: High-profile political prisoner Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet's wife, Elsa Morejon, visited USINT April 17 and described Biscet's deteriorated physical condition at Combinado del Este prison: Severe bucal sepsis; arterial hypertension; hypercolesterolemia; gas [...] |
2007-04-19 13:22:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA402 |
CUBAN DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY SPELLS A-R-R-O-G-A-N-T [...] (C) The Cuban regime trotted Fidel Castro out for a meeting with visiting Chinese Politburo member Wu Guanzheng, following soon after Foreign Minister Perez Roque's visit to China. Perez Roque also visited India and used Cuba's presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to obtain a NAM stat [...] |
2007-04-25 10:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA406 |
CUBA RELEASES 6 DETAINEES WHO COMPLETED SENTENCES [...] (U) On April 24, the Cuban regime released from detention six of its citizens that it had arrested in July of 2005: Lazaro Alonso Roman, Manuel Perez Soria, Elio Enrique Chavez Ramon, Jose Diaz Silva, Emilio Leyva Perez, and Dulian Ramirez Ballester. The arrests in July 2005 were for peaceful [...] |
2007-04-25 18:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA48 |
UPROAR AMONG CUBAN INTELLECTUALS [...] (C) Summary: The recent reappearance on Cuban state television of three former officials responsible for cultural pogroms in the 1960s and 1970s has set off a firestorm of reaction among prominent Cuban intellectuals. In an email exchange addressed to a &who,s who8 of Cuban literary figures [...] |
2007-01-17 19:00:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KPAO CU |
| 07HAVANA5 |
CASTRO ALIVE FOR 48TH ANNIVERSARY OF REGIME [...] (C) Summary: Cuban media carried a New Years message from Fidel Castro noting the passing of 48 years since he assumed power, and also announcing that he is still on a slow path to recovery from his medical crisis. XXXXXXXXXXXX still believes Castro is terminally ill, even if the report from [...] |
2007-01-03 18:49:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINS PINR CU |
| 07HAVANA503 |
CUBANS, SPANISH PREPARE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING [...] (C) Summary. The Spanish Embassy in Havana says that next week's Spain-Cuba Human Rights consultations will be a step in the right direction, and that all issues are in play. Spanish MFA representative Dezcallar will see GOC officials, but not any dissidents. Spanish Embassy is reaching out t [...] |
2007-05-23 18:52:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM KDEM CU SP |
| 07HAVANA526 |
CUBA: KEY DISSIDENTS' EXTERNAL NETWORKING [...] (C) Dissident leaders Vladimiro Roca, Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), and Oswaldo Paya spoke at length this week to Pol-Econ Counselor about their off-island networking, with most emphasis on Europeans and the exile Cuban community in the USA. Highlights follow: -- Unity for Liberty document: [...] |
2007-05-25 19:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KDEM PHUM CU EUN |
| 07HAVANA53 |
YOUNG CUBAN ACTIVISTS CONSIDER HOLDING ANOTHER [...] (C) Summary: Leaders of three influential Cuban opposition youth groups met on January 17 and warmed to the idea of holding an ambitious youth forum, possibly in March. The prospective gathering would bring together perhaps 300 youth activists from across the island. The three leaders -- Nes [...] |
2007-01-18 21:08:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA538 |
CUBA: BIG BROTHER THREATENS LADY IN WHITE [...] (C) Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco) representative Laura Pollan travelled last week from Havana to Manzanillo, on the eastern end of the island, to attend to some family business. While there she also visited a religious shrine in nearby Santiago and was given permission by a priest to make [...] |
2007-05-31 18:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA543 |
CUBA/SPAIN/EU: EMPTY GLASS APPEARS HALF FULL [...] (C) Czech Charge d'Affaires Vitor Korselt told COM June 1st that Spain made some headway with the rest of the Europeans, based on Ambassador Carlos Alonzo Zaldivar's May 31 briefing to EU Chiefs of Mission regarding the May 29-30 Spain/Cuba Human Rights consultations. According to Korselt, th [...] |
2007-06-01 18:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM SP EUN CU |
| 07HAVANA548 |
CUBA: FREE LABOR SURVEY SHOWS DISILLUSIONMENT [...] (SBU) Independent labor leaders Carmelo Diaz and Aurelio Bachiller carried out a survey during April and May to measure the acceptance and impact of Labor Resolutions 187 and 188, which went into effect on April 2. These were originally announced by the Council of Ministers last Fall, aimed a [...] |
2007-06-05 13:02:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB PHUM ECON CU |
| 07HAVANA572 |
CLAIMS OF CUBAN COMMUNIST PERESTROIKA LITE [...] (C) Dissident Economist Oscar Espinosa Chepe handed us an article written by retired GOC diplomat and academician Pedro Campos Santos on the subject of reform of Cuba's economy--written by and for communists as a "food-for-thought" paper. The point of departure for the article was Raul Castro [...] |
2007-06-13 08:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON KDEM CU |
| 07HAVANA591 |
RAUL CASTRO'S WIFE VILMA ESPIN DIES [...] (U) The Cuban regime has announced that Vilma Espin, wife of acting Cuban dictator Raul Castro, died on Monday, June 18. The regime has declared Tuesday, June 18, a day of mourning. Espin is one of the matriarchs and charter members of the Cuban revolution, and without there ever being any public [...] |
2007-06-19 09:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR CU |
| 07HAVANA597 |
CUBA: MORE NEW CUSTOMS REGULATIONS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GOC has restructured customs regulations for non-commercial imports and exports. Several regulations that were originally independently introduced for different reasons at different times and by different ministries have been modified in what appears to be an attempt to harmo [...] |
2007-06-21 13:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL ETRD CU |
| 07HAVANA609 |
CUBA'S MASSIVE MOBILIZATION CAPACITY [...] (C) SUMMARY: Despite its limited resources, the GOC has proven that, when it wants to, it can successfully mobilize people and assets. This cable describes some examples of this and provides a window into the existing organizational infrastructures and capabilities. It is an open question ho [...] |
2007-06-26 15:24:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA610 |
FERMENT IN CUBAN MASONIC MOVEMENT [...] (C) At the instigation of former Cuban Masonic Grand Master Jose Manuel Collera Vento, the current Cuban Grand Lodge issued a decree recently that dissolves the Masonic Supreme Court, ostensibly for mishandling a misconduct case. Members of at least one regular lodge have formally requested th [...] |
2007-06-26 15:34:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PHUM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA612 |
CONSENSO ON-LINE: AN IMPARTIAL FORUM IN CUBA? [...] No summary [...] |
2007-06-26 16:22:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | CU PGOV PROP SCUL |
| 07HAVANA617 |
HOW TO SHATTER A CASTRO-PHILE'S ARGUMENTS [...] USINT is pleased to send in this distillation of the best of our briefings and responses to questions about Cuba, usually from audiences that are opposed to U.S. policy towards Cuba. These include foreign diplomats, U.S. university students and professors, U.S. congressmen and staff, U.S. jou [...] |
2007-06-28 08:41:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | PROP PREL ECON KDEM PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA619 |
DISSIDENT CUBAN WRITERS LAUNCH PEN CLUB [...] (SBU) A group of dissident Cuban writers, led by former political prisoner Jorge Oliveira and Victor Manuel Dominguez, founded a PEN Club in Cuba, and held its first activity June 26 at the COM Residence. The event was largely cultural, with a Cuban trio performing Cuban and American music, a [...] |
2007-06-28 13:56:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SCUL KDEM PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA622 |
