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Viewing cable 07HAVANA367, CUBAN OPPOSITION AGREES ON UNITY STATEMENT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07HAVANA367 2007-04-14 16:45 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED US Interests Section Havana
VZCZCXRO5072
RR RUEHAG RUEHAT RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHUB #0367/01 1041645
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141645Z APR 07
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1598
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUESDM/JTLO MIAMI FL
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0098
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000367 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SECSTATE FOR WHA A/S SHANNON, DAS MADISON, AMBASSADOR 
MCCARRY 
SECSTATE PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FISK, 
SENIOR DIRECTOR KOZAK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINR PREL PHUM SOCI CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN OPPOSITION AGREES ON UNITY STATEMENT 
 
REF: HAVANA 362 
 
HAVANA 00000367  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (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 
ESPINOSA CHEPE AND MIRIAM LEYVA.  IT WILL REMAIN "OPEN" FOR 
SIGNATURE BY OTHERS.  ALL OF THE SIGNATORIES TOLD US ON THE 
EVENING OF 13 APRIL THAT THE VISIT OF SPANISH FM MORATINOS 
HAD GALVANIZED THEM INTO ACTION.  THE TEXT ACKNOWLEDGES THE 
DIVERSITY OF CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS BUT FOCUSES ON COMMON 
OBJECTIVES, INCLUDING THE RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS 
AND THE PROMOTION OF RESPECT FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF 
ALL CUBANS.  THE REGIME COULD REACT FURIOUSLY TO THE TEXT AND 
TRY TO SMEAR ALL THE SIGNATORIES PUBLICLY.  THE UNITY TEXT, 
WHILE A SMALL STEP, MARKS A BREAKTHROUGH FOR CUBA'S 
PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) THE VISIT OF SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS TO 
CUBA EARLY THIS MONTH HAS FINALLY PRODUCED A RESULT, BUT NOT 
THE ONE THE SPANIARDS SOUGHT.  VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE TOP 
DISSIDENT LEADERSHIP REACHED AGREEMENT ON A UNITY TEXT ON 13 
APRIL.  OSWALDO PAYA, HEAD OF THE CHRISTIAN LIBERATION 
MOVEMENT AND FOUNDER OF THE VARELA PROJECT, WAS ITS MAIN 
DRAFTER.  OTHER SIGNATORIES ARE MARTHA BEATRIZ ROQUE OF THE 
ASSEMBLY TO PROMOTE CIVIL SOCIETY, VLADIMIRO ROCA OF ALL 
UNITED, "LADIES IN WHITE" LAURA POLLAN AND MIRIAM LEYVA, 
ECONOMIST OSCAR ESPINOSA CHEPE, AND ELIZARDO SANCHEZ OF THE 
CUBAN COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND NACIONAL 
RECONCILIATION.  THE STATEMENT WILL BE RELEASED THE EVENING 
OF 15 APRIL.  IT WILL BE LEFT "OPEN" FOR OTHERS TO JOIN. 
 
3. (C) THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THE STATEMENT IS THE WORK OF 
OSWALDO PAYA.  PAYA, STILL SEETHING OVER MORATINOS' SNUB OF 
CUBAN CIVIL SOCIETY, HAD TOLD US ON APRIL 9 THAT HE DIDN'T 
WANT TO STOP AT JUST BEING ANGRY.  HE SPENT THE WEEK WORKING 
ON A DRAFT.  PAYA THEN TOOK HIS TEXT TO A MEETING WITH EU 
COMMISSION REP SVEN VON BURGSDORFF, WHERE THE OTHER DISSIDENT 
REPS WERE IN ATTENDANCE, AND SHARED IT WITH THEM.  THE OTHER 
DISSIDENT REPS ALL TOLD US LATE APRIL 13 THAT THEY WERE 
DELIGHTED WITH THE TEXT.  THERE WERE TWO FIGURES AT THE 
MEETING WHO BALKED -- PREDICTABLY, MANUEL CUESTA MORUA OF 
PROGRESSIVE ARC AND ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO, THE ONLY TWO 
DISSIDENTS WHO ACCEPTED A SPANISH INVITATION TO MEET AFTER 
MORATINOS' APRIL 3 DEPARTURE.  IN CONVERSATION APRIL 13, 
THOSE WHO DID AGREE TO SIGN DISMISSED THE HOLD-OUTS AS 
INSIGNIFICANT. 
 
