This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2009 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV CU BF KPAO
SUBJECT: U.S. JOURNALISTS' ALTERCATION AT DETENTION 
FACILITY SPARKS REACTION FROM CUBAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY 
 
Classified By: CDA Brent Hardt, Reasons 1.4 b and d 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: A Miami-based reporter from Univision 
suffered injuries to the head after an altercation February 7 
with guards at the Immigration Detention Center in Nassau. 
The incident sparked protests at the Bahamian Consulate in 
Miami and has prompted several Cuban exile groups to call for 
a boycott of tourism to The Bahamas.  Multiple violent 
incidents have taken place at the Detention Center and Her 
Majesty's Prison in recent years.  The Bahamian Government 
has promised to investigate the attack on the U.S. 
journalist, and has requested FBI assistance, suggesting they 
are taking the investigation seriously.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Univision Journalist Injured in Altercation 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) A group of Miami-based journalists, including 
reporters and camera crews from Univision 23 and Telemundo 
51, were involved in an incident that turned violent at the 
Carmichael Road Immigration Detention Center in Nassau on 
February 7.  The journalists had accompanied family members 
of the eight surviving Cuban migrants who were detained at 
the center after being picked up on Cay Sal Bank in The 
Bahamas on February 3 (six additional migrants reportedly 
died en route before the group was discovered).  When the 
Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) guards that provide 
security at the Detention Center attempted to forcibly stop 
the crews from filming, a scuffle broke out and one reporter, 
Mario Vallejo of Univision, suffered cuts and injuries to the 
head.  Vallejo was discharged after receiving stitches above 
his left eye at a local hospital and returned to Miami the 
evening of February 7.  Several other journalists were taken 
to a local police station and released without charge 
approximately one hour later.  The Embassy was able to able 
to verify the welfare and whereabouts of all of the 
journalists on February 7.  All have returned to Miami. 
 
¶3.  (C)  The Bahamian Ministry of Labour and Immigration 
called the initial reports "troubling" and promised a full 
and thorough investigation.  The Bahamian Consul in Miami, 
however, has stated she believed the press reports were 
erroneous and emphasized that the immigration officials were 
"trained to act within the law."  In a private conversation 
with the Charge d'Affaires, the Permanent Secretary at the 
MFA (number-two position in the ministry) also suggested the 
initial media reports may not be completely accurate.  She 
noted that one unconfirmed Bahamian account suggested that 
the reporter had "suffered some sort of seizure and fallen 
down."  The reporter himself in a Miami TV interview said he 
was pushed down and his head was forcibly smashed against a 
car. 
 
Immediate Response 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C)  Ambassador Rood received a written inquiry regarding 
the incident from U.S. Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 
Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart via fax on February 
¶7.  The letter has been forwarded to Washington for response. 
 Representative Ros-Lehtinen released the text of the letter 
to the Bahamian media and it has garnered wide coverage. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Cuban-Americans protested at the Bahamian Consulate 
in Miami on February 8 and 9, and a Miami woman was taken 
into custody after phoning in a bomb threat to the consulate. 
 Several Cuban exile groups, including Democracy Movement, 
Agenda Cuba and the Cuban Liberty Council, on February 8 
called for a boycott of all tourism to The Bahamas.  The 
Latin Builders Association -- with 750 corporate members -- 
has reportedly suspended its planned retreat in The Bahamas. 
 
 
COMMENT: Detention Center a Persistent Problem 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6.  (C) The February 7 scuffle is the latest in a series of 
incidents involving the Detention Center and Her Majesty's 
Prison.  Detainees complained of abuse and poor treatment in 
October 2004, including beatings.  After an internal 
investigation by the Ministry of Labour and Immigration 
reported no mistreatment, a group of detainees caused a 
disturbance in December 2004 which injured several guards and 
destroyed a dormitory.  In 2005 reports of beatings led to 
several officers being reassigned from the Detention Center 
to other duties. 
 
¶7.  (C) The Detention Center is plagued by a lack of 
management and poor morale.  Its nominal administrator, Edwin 
Culmer, was given the job in 2005 after being de facto fired 
from his position running Her Majesty's Prison.  He has 
publicly complained about having no mandate or instructions 
and, according to Detention Center officials, is rarely at 
the facility.  The RBDF guards working at the Detention 
Center often resent the assignment, which they do not see as 
rewarding or career-enhancing.  The lack of attention and 
resources -- the dormitory destroyed more than one year ago 
has not been replaced and its charred remains are still on 
site -- create a hostile environment which has regularly 
bubbled over into violence. 
¶8.  (C) The GCOB is feeling mounting pressure from this 
incident and its continued detention of two Cuban doctors who 
Castro had denied the ability to emigrate in 2002 and who 
subsequently were picked up in Bahamian waters fleeing Cuba. 
The threat of a tourism boycott has already evoked a 
cautionary response from the head of the local hotel 
association.  The Foreign Minister has assured the Charge 
that the Government is taking the incident seriously and will 
conduct a thorough investigation.  The February 10 request 
for FBI assistance suggests the Government intends to follow 
through on this commitment. 
 
HARDT