CONSENSO ON-LINE: AN IMPARTIAL FORUM IN CUBA? [...] (C) SUMMARY: REINALDO ESCOBAR AND YOANI SANCHEZ, TWO OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE INNOVATIVE AND INCREASINGLY POPULAR ON-LINE MAGAZINE CONSENSO (CONSENSUS), DISCUSSED ORIGINAL APPROACHES TO CIVIL DIALOGUE IN CUBA WITH COM MICHAEL PARMLY AND A/PAO JOHN VANCE. CONSENSO FOSTERS DISCOURSE FRO [...] |
2007-06-28 16:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PROP SCUL |
| 07HAVANA636 |
ZAPATERO WRITES TO DAMAS DE BLANCO [...] (SBU) Spanish leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero wrote a letter to Laura Pollan, representatives of the "Ladies in White" saying that Spain's engagement with the Cuban regime is aimed at raising human rights concerns, including release of the "Ladies'" husbands, who are political prisoners. T [...] |
2007-07-03 09:15:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM SP CU |
| 07HAVANA646 |
CUBA: PROBLEMZ IN SKOOL [...] (SBU) Summary: A group of independent teachers discussed with USINT COM and staff the many problems facing Cuba's educational system, making it clear that the Cuban regime's self-promoted reputation as an education success story is propaganda based on only some elements of truth. Main proble [...] |
2007-07-05 17:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | SCUL KDEM PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA657 |
CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONERS: NOT A NUMBERS GAME [...] (SBU) Summary: The dissident "Cuban Commission on Human Rights," run by Elizardo Sanchez, published a periodic listing of political prisoners July 6, which all international media headlined as "Number of Political Prisoners in Cuba Decreases." The number cited was 246, down from 283 when the r [...] |
2007-07-09 13:29:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA668 |
CUBA: TWO PATHS TO REGIME CHANGE [...] (C) Summary: Cuba's two most prominent dissident leaders, Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) and Oswaldo Paya, have described to us their hopes and plans for transforming the Cuban regime, a process that neither of them claims to be able to make happen in the short term. MBR sees her own role as a c [...] |
2007-07-12 14:16:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PINS PGOV KDEM CU |
| 07HAVANA677 |
LATAM BISHOPS OPEN AND CLOSE EYES IN CUBA [...] (C) Summary: The Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM) met in Havana during the week of July 9-13, addressing matters mostly internal to the Church. They took part in a reception hosted by the Cuban regime, which produced bland statements about Church-State dialog, and also took note of [...] |
2007-07-16 16:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM SOCI PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA685 |
CUBA: DISSIDENT DAGOBERTO VALDES REAPPEARS [...] (C) Dissident Church lay leader Dagoberto Valdes appeared out of the blue in Havana July 18, and met with Charge at a Polish Embassy reception. Valdes said he and the staff that worked with him in the Pinar del Rio "Center for Civic and Religious Training" are all no longer involved in any ca [...] |
2007-07-19 12:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | SOCI PHUM CU |
| 07HAVANA733 |
COM CONVERSATION WITH HOLGUIN BISHOP EMILIO ARANGUREN [...] (C) Summary. On June 29, as part of a consular visit to a US citizen prisoner, COM Parmly and Conoff met with the bishop of Holguin province, Emilio Aranguren. Aranguren spoke extensively about the apparent growth of the cattle population in the countryside, noting that there had not been a [...] |
2007-08-01 19:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM EAGR ECON SOCI PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA743 |
COM CONVERSATION WITH HOLGUIN BISHOP EMILIO [...] (C) Summary. On June 29, as part of a consular visit to a US citizen prisoner, COM Parmly and Conoff met with the bishop of Holguin province, Emilio Aranguren. Aranguren spoke extensively about the apparent growth of the cattle population in the countryside, noting that there had not been a [...] |
2007-08-02 17:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM EAGR ECON SOCI PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA8 |
FOR CUBANS, A NOT-SO-MERRY CHRISTMAS [...] (C) Summary: At year's end, USINT delivered a letter from U.S. Congress members to Cuban human rights activists, and in the process learned about the subdued holiday season in Havana. The letter, a reply from December CODEL leaders Reps. Jeff Flake and William Delahunt to a message from activ [...] |
2007-01-04 18:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI OREP CU |
| 07HAVANA806 |
CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY HANGS OVER CHAVIANO RELEASE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Released after 13 years in prison, Francisco Chaviano, a prominent Cuban opposition figure, wants to remain in Cuba to continue his work after seeking urgently needed medical care in the U.S. However, Cuban authorities have still not spelled out the conditions of his release. He [...] |
2007-08-17 16:25:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA81 |
CUBAN DISSIDENTS LIVE UNDER THREAT OF DETENTION [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government continues to use political detentions, and to a lesser extent violence, to punish, intimidate and silence opponents of the regime. On January 22, a youth activist was taken into custody and two other dissidents recovered from street attacks. Meanwhile, the r [...] |
2007-01-26 20:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA88 |
FARINAS: CUBAN GOVT PUNISHING 4 STATE SECURITY [...] (C) Summary: The Cuban Government has punished four State Security officials in the wake of a violent attack that left two Villa Clara dissidents bruised and bloodied, according to human rights activist Guillermo Farinas. Farinas, quoting Interior Ministry sources, says the GOC forced two Stat [...] |
2007-01-30 19:55:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM SOCI CU |
| 07HAVANA894 |
POLICE ORGANIZE MOB TO THREATEN HUMAN RIGHTS MARCH [...] (SBU) Summary: Leading human rights activist Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello told Poloff that on Wednesday a group of ten dissidents participated in a march in the town of Santa Clara. The police organized a group of civilians who threatened the marchers with sticks. However; no one was actual [...] |
2007-09-11 11:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA895 |
POLICE ORGANIZE MOB TA [...] No summary [...] |
2007-09-11 16:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA896 |
CONVERSATION WITH DAGOBERTO VALDES [...] (C) SUMMARY: At a September 5 dinner at the COM Residence, Dagoberto Valdes, former editor-in-chief of Vitral, Pinar del Rio's Catholic review, reflected on life after his resignation from Vitral, the institution of the Church, and his future role as someone who does not want to compete agains [...] |
2007-09-11 16:04:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA897 |
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CUBAN SOCIETY [...] (C) SUMMARY: COM's attendance at the September 7 procession of Our Lady of Regla, along with his visit the following day to the Church of Our Lady of la Caridad del Cobre, offered opportunity to observe the dynamics of the Catholic Church,s place in Cuban society. Both events enjoyed large [...] |
2007-09-11 16:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA904 |
PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR ON UNGA TALKS WITH CUBANS [...] (C) PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR TO CUBA MARIO GODINHO DE MATOS BRIEFED COM ON 11 SEPTEMBER ON WHAT HE KNOWS OF THE UPCOMING PORTUGUESE/EU TALKS WITH THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT. THE EXACT DATES FOR THE TALKS IN NEW YORK, ON THE MARGINS OF UNGA, HAVE NOT YET BEEN SET, BUT THE TARGET IS FOR ONE DAY BETWEEN 2 [...] |
2007-09-12 15:17:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EU PO CU |
| 07HAVANA913 |
CUBAN DELEGATION AT LASA: GOC APPROACHES ACADEMIA [...] (C) SUMMARY: The 2007 International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) was held in Montreal, Canada, September 5-8. The Cuban delegation was the largest ever to a LASA conference and they portrayed the successful change of venue from the U.S. to Canada as a "victory" [...] |
2007-09-13 15:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA920 |