4. (C) THE TEXT OF THE APPEAL FOCUSES ON THE THEME OF UNITY 
AND DIVERSITY OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.  IN LANGUAGE 
THAT IS VINTAGE PAYA, IT UNDERLINES UNITY ON FOUR PRINCIPLES: 
 
 
-- COMMON OBJECTIVES (RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL 
CUBANS, DEMOCRACY, RECONCILIATION, SOCIAL JUSTICE, LIBERTY 
AND SOVEREIGNTY); 
 
-- THE IMMEDIATE LIBERATION OF ALL THOSE IMPRISONED FOR 
FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS; 
 
-- PROMOTION OF PEACEFUL MEANS TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES; 
AND 
 
-- RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY OF INITIATIVES AND PATHS, IN A 
SPIRIT OF PLURALISM, TO REACH THOSE ENDS. 
 
THE TEXT ENDS WITH A FORCEFUL PROCLAMATION ON FOUR POINTS: 
 
--1. THAT IT IS CUBANS ALONE WHO CAN ACHIEVE CHANGES IN CUBAN 
SOCIETY. 
 
--2. THAT THE SOLIDARITY "OF THE PEOPLES AND GOVERNMENTS OF 
THE WORLD" TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC 
CHANGES WILL BE THE TRUE SIGN OF RESPECT FOR CUBANS. 
 
--3. THAT THE SIGNERS DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THE RESPECT OF THE 
RIGHTS OF CUBANS SHOULD BE CONDITIONED TO THE INTERNATIONAL 
SITUATION OR TO CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. 
(COMMENT:  IN OTHER WORDS, CUBA'S EXCUSE THAT THE U.S. 
 
HAVANA 00000367  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
EMBARGO JUSTIFIES ITS ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS HERE IS BUNK.) 
 
--4. THAT THE "RADICAL DEMAND" OF THE SIGNERS THAT HUMAN 
RIGHTS BE RESPECTED IS ROOTED IN THE PRINCIPLE THAT "ALL 
CUBANS HAVE A RIGHT TO ALL THE RIGHTS THAT BELONG TO ALL 
HUMAN BEINGS." 
 
5. (C) ALL OF THE SIGNERS BRIEFED US, BOTH SEPARATELY AND 
JOINTLY, AT A FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR DEPARTING USINT HUMAN 
RIGHTS OFFICER GREG WIEGAND LATE APRIL 13.  IN THE BRIEFINGS, 
INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES INEVITABLY EMERGED; SEVERAL CLAIMED 
TO HAVE ORIGINATED THE IDEA OF A TEXT.  HOWEVER, CLEARLY IT 
WAS THE FACT THAT THE PROPOSAL CAME FROM PAYA -- WHO HAS LONG 
BEEN RELUCTANT TO SIGN ON TO ANY JOINT APPEAL -- THAT TIPPED 
THE BALANCE.  PAYA HIMSELF TOLD US TWO FACTORS HAD PUSHED THE 
EVOLUTION IN HIS THINKING:  ONE WAS MORATINOS' VISIT.  THE 
OTHER, PAYA CLAIMED, WAS THE FACT THAT THERE HAS STARTED TO 
CIRCULATE A TEXT CALLING FOR CUBA'S ANNEXATION BY THE UNITED 
STATES.  PAYA DISMISSED THE REPORTED TEXT AS A CLUMSY REGIME 
ATTEMPT TO TARNISH THE DISSIDENT MOVEMENT.  HOWEVER, HE SAID, 
IT WAS TIME FOR A UNITY STATEMENT. 
 
