VZCZCXYZ0036
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #1566/01 1321507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121507Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4710
INFO RUCOWCV/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0111
RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001566 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CCA, WHA/CAR-BENT, USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CU ETTC DR ETRD PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NSC-DIRECTED 
COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY REVIEW REGARDING SUSPENSION OF TITLE III 
OF THE LIBERTAD ACT 
 
REF: A. STATE 57782 
 
     ¶B. 05 SANTO DOMINGO 05409 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Dominican President Fernandez is 
continuing his low-profile approach to Cuban issues. 
Interaction is limited to educational, sports, and technical 
exchanges, visits to Cuba by Dominican tourists, and 
residence in Cuba by a few church-affiliated social workers. 
There are approximately 200-250 Dominican medical students in 
Cuba, with 50 graduating each year and being replaced by 50 
more.  An annual meeting of the Cuban-Dominican mixed 
commission took place in Havana March 27-29 and produced a 
plan to continue these exchanges in 2006-2007.  Embassy 
considers that U.S. national interests and Dominican 
government actions justify continued renewal of the waiver of 
Title III of the Libertad Act with regard to Dominican 
businesses.  End summary. 
 
Dominican Businesses and Cuba 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (SBU) Embassy considers that U.S. national interests and 
the actions of the Dominican government justify a renewal of 
the waiver oF Title III of the Libertad Act with regard to 
Dominican businesses that may be involved in joint ventures 
with the Cuban government or have significant trade with 
Cuba.  A recent Embassy inquiry with MFA Director for the 
Americas Francia Sencion yielded no new information on any 
investments or joint ventures that would trigger the Title 
III sanctions.  There is little Dominican investment in Cuba 
and the Embassy is not aware of any conflict between 
Dominican investors and U.S. citizens regarding property 
claims in Cuba.  The Embassy has not received any complaints 
by any U.S. citizens against any Dominican company related to 
any investment in Cuba or regarding Dominican)Cuban trade 
links. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Cuba has proposed a trade accord with the Dominican 
Republic; Embassy sources in the foreign ministry indicate 
that the Dominican side &is studying the proposal.8 
 
Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy in Cuba 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4. (SBU) The administration of President Fernandez has 
continued to take a low profile on Cuban issues.  Many 
Dominicans, including President Fernandez, reject the Cuban 
dictatorship as a model for the region.  Even so, the 
Dominican Government rarely criticizes the Havana regime for 
its lack of democracy or its human rights violations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In international organizations the Dominicans 
typically join a regional consensus on votes on controversial 
issues.  Embassy is unaware of any votes on Cuban issues 
since our last report in which the Dominican Republic 
supported Cuba, other than the UN resolution against the 
so-called U.S. embargo (Ref B). 
 
Cuban-Dominican Technical Cooperation and Exchanges 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶6. (SBU) Technical cooperation is arranged between the 
Technical Secretariat of the Presidency in the Dominican 
Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Investment in Cuba. 
Low-level sports exchanges involving trainers are ongoing. 
 
¶7. (SBU) According to the MFA, there are approximately 
200-250 Dominican medical students in Cuba at any one time, 
with about 50 or so graduating each year and being replaced 
by 50 more.  On March 30, 2006 a group of 41 students 
departed for Cuba.  A delegation of Cuban doctors recently 
visited the Dominican Republic to promote Cuba as a 
destination for health care.  According to new reports, 
approximately 500 Dominicans travel to Cuba each year to 
receive medical care.  A few Cuban doctors are reported to be 
working in the Dominican countryside providing basic medical 
services to underserved areas, although these were not 
mentioned in the latest bilateral cooperation plan. 
 
¶8. (SBU) According to the Technical Secretariat, the 
Dominican agency that provides subsidized food to low-income 
Dominicans (INESPRE) has agreed to provide technical 
assistance to Cuba.  Four Cuban experts met with Dominican 
officials here early this year to discuss food distribution 
 
 
and marketing of various food products.  The Dominican 
Petroleum Refinery and the Dominican Telecommunications 
Institute are also drafting accords with their Cuban 
counterparts for technical exchanges, but these have not yet 
been completed. 
 
Cuban-Dominican Mixed Commission 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶9. (SBU) One high-level visit has taken place since our last 
report: the sixth annual meeting of cooperation between the 
Technical Secretary of the Presidency of the Dominican 
Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic 
Collaboration of the Republic of Cuba, in Havana, March 
27-29.  The Dominican delegation of 12 officials was led by 
Technical Under Secretary of the Presidency America Bastidas; 
the Cuban side was led by Orlando Requeijo, Vice Minister of 
Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration.  The chief 
Dominican official also met separately with Cuban vice 
ministers of public health, agriculture, and basic industry 
and directors in the education and foreign ministries. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The commission agreed on a plan of collaboration 
for exchanges in the coming year.  Embassy has obtained the 
signed document, mostly covering hoped-for technical 
exchanges and sales of Cuban biomedical products, and 
reiterating an intention to negotiate a trade agreement.  The 
Dominican side stated its interest in continuing the 
contracting of 44 Cuban sports technicians and trainers via 
the firm CUBADEPORTES and commented "very positively" on the 
performance of Cuban coaches in the Dominican Republic.   The 
Dominicans requested further support for a literacy program, 
begun on a pilot basis last year with Cuban trainers, with 
financial support from Venezuela; the Cuban officials 
undertook to follow up with Venezuela. 
 
¶11. (U) Embassy will fax the complete document to WHA/CAR - 
Dominican Republic desk, attn William Bent. 
HERTELL