MEETING WITH MINREX REGARDING DETAINED DIPLOMATIC POUCHES [...] (C) On 17 SEP 2007 EMBOFFS met with representatives from the Cuban Ministry of External Relations (MINREX), Cuban customs, and AeroVaradero Cargo Company to discuss three crates of diplomatic pouch currently held by Cuban customs. This meeting was requested by MINREX through a 14 SEP 2007 dip [...] |
2007-09-18 08:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ADPM AMGT KRIM ADCO ASEC CU |
| 07HAVANA930 |
DISSIDENT SAYS REGIME SEES NO CHOICE BUT TO [...] (C) SUMMARY: Leading dissident Rene Gomez Manzano believes that Raul Castro has a government team in place that is committed to instituting meaningful economic reforms. He also believes that Fidel is no longer a factor in policy decisions. Gomez thinks Raul and his allies in the governmen [...] |
2007-09-21 16:04:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA965 |
DISSIDENTS PUSH ENVELOPE WHILE REGIME ADJUSTS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Leading dissident Martha Beatriz Roque organized a protest on 27 September in front of the Ministry of Justice. She handed to officials a letter for the Minister demanding the release of all political prisoners. Accompanied by eight other dissidents, MBR waited for four hours [...] |
2007-10-03 07:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA977 |
CUBA: SPAIN TO RENEW AID, BUT SLOW TO INCREASE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Spanish Assistant Secretary of State for Cooperation Leire Pajin signed an agreement on September 29 to implement the renewal of development assistance to the island. Separately, the Joint Spanish-Cuban Business Committee ended with both countries discussing the possibility of [...] |
2007-10-05 15:57:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 07HAVANA992 |
USINT AND CUBINT VEHICLE PURCHASES [...] (C) Action request: Earlier this year, the Department sent a diplomatic note to the Cuban Interests Section in Washington (CUBINT), denying CUBINT's request to purchase four vehicles locally. While we understand and support the Department's use of reciprocity to try to improve our working cond [...] |
2007-10-15 14:18:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | AMGT ATRN CU |
| 07HAVANA993 |
PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR ON EU-TROIKA METING WITH GOC [...] (C) Portuguese Ambassador to Cuba Mario Godinho de Matos provided COM with a readout of the September 24 meeting between a GOC team headed by FM Perez Roque and representatives of the EU troika. In general, Godinho de Matos, readout tracked with that obtained by Embassy Lisbon (reftel) with [...] |
2007-10-15 16:28:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EU PGOV PREL |
| 07HAVANA996 |
IF YOU INVITE THEM, THEY WILL COME [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Charg d'Affaires hosted an Iftar dinner for the diplomatic community on October 9. The 54 guests in attendance included 11 ambassadors and five charges from 22 countries, most of them with large Muslim populations. The event--the first of its kind offered by USINT--drew [...] |
2007-10-16 15:48:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 07HAVANA999 |
INTERNATIONAL WOMAN OF COURAGE: MARTHE BEATRIZ [...] (SBU) Summary: In response in request in reftel, Post wishes to re-nominate leading Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque for the International Woman of Courage Award. As we noted in nominating Ms Roque for the inaugural award in 2007, while her work is not focused specifically on women's is [...] |
2007-10-19 16:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KDEM PHUM |
| 08HAVANA103 |
CUBAN HEALTHCARE: “AQUI NADA ES FACIL†[...] (C) SUMMARY: This cable is a follow up to Reftel and provides anecdotal accounts from Cubans about their healthcare, based on USINT FSHP's (Foreign Service Health Practitioner) interactions with them, her unauthorized visits to Cuban hospitals, and her care of USINT American and Cuban personnel. En [...] |
2008-01-31 19:52:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL ECON AMED SOCI AMGT CU |
| 08HAVANA107 |
GETTING ANTUNEZ OFF THE ISLAND [...] (C) SUMMARY: In spite of chronic health problems and in the face of increased pressure from the GOC, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (Antunez) continues to press forward with his campaigns to force change in Cuba. We believe that he urgently needs medical attention off the island. He is taking the [...] |
2008-02-01 21:48:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA120 |
CUBA DISSIDENT GROUP FLAMUR: POLITICAL MOVEMENT OR [...] (C) SUMMARY: Dissident group FLAMUR (Latin American Federation of Rural Women) seeks to represent the interests of rural women in Cuba. The group receives guidance and other supplies from support groups in the U.S. During 2007, it drafted a petition calling for the GOC to do away with the [...] |
2008-02-06 14:42:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA136 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP: JAN 25-FEB 8 [...] (C) FIFTY FAMILIES EVICTED FROM SETTLEMENT IN HOLGUIN: On January 29, about fifty families were evicted from the El Piti neighborhood on the outskirts of the city of Holguin. According to independent journalist Jose Ramon Pupo Nieves, the families received written notice a month in advance of [...] |
2008-02-08 22:53:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA144 |
STATE OF THE CUBAN ECONOMY [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GOC claimed 7.5% GDP growth during 2007. Although even that figure is most likely exaggerated, it is significantly less growth than was claimed the previous year. While "by how much" the economy grew is debatable, it is undeniable that the Cuban economy is growing. The GO [...] |
2008-02-12 21:22:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA158 |
HAVANA RESPONSE TO STATE 10743 [...] (C) Following responses to questions posed in Reftel, para 4: -- A. The Pol/Econ Section handles energy matters. -- B. The employees dealing with energy matters are: One Pol/Econ Officer who is responsible for the complete Econ-ESTH portfolio; and one Local Contract National (LCN) ded [...] |
2008-02-15 16:58:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON SENV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA159 |
IMMINENT RELEASE OF PROMINENT CUBAN POLITICAL [...] (C) Summary: The Spanish Ambassador to Cuba has confirmed reports from reliable contacts in Cuban civil society and the media that the government of Cuba has arranged for the release of four political prisoners. Sources say an announcement of their release may happen momentarily and their tr [...] |
2008-02-15 20:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA162 |
MBR AND PAYA ON PRISONER RELEASES TO SPAIN [...] (C) Summary: Dissidents Martha Beatriz Roque and Oswaldo Paya concur on most key points regarding the release of political prisoners from Cuba to Spain.COM spoke to both late the night of 17 February. MBR had spoken to one of the released (Prenet); Paya to two of the others (Alvarez Ramos a [...] |
2008-02-19 16:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU US |
| 08HAVANA164 |
SNAPSHOT OF CUBA ON THE EVE OF FIDEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT [...] No summary [...] |
2008-02-19 18:34:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PINS |
| 08HAVANA166 |
HOLGUIN BISHOP SAYS SITUATION IN EASTERN CUBA IS [...] (C) Summary: On 18 February, Monsignor Emilio Aranguren, Bishop of Holguin, described the situation in Eastern Cuba as in constant flux. He expressed that unlike in Western Cuba, where a great deal of the opposition is well organized with specific goals, in Eastern Cuba people react to eve [...] |
2008-02-19 21:15:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA167 |
REACTIONS TO FIDEL,S RESIGNATION -- FEAR, HOPE, [...] No summary [...] |
2008-02-20 13:39:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV CU |
| 08HAVANA168 |
CUBAN YOUTH CAUGHT BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR [...] (C) Summary: In two meetings Cuban youth groups said young people see that they have a historic opportunity to create a change in their country. However, they report widespread fear among the population. They state that Cuban youth want change but are unclear as to what exactly these changes w [...] |
2008-02-20 19:54:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA169 |
CUBA AFTER FIDEL'S RESIGNATION: DAY TWO [...] No summary [...] |