6. (C) SEVERAL OF THE SIGNERS, INCLUDING PAYA, TOLD US THEY 
WANTED TO CONSULT WITH US IN THE DAYS AHEAD ON NEXT MOVES. 
FOR NOW, EVEN TEN DAYS AFTER MORATINOS' DEPARTURE, THE VISIT 
OF THE SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER CONTINUES TO RILE THE 
DISSIDENT MOVEMENT.  OSCAR ESPINOSA CHEPE RELEASED ON APRIL 
13 TWO INCENDIARY COMMENTARIES, ONE ON THE MORATINOS VISIT, 
THE OTHER ON THE SPANISH BUSINESS PRESENCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE 
HOTEL SECTOR, WHICH CHEPE LABELS BLUNTLY AS "APARTHEID." 
OTHER DISSIDENTS ARE ALSO EXPANDING THEIR FIELD OF ACTION. 
INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST AND FREED 75ER JORGE OLIVEIRA REPORTS 
THAT A CUBAN CHAPTER OF THE "PEN" ORGANIZATION WILL BE FORMED 
THE WEEK OF APRIL 16.  LEADING "LADY IN WHITE" LAURA POLLAN 
SAYS HER ORGANIZATION IS PLANNING NEW ACTIVITIES.  ALL POINT 
TO THE MORATINOS VISIT AS A CATALYST. 
 
7. (C) COMMENT: THE UNITY TEXT IS A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEP. 
 CUBA'S LEADING PRO-DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE 
FINALLY RECOGNIZED THAT MORE UNITES THAN DIVIDES THEM. 
CLEARLY, RIVALRIES CONTINUE IN THE DISSIDENT COMMUNITY.  THE 
TEXT'S VALUE IS THAT IT ACCEPTS THESE DIFFERENCES OPENLY. 
IT'S UNCLEAR HOW THE REGIME WILL REACT TO THE STATEMENT; IT 
COULD SIMPLY TRY TO IGNORE IT, THOUGH THE AUTHORITIES ARE 
MORE LIKELY TO REACT FURIOUSLY AND SMEAR THE SIGNATORIES 
THROUGH THE PRESS.  AS ALWAYS, THE U.S. WILL BE DRAGGED 
THROUGH THE MUD REPEATEDLY.  STILL, THE TEXT IS A SIGN OF 
COURAGE, AND A HEFTY BOOST TO WHAT WE HAVE REPORTED AS A 
GROWING WILLINGNESS TO SPEAK OUT (REFTEL).  THE ASPECT THAT 
PLEASES US MOST IS THAT THE TEXT IS ENTIRELY A CUBAN 
INITIATIVE.  FOREIGN OBSERVERS, ESPECIALLY EUROPEANS, ARE 
VOCAL IN THEIR CRITICISMS OF THE FACT THAT THE DISSIDENT 
MOVEMENT IS DIVIDED.  THEY OFTEN CITE THAT AS THE EXPLANATION 
FOR THEIR FAILURE TO DO MORE TO HELP.  THE UNITY TEXT TAKES 
THAT EXCUSE AWAY.  WE HAVE BEEN WORKING QUIETLY BEHIND THE 
SCENES FOR MONTHS TO REACH THIS GOAL, AND HAVE FELT PROGRESS 
WAS BEING MADE IN RECENT WEEKS, AS DISSIDENT LEADERS CAME TO 
REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING TOGETHER.  IN THE END, 
HOWEVER, WHEN THE TEXT COMES OUT SUNDAY EVENING, IT WILL BE 
THE CUBANS THEMSELVES WHO WILL HAVE PULLED IT OFF.  THE TEXT 
REINFORCES OUR CONVICTION THE THE PRESIDENT'S POLICY -- OF 
INSISTING THAT CHANGE BE LED BY CUBANS THEMSELVES -- HAS BEEN 
THE RIGHT ONE. 
PARMLY