2008-02-21 22:39:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV CU |
| 08HAVANA170 |
LIFE OUTSIDE HAVANA- TRIP OBSERVATIONS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: January 17, 2008, COM and ConOff traveled to Guardalavaca and Holguin in Holguin Province to visit an American prisoner being held there. However, the travel also afforded a rare opportunity for USINT personnel to see conditions in the provinces and converse with people outside [...] |
2008-02-21 22:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EAGR ECON SOCI |
| 08HAVANA181 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP FEB. 8-22 [...] (C) LEADING DISSIDENT ROBERTO DE MIRANDA CALLED BEFORE STATE SECURITY: Roberto de Miranda (RDM), who was instrumental in creating Cuba's independent library movement, on February 8 was told to appear at an immigration office. The next day, when RDM and his wife went to the office, instead o [...] |
2008-02-22 22:10:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA182 |
CUBA: LOOKING AHEAD TO 24 FEBRUARY -- SEEMINGLY [...] (S) FEBRUARY 24 WILL, ON THE SURFACE, BE STRAIGHTFORWARD: SELECTION/CONFIRMATION OF WHO FIDEL AND RAUL WANT AS THE NEW CHIEF OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE, FOLLOWED BY NAMING OF THE CABINET. WHAT IS UNIQUE ON THIS OCCASION IS THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SUCH A SELECTION WITHOUT FIDEL BEING FORMALLY IN [...] |
2008-02-22 22:54:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PREL PGOV PINT CU US |
| 08HAVANA183 |
CUBA: RAUL CASTRO TAKES CHARGE IN HIS OWN WAY [...] (C) SUMMARY: Cuba's National Assembly convened on February 24 to elect the country's ruling Council of State. Raul Castro was voted president and announced plans to streamline GOC institutions and undertake some economic reforms. He also said he intends to consult Fidel Castro on important [...] |
2008-02-25 03:08:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA187 |
CUBA: REACTIONS FROM RAUL CASTRO'S SPEECH [...] (C) SUMMARY: Average Cubans seem unconvinced that Raul will be able -- or willing -- to improve their daily lives, but most seem to be willing to wait and see if changes materialize. Members of Cuban civil society are decidedly more negative about the future. End Summary. 2. (C) Most w [...] |
2008-02-25 23:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA201 |
CUBA: 2ND UPDATE ON REACTIONS TO RAUL'S SPEECH [...] (C) SUMMARY: Post continued to receive reactions to the events of February 24 from members of civil society, the Catholic Church, and average Cubans. For the short term, most Cubans dismiss the likelihood of political changes. Simultaneously, they are increasingly speculating about possible [...] |
2008-02-27 23:39:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA206 |
CUBA: 3RD AND FINAL UPDATE ON 2/24 [...] (C) SUMMARY: Cubans and diplomats tell us Raul seems to be firmly in charge and Fidel's influence appears to be under control. Cubans speculate on the possibility of small economic reforms ahead with no hope for political changes. End Summary. 2. (C) USINT's Refugee Unit elicited reacti [...] |
2008-02-29 22:14:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA207 |
CUBAN POLICE BEAT UP PRO-DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES FOR [...] (C) Summary: On March 1, police and members of Cuban state security confronted and beat 10 well known pro-democracy activists who were handing out copies of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in Central Havana. Some of the activists receive injuries. Police pushed those involved into cars, [...] |
2008-03-02 21:17:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA213 |
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA: SAME REPRESSION WITH [...] (C) Summary: Since Raul Castro assumed control of the Cuban government in July 2006, but especially since his July 26, 2007 speech, there has been a change in regime tactics for suppressing dissent. Focusing on the limited release of some political prisoners and the willingness to air diffe [...] |
2008-03-03 22:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA227 |
CUBA: RUMORS OF UPCOMING CHANGES PERSIST [...] (U) SUMMARY: Rumors continue to fly in Havana about possible changes the Cuban government may announce in the near future. These may provide insights into the priorities of ordinary Cubans. End Summary. 2. (SBU) Dual Currency: The rumor: "The GOC will announce at least a partial reva [...] |
2008-03-07 18:43:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA228 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP FEB. 23- MAR. 7 [...] (C) DISSIDENTS STILL NURSING INJURIES: Three of the pro-democracy activists are still recovering from their injuries after plainclothes members of state security beat them on March 1. The activists with seven others were distributing copies of the UN Declaration of Human Rights at the time [...] |
2008-03-07 21:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA23 |
CUBA: UNDER-THE-TABLE SALARIES TO BE TAXED [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Resolution 277, dated December 13, 2007, from the Ministry of Finance and Prices mandates that previously undeclared income from Cuban employees of foreign entities be taxed. While technically the tax will be levied directly on the workers, companies will nonetheless be taxed [...] |
2008-01-09 20:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | AMGT CU ECON PGOV PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA241 |
CUBAN YOUTH SEE NOT MUCH HOPE IN EITHER THE [...] (C) Summary: In a meeting with Poloff ten Cuban young people, none of them a member of any opposition organization, agreed that the greatest problem they face is that there are no incentives for trying to work hard. They feel that no matter how hard they work, there are no prospects that th [...] |
2008-03-12 14:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA245 |
BERTONE VISIT GENERATES BROAD DISAPPOINTMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The visit to Cuba of Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was considered a disappointment by everyone USINT has spoken with, though presumably not by the GOC itself. In a subsequent meeting with the COM, the Nuncio seemed especially disappointed. But even normally c [...] |
2008-03-14 18:08:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA246 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP MARCH 8 - MAR. 14 [...] (C) JOURNALISTS BLOCKED FROM ATTENDING USINT VIDEOCONFERENCE: The Public Diplomacy section of USINT has been hosting a course for nearly 40 independent journalists through videoconferences with Florida International University. The course is designed to build build professional skills and h [...] |
2008-03-14 20:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA256 |
LADIES IN WHITE MARK FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK [...] (U) Summary: The Cuban human rights organization, Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco), marked the fifth anniversary of the 2003 crackdown on dissidents by holding a series of five marches. On March 14, a group of the women marched to the Ministry of Justice and without incident presented a l [...] |
2008-03-21 19:54:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA257 |
MILK: A POSSIBLE HARBINGER OF WHAT NEW REFORMS MAY [...] (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: During his 26 July speech, Raul cited the example of milk to explain how he wanted the GOC to lead the way toward progress on satisfying the material needs of its people. Measures being taken by the GOC to improve milk production may indicate the nature of other types [...] |
2008-03-21 20:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA278 |
DISSIDENT LEADERS PLAN TO UNIFY MOVEMENT [...] (C) Dissident leaders Martha Beatriz Roque and Vladimiro Roca are spearheading an effort they call the "Minimum Agenda Project" (Agenda Minima), which they say is designed to unify dissident efforts towards achieving democratic change in Cuba. They are calling for a meeting on April 10, of 14 [...] |
2008-04-02 15:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PINS |
| 08HAVANA279 |
CUBA: TOURISM APARTHEID DEALT A BLOW, MAYBE [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GOC has lifted its ban on Cubans staying in hotels on the island. The measure will be economically and politically beneficial for the GOC and to a small number of Cubans. However, an economic barrier remains between the average Cuban and a hotel stay. End Summary. 2. [...] |
2008-04-02 20:42:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA28 |
RAUL CASTRO END-OF-YEAR SPEECH TO NATIONAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: Even though it was not announced formally in advance, Raul Castro's closing address to the National Assembly was anticipated by many as a venue for him to announce economic changes in response to public complaints emanating from the series of "debates" he launched with his July [...] |
2008-01-10 18:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA288 |
NEW MEASURES: WINDOW DRESSING OR SIGNIFICANT? [...] (C) SUMMARY: A seeming barrage of new economic measures has appeared since mid-March. Most are characterized by easy implementation, quick hard-currency generation and (the regime hopes) high political payoff -- for the GOC. Some seem to be plausibly integrated pieces of a larger and multi [...] |
2008-04-04 21:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA300 |
FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION IN CUBA [...] (C) Summary: Orestes Fonseca, one of the leaders of Cuba's Islamic Community, described the problems with practicing his faith in Cuba. He represented to USINT officers that the GOC has been more focused on accommodating Moslems from the diplomatic community and other foreigners residing i [...] |
2008-04-10 13:25:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA305 |
CUBAN OPPOSITION SEEKS UNITY [...] (C) Summary: On April 10 twelve leading pro-democracy activists met for six hours to formulate a common agenda. As described by spokesperson Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), the object was to advance a transition to democracy within an "atmosphere of national reconciliation". At a press confer [...] |
2008-04-11 20:04:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA306 |
APPARENT CHANGES IN GOC MANAGEMENT/LOGISTICS [...] (SBU) Summary: USINT has noticed several changes in the way the GOC is handling management/logistics issues that may indicate some changes in policy. End Summary. 2. (SBU) The following is a list of apparent policy changes regarding management/logistical issues between USINT and the GOC: [...] |
2008-04-11 20:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AMGT CU PREL |
| 08HAVANA316 |
COLOMBIAN AMBASSADOR ON CUBAN ROLE IN [...] (C) COLOMBIAN AMBASSADOR LONDONO TOLD US 15 APRIL THAT CUBA CONTINUES TO PLAY AN UNUSUALLY DISCREET ROLE IN COLOMBIA'S DISPUTE WITH ECUADOR. THE CUBANS HAVE STUCK TO THEIR ALMOST COMPLETE SILENCE ON THE ISSUE. FM PEREZ ROQUE, IN LONDONO'S VIEW ON DIRECT INSTRUCTIONS FROM RAUL CASTRO, TOLD GR [...] |
2008-04-16 14:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU CO EC VN |
| 08HAVANA32 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP JAN. 1-11 [...] (C) ANTUNEZ DETAINED FOR ATTEMPT TO DISTRIBUTE HUMAN RIGHTS DELARATION: On 10 January several prominent dissidents including Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez"), Felix Antonio Bonne Carcasses and Idania Yanes Contreras distributed copies of the UN of Human Rights [...] |
2008-01-11 22:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA325 |
PATTERN DEVELOPING IN ANNOUNCED "CHANGES" [...] (C) Summary: The announcement of a change in housing policy once again piqued interest in the international press, but that and other changes seem to be fitting a pattern: i.e., they formalize existing practices, they facilitate rather than loosen control, they lessen the bureaucratic burden [...] |
2008-04-17 21:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU ECON PGOV PHUM |
| 08HAVANA329 |
SPANISH NEWSPAPER REPORTS IMPENDING REFORM OF GOC [...] (SBU) Madrid-daily El Pais reported today that the GOC is about to announce a significant loosening of the travel restrictions that have essentially made it impossible for most Cubans to travel. According to the article, the "tarjeta blanca" or exit permission, would no longer be required fo [...] |
2008-04-18 19:48:00 | US Interests Section Havana | SECRET | PGOV SMIG SCUL ECON CU PHUM |
| 08HAVANA331 |
CUBA HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP APR. 1- 23 [...] (SBU) POLITICAL PRISONER ATTACKED IN HOSPITAL BED: According to the wife of political prisoner Normando Hernandez Gonzalez, on April 14 Hernandez was attacked in his hospital bed by a fellow prisoner. Hernandez, an independent journalist, was imprisoned during a massive crackdown in 2003. [...] |
2008-04-18 20:28:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA333 |
POLICE BREAK UP SIT DOWN STRIKE BY LADIES IN WHITE [...] (C) Summary: Beginning at about 6:30 AM on April 21, ten members of the Cuban human rights organization, Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco), held a sit down protest in a small park close to Havana's Revolution Square. The Damas demanded the unconditional release of the 55 political prisoners w [...] |
2008-04-21 20:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA335 |
IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. OF POSSIBLE REFORM IN CUBAN [...] (C) SUMMARY. Significant reform of Cuba's restrictive travel policies for Cuban citizens, reported to be imminent, could result in increased illegal migration towards the United States, certainly in the short-to-medium term. Migrant flows would probably be directed through Mexico and Central A [...] |
2008-04-22 20:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | SMIG PGOV CMGT CU |
| 08HAVANA336 |
DAMAS DEFIANT AFTER POLICE BREAK UP PROTEST [...] (C) Summary: In a meeting with COM today, Laura Pollan, spokesperson for the Cuban organization Ladies in White, stated that her arms and shoulders are still sore after police yesterday roughly broke up a protest by Pollan and nine supporters. However, Pollan and fellow Dama Berta Soler wer [...] |
2008-04-22 20:56:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA337 |
LEADING DISSIDENT TELLS US NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE [...] (C) Summary: Prominent pro-democracy advocate, Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), carefully watched official Cuban news coverage of the 4/21 police action to break up a demonstration by the organization Damas de Blanco ("Ladies in White"). She stated that while the coverage seems clumsy and hastil [...] |
2008-04-23 19:47:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA348 |
RAUL CASTRO ANNOUNCES COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS FOR [...] (C) SUMMARY: Following the meeting of the 6th plenary of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Central Committee, President Raul Castro announced that the next Communist Party congress will be held in the second half of 2009. If it takes place at that time, the congress will be the first full PCC in [...] |
2008-04-29 21:37:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV |
| 08HAVANA353 |
CUBA INCREASES SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS [...] (U) SUMMARY: Official media announced on April 27 that starting in May the government will increase pensions and social assistance disbursements by 20%. In addition, the GOC will increase court/district attorney salaries by as much as 55%. According to the GOC statement, salary increases wi [...] |
2008-04-30 20:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA358 |
MEXICAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSSESS RELATIONS WITH CUBA [...] (U) Mexican Ambassador Enrique Gabriel Jimenez Remus gave COM a rundown on the status of bilateral topics over dinner on April 30. 2. (C) High Level Visits: A Calderon visit cannot be set until Cuban FM Felipe Perez Roque visits Mexico DF. At that time, the Cubans will carry a formal [...] |
2008-05-02 21:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU ME |
| 08HAVANA362 |
REMARKS BY CUBAN OPPOSITION LEADER TO POTUS [...] Following is an unofficial translation of remarks made by prominent opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello during a video teleconference with President Bush on May 6. Original Spanish version will follow septel. 2. (Begin unofficial translation). First I'd like to thank you on beh [...] |
2008-05-07 13:14:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PGOV KDEM PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA363 |
DISCUSSION WITH DISSIDENTS FOLLOWING POTUS VTC [...] (C) Immediately following the May 6 VTC with POTUS, COM and other USINT officers sat down with Cuban participants Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR), Berta Soler, and Antunez (Jorge Luis Garcia Perez) to discuss with them further the points they had made to the President. With any nervousness genera [...] |
2008-05-07 13:35:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU ECON PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA369 |
TEXT OF REMARKS BY OPPOSITION LEADER TO POTUS [...] Following is the Spanish language text of the remarks made by prominent opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello during a video teleconference with President Bush on May 6. 2. Begin text: Primero que todo quiero darle las gracias, en nombre de los tres (1), por una sola vez, por p [...] |
2008-05-08 21:11:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PGOV KDEM PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA373 |
CUBA: REQUEST FOR NEW OFAC PROVISION [...] (C) SUMMARY: It has come to USINT's attention that there are some U.S. citizen priests and other religious workers living and practicing in Cuba. They do so by living and working among Cubans; doing, literally, "God's work." Such positive U.S.-Cuban contact is precisely the kind of constru [...] |
2008-05-12 12:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA374 |
CUBA: REQUEST FOR NEW OFAC PROVISION [...] (C) SUMMARY: It has come to USINT's attention that there are some U.S. citizen priests and other religious workers living and practicing in Cuba. They do so by living and working among Cubans; doing, literally, "God's work." Such positive U.S.-Cuban contact is precisely the kind of constru [...] |
2008-05-12 12:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA377 |
CONGRESS OF WRITERS AND ARTISTS DEBATES CHANGES IN [...] No summary [...] |
2008-05-12 14:19:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV SCUL |
| 08HAVANA383 |
BRIGADE 2506 ATTRACTS LITTLE INTEREST AMONG CUBAN [...] (C) Summary: Brigade 2506, a Florida-based organization that includes many Bay of Pigs veterans, asked USINT to facilitate a video conference with two Cuban dissidents it selected by Brigade 2506 , as well as a representative of FLAMUR (the Federation of Latin American Rural Women). Brigade [...] |
2008-05-13 16:23:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA389 |
MYSTERY OF CUBAN DISSIDENT SWALLOWING TOXIC [...] (C) Summary: Iraida Soledad Rivas Verdecia, member of Ladies in White and wife of prominent Cuban dissident, Roberto de Miranda, on May 8, drank form a glass that may have contained a toxic substance. De Miranda states that he does not know how this happened. He said that the incident is d [...] |
2008-05-16 20:15:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA391 |
CUBAN GOVERNMENT HEATS UP PROPAGANDA WAR [...] (C) Summary: On May 19 the Cuban government held a press conference to make accusations that USINT employees are involved in directly distributing funds from private organizations, including some with alleged terrorist ties, to "counter-revolutionaries" in Cuba. Documents obtained clandesti [...] |
2008-05-19 21:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA396 |
CUBANS APPLAUD BUSH REMARKS [...] (C) Summary: On Wednesday, May 21, ninety-five Cubans watched the live broadcast from the White House commemorating Cuban Solidarity Day at the invitation of USINT. Everyone who spoke to USINT staff had high praise for the President's speech, remarking that it reflected a firm commitment to [...] |
2008-05-21 21:28:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA397 |
GOC PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN TARGETS OPPOSITION, USINT [...] (C) The GOC wrapped up a three-day marathon of attacks on the dissident community and on USINT with a second press conference at the Foreign Ministry (MINREX) led by FM Perez Roque. The campaign had been launched at another MINREX conference on Monday, May 19 (REF XXX). Perez-Roque devoted [...] |
2008-05-23 16:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREF |
| 08HAVANA406 |
CUBAN POLICE VIOLENTLY STOP PROTEST [...] (C) Summary: On May 25 former political prisoner Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez") led a march in the city of Placetas, province of Santa Clara, that was to culminate in a symbolic funeral for Pedro Luis Boitel, a student leader who died in 1972 as the result of a hunger strike protesting [...] |
2008-05-27 20:42:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA418 |
RUMORS OF RICE SHORTAGES SPARK GOC REACTION [...] (C) Over the past week, rumors have spread across the island about a possible shortfall of rice. Other rumors purported that the amount of rice distributed in the ration system would be cut in half and substituted by flour. As a result, some Cubans began buying rice in bulk amounts as a pre [...] |
2008-06-02 14:34:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA419 |
FIDEL ATTACKS U.S. ELECTION PROCESS [...] (U) In the May 26 editions of Granma and Juventud Rebelde, Fidel Castro dedicated one of his periodic "Reflexiones" pieces to the U.S. election campaign, focusing on Barack Obama's May 23rd speech on Latin America. Entitled "The Cynical Policy of the Empire," the piece gives faint praise to [...] |
2008-06-02 14:38:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PREL |
| 08HAVANA426 |
LETTER TO POTUS FROM CUBAN DISSIDENT MARTHA [...] After a hiatus brought about by GOC attacks on dissident leaders, especially Martha Beatriz Roque, and on USINT, COM met with Roque on June 2 at her apartment. Pol/Econ Counselor and dissident leader Vladimiro Roca also were present. During the encounter, Roque handed COM the letter at para [...] |
2008-06-04 13:29:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EAID PREL |
| 08HAVANA434 |
GOC TIGHTENS THE SCREWS ON OPPOSITION ACTIVITY [...] (C) In REF A, we commented that we believed that the May 19-21 media campaign centering on USINT's relations with various dissidents was directed primarily at the dissidents. Events in the succeeding days seem to support that thesis as the GOC has ignored our statement that they should make a [...] |
2008-06-06 19:28:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA436 |
CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND UP MAY 18- JUNE 6 [...] (C) Summary: Many members of the dissident community report a marked increase during the past several weeks of open surveillance by state security. Several opposition figures have tied this to the GOC's recent media campaign against USINT. In addition, pro-democracy activists report an in [...] |
2008-06-09 19:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA437 |
CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND UP MAY 18- JUNE 6 [...] (C) Summary: Many members of the dissident community report a marked increase during the past several weeks of open surveillance by state security. Several opposition figures have tied this to the GOC's recent media campaign against USINT. In addition, pro-democracy activists report an in [...] |
2008-06-09 19:41:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA439 |
CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY BLASTS TIP REPORT [...] (U) Summary: On June 8 the Cuban Foreign Ministry released a statement about the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report that had been announced by the Secretary on June 4. The statement said that the report made unfounded accusations that there existed internal trafficking of women an [...] |
2008-06-10 19:14:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA440 |
GOC ANNOUNCES PLANNED CUBA-VENEZUELA FIBER OPTIC [...] (U) The June 9, edition of Granma dedicated an entire page and a half to an article touting a joint Cuban-Venezuelan project to build a 1,550 km fiber optic cable from Cuba to Venezuela, with an intermediate stop in Jamaica. According to the article, the cable would run from La Guaira in Ven [...] |
2008-06-10 19:16:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU ECON ECPS KCIP PGOV PREL |
| 08HAVANA444 |
GOC ANNOUNCES SALARIES WILL BE BASED ON PERFORMANCE [...] (C) SUMMARY: In an understated article located in the middle of the Communist Party mouthpiece Granma, the GOC has made public a new pay for performance plan that stands some of the fundamental precepts of the revolution on their head. 2. (U) The Granma article cites an interview with Vice [...] |
2008-06-11 20:07:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV CU |
| 08HAVANA453 |
NBA VISIT TO CUBA [...] (U) A group of 80 members of the National Bar Association (NBA), an association of black lawyers, judges and legal para-professionals, recently spent a week in Cuba as part of a humanitarian visit. USINT had two events with representatives of this group: a sit-down dinner at the COM residence [...] |
2008-06-13 22:26:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | KPAO PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA460 |
VISIT TO CUBA OF BRAZILIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM [...] (C) Poloff met with Brazilian DCM Vilmar Coutinho (please protect) to discuss the May 30-31 visit to Cuba of Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorim. Amorim's visit was a follow-up to Brazilian President Lula da Silva's January 2008 visit to Cuba (Reftel). In addition to meeting with his co [...] |
2008-06-17 14:41:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PREF ETRD CU BR |
| 08HAVANA461 |
FAMILIES OF POLITICAL PRISONERS GRATEFUL FOR [...] (C) Summary: On June 15 to celebrate Father's Day, COM held a day of recreation for over a hundred relatives, children and supporters of Cuba's political prisoners. The families were very grateful because Father's Day is a traditionally important event in Cuba. Many of the family members [...] |
2008-06-17 20:29:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA462 |
HUGO CHAVEZ VISITS HAVANA: DEATH WATCH OR PROOF OF [...] (U) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez paid an unannounced (in Cuba) visit to Havana on June 16. His arrival scrambled air traffic at Jose Marti airport, resulting in several arriving USINT personnel being diverted briefly to Varadero. 2. (U) According to press reports, Chavez met for three [...] |
2008-06-17 21:16:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR CU VN |
| 08HAVANA464 |
FIDEL APPEARS IN VIDEO AND PRINT MEDIA [...] No summary [...] |
2008-06-18 20:51:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR CU VN |
| 08HAVANA468 |
WORLD FOOD AND ENERGY CRISIS FORCES CUBA TO ADAPT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The steep increase in world food and energy prices is driving the Cuban regime to suppress its spending on investment, a key enabling component of its moderate economic reform strategy. Even tied to Chavez,s umbilical cord, Cuba is nevertheless exposed to the real world economy, [...] |
2008-06-20 23:01:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA469 |
REACTION IN CUBA TO EU DECISION TO LIFT [...] (C) Civil society members, reaction to the EU decision to drop its already suspended sanctions on Cuba was predictably negative. Though some had continued to hope for a miracle, most had no realistic expectation that the EU would react any other way. Key dissident leaders including Marta Be [...] |
2008-06-21 17:02:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EU PGOV PREL |
| 08HAVANA470 |
URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT VAZQUEZ MEETS WITH FIDEL CASTRO [...] (U) According to Cuban press reports, visiting Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez met for more than 2 hours with Fidel Castro on June 19. Unlike the visit of Venezuelan President Chavez earlier in the week (reftels), there were no visual images of the meeting made public. 2. (U) Meeting [...] |
2008-06-21 17:03:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR CU UR |
| 08HAVANA483 |
VISIT TO USINT BY ISRAELI EMBASSY OFFICIAL FROM [...] (C) Modi Ephraim, Political Counselor from the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires called on P/E Counselor June 23. Ephraim is in Havana for three days looking at a variety issues of interest to the GOI. Since Canada acts as protecting power for Israel in Cuba, Ephraim had arranged the visit wit [...] |
2008-06-23 21:19:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU IS PREL |
| 08HAVANA484 |
WALL JUMPER [...] (U) SUMMARY: AT 4:16 AM ON JUNE 23, ROLANDO PEREZ PERALTA, A 37 YEAR-OLD MALE CUBAN, SCALED THE TWELVE FOOT FENCE SURROUNDING THE U.S. INTERESTS SECTION'S ANNEX HOUSING THE REFUGEE UNIT, AND ENTERED THE PROPERTY. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY APPREHENDED BY USINT GUARDS, WHO CALLED THE REGIONAL SECURIT [...] |
2008-06-23 22:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC CU PREF |
| 08HAVANA488 |
SOCIOECONOMIC SURVEY OF USINT APPLICANTS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Post conducted an informal socioeconomic survey of USINT applicants for visa and refugee status during the first five months of 2008. The sample was composed of 1,320 Cubans, one-third of whom completed the survey before the February 24 handover of power to Raul Castro and tw [...] |
2008-06-25 14:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PINR PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA493 |
CUBAN DISSIDENTS FACE PROSECUTION [...] (C) Summary: Led by Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ("Antunez"), on June 20 six protesters delivered a letter of protest against the maltreatment of a prisoner to the Provincial Office of the Ministry of the Interior in the city of Matanzas. As they were sitting on a bench, they were accosted by m [...] |
2008-06-25 18:52:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA494 |
FIDEL CASTRO LASHES OUT AT EU DECISION ON CUBA [...] (SBU) While opposition members continue to express disappointment with the EU decision on Cuba sanctions, and fear that it presages another crackdown on their activity, former President Fidel Castro appears to be beside himself with anger over the EU decision. 2. (SBU) Fidel wrote at leas [...] |
2008-06-25 20:14:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CU EU |
| 08HAVANA502 |
GOVERNMENT HALTS HAVANA'S FIRST GAY PRIDE MARCH [...] (C) Summary: On June 25 a coalition of homosexual rights groups planned to hold a "Gay Pride" march from a park in Central Havana to the Ministry of Justice. At the Ministry they planned to present a petition demanding an end to discrimination, better treatment of AIDS patients and an end [...] |
2008-06-27 19:29:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA511 |
FORMER CUBINT CHIEF, DAGOBERTO RODRIGUEZ BARRERA, [...] (SBU) The Embassy of Switzerland received a diplomatic note dated June 26, 2008 announcing that former Cubint chief,Dagoberto Rodriguez Barrera, has been chosen as the new Vice-Minister of foreign relations of Cuba, replacing Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez who was named Ambassador to Algeria. Ro [...] |
2008-07-02 14:40:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | CU EU PGOV PREL |
| 08HAVANA515 |
MINREX LAUNCHES NEW ATTACK ON USINT ACTIVITY [...] (C) The Communist Party daily Granma ran a full page statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) in its July 2, edition lambasting USINT's activities as being illegal and contrary to accepted practice for diplomatic missions and personnel in Cuba. See full translated text in parag [...] |
2008-07-02 19:21:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL CU |
| 08HAVANA518 |
GOC ROUNDS UP DISSIDENTS IN ADVANCE OF USINT 4TH [...] (C) SUMMARY: As feared following yesterday's attack on USINT activities by MINREX (Reftel), the GOC has begun to threaten, harass, and detain dissidents who planned to attend the 4th of July reception tomorrow. USINT has gotten the names of 7 individuals who have been detained, others are re [...] |
2008-07-03 21:59:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA521 |
USINT HOSTS SUCCESSFUL 4TH OF JULY EVENT IN SPITE [...] (C) SUMMARY: In spite of an unprecedented effort to reduce attendance by the GOC, USINT hosted a successful 4th of July reception that attracted 626 guests from civil society, the press, religious organizations and the diplomatic corps. Many civil society members from outside Havana were pre [...] |
2008-07-07 13:20:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM CU |
| 08HAVANA536 |
CUBA PROVIDES EVIDENCE TO ASSIST U.S. PROSECUTION [...] (C) Summary: On July 4, 2008, Cuban officials from the Ministry of Interior (MININT) requested to meet with USINT's Coast Guard representative to present a case evidence package in reference to a June 16, 2008, illegal smuggling event which resulted in a collision of two vessels and the death [...] |
2008-07-08 21:56:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SNAR CVIS PHUM PREF CU |
| 08HAVANA542 |
INFORMAL POLL OF REFUGEE APPLICANTS SHOWS WOEFUL [...] (C) SUMMARY: FROM MAY 20 TO JUNE 20, USINT REFUGEE UNIT CONDUCTED AN UNOFFICIAL AND UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF 236 CUBAN ADULTS (OVER AGE 21) WHO WERE PRINCIPAL APPLICANTS FOR REFUGEE STATUS. RESULTS REVEALED THAT OVER HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY OF SEVEN PROMINENT CUBAN DISSIDENTS/OP [...] |
2008-07-09 20:51:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM PINS PINR PREF CU |
| 08HAVANA543 |
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST NO. 200706444 [...] Post has no/no documents responsive to request made in reftels. WILLIAMS [...] |
2008-07-10 15:36:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AINF |
| 08HAVANA568 |
THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS FOR MANDATORY [...] (U) THE US INTERESTS SECTION (USINT) IN HAVANA CUBA COULD NOT/NOT IDENTIFY ANY FORCED OR CHILD LABOR USED TO PRODUCE ANY SPECIFIC GOODS IN CUBA ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITIONS CONTAINED IN SECSTATE 43120. WILLIAMS WILLIAMS [...] |
2008-07-17 16:20:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA574 |
HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP, JULY 5- JULY 18 [...] (SBU) LARGE SCALE DETENTIONS TO STOP COMMEMORATIONS OF TUGBOAT SINKING. Noted dissident leader, Francisco Chavianao, asked for official permission to hold in Havana a demonstration commemorating the sinking on July 13, 1994 of the tugboat 13 de Marzo. (Several individuals had seized the boa [...] |
2008-07-18 20:46:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA592 |
RAUL TALKS TOUGH ON THE ECONOMY BUT PROPOSES NO [...] (C) The series of "reforms" that were made public in the spring not only generated expectations that real change could be in the offing, but created an atmosphere of anticipation in Cuba each time that a major public figure speaks or a formal event takes place. So far, however, nothing espec [...] |
2008-07-23 19:30:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL EAGR ECON CU |
| 08HAVANA593 |
LAND DISTRIBUTION PROPOSAL NOT QUITE ENOUGH [...] (C) International press has focused attention on Raul Castro's announcement of Decree-law 259, which allows land to be granted to individuals and corporations "en usufructo," meaning that the state retains ultimate control as landlord, but those who receive and work the land can profit from th [...] |
2008-07-23 19:35:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV EAGR ECON |
| 08HAVANA608 |
RAUL'S JULY 26TH SPEECH A NON-EVENT THIS YEAR [...] (C) The evening of July 26th, in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago, which launched the Castro revolution in Cuba, Raul Castro addressed an assembled group of about 10,000 selected supporters gathered at the former barracks, now converted int [...] |
2008-07-30 12:42:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON CU |
| 08HAVANA613 |
REQUEST FOR HRDF FUNDS FOR CUBAN ORGANIZATIONS [...] No summary [...] |
2008-07-31 21:16:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EAID PHUM |
| 08HAVANA614 |
HAVANA: INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE WAY FORWARD [...] (C/NF) Following are some early impressions and requests from the COM's first two weeks on the ground. 2. (C/NF) Connecting with the Cuban people is extremely important, and extremely challenging. --------------------------------------------- --------- - The GOC focuses intensely on isol [...] |
2008-08-01 17:05:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PGOV PREL KPAO CU |
| 08HAVANA63 |
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN CUBA: NO CHANGE IN THE AIR [...] (C) Cubans, probably many Cubans, will head to the polls this Sunday to vote for the membership of the National Assembly and the various provincial assemblies. While the turnout will likely be reported to be nearly 100 percent, and voting will be orderly and peaceful, there is nothing else [...] |
2008-01-18 13:12:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR |
| 08HAVANA66 |
COMSEC DISCUSSES FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY WITH CUBAN [...] (C) SUMMARY: On 14 January Commerce Secretary Gutierrez spoke by video conference with 10 representatives of Cuban youth organizations. The participants discussed their desires for democracy and freedom. They also spoke about the prospects of achieving a democratic transition in Cuba and the i [...] |
2008-01-18 16:13:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA660 |
SURFING THE NET IN HAVANA [...] (SBU) Chief of Mission and spouse (providing technical support) set forth Tuesday afternoon to cruise the internet, Havana-style. Armed with a list of internet centers supplied by the PD section's local staff, COM wanted to check what he had heard from Cuban users of USINT's internet faciliti [...] |
2008-08-14 18:09:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINT TINT KDEM KPAO CU |
| 08HAVANA663 |
RIGHTS REPORT SHOWS DETENTIONS RISE WHILE NUMBER [...] (C) Summary. On August 12, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCHRNR) released its report for the first six months of 2008. This is the most thoroughly researched of any report done within Cuba about the conditions of political prisoners on the island. The r [...] |
2008-08-15 18:31:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 08HAVANA701 |
AGENDA PARA LA TRANSICION PRESENTS FORMAL [...] (U) Agenda para la Transicion (APT) leaders Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) and Vladimiro Roca, flanked by other members of the APT leadership gave a press conference to mostly foreign press at Roca's house on August 26, to announce that they had presented a formal complaint (denuncia) to the Att [...] |
2008-08-27 13:49:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU PGOV PREL PHUM |
| 08HAVANA717 |
MGJM01: HURRICANE GUSTAV DEVASTATES WESTERN CUBA [...] (U) Through a combination of official news and contacts with individuals in the affected regions, we can report that it appears that Pinar del Rio province suffered severe damage in Hurricane Gustav, and that housing and infrastructure on the Isla de la Juventud was almost totally destroyed. [...] |
2008-09-02 21:44:00 | US Interests Section Havana | CONFIDENTIAL | CU EAID PINR PINS PREL XL XK |
| 08HAVANA718 |
MGJM01: Effects of Hurricane Gustav on Cuba [...] Hurricane Gustav made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Western Cuba, Pinar del Rio province on August 30 after passing over Isla de Juventud. The eye of the hurricane passed approximately 50 miles from the city of Havana, mitigating the amount of wind and rain received. No serious damag [...] |
2008-09-03 12:32:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC AEMR AMGT CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR CU XL XK |
| 08HAVANA730 |
MGHH01: USINT HAVANA EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE PREPARES [...] Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) met this afternoon to discuss preparations for Hurricane Ike which is currently 400-500 miles east of Cuba. 2. Current projections indicate that winds from Ike will reach the northwest portion of the island early Wednesday morning and will likely rang [...] |
2008-09-05 21:06:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC AEMR CASC PREL PINR AMGT CU |
| 08HAVANA731 |
MGHH01: USINT HAVANA EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE - [...] Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) met this afternoon to discuss changes to Hurricane Ike's projected path and the potential impact to UNINT operations. 2. As of 2:00 p.m., Saturday, Ike was a Category Three (3) storm approximately 300 miles east of Cuba and scheduled to make landfall [...] |
2008-09-06 21:27:00 | US Interests Section Havana | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC AEMR AMGT CASC PREL PINR CU |
| 08HAVANA732 |
MGHH01: USINT HAVANA EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE - [...] Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) met at noon today to discuss the current status of Hurricane Ike and the impact to UNINT operations. 2. As of 11:00 a.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported no change in the status of | ||||