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Viewing cable 08SANJOSE432, COSTA RICA: MAY 21 DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08SANJOSE432 2008-05-23 00:43 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy San Jose
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0432 1440043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230043Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9757
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000432 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PD AND WHA/CCA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL SOCI KDEM KPAO CU CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: MAY 21 DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN 
PEOPLE WRAP-UP 
 
REF: A. STATE 45792 
     B. STATE 46997 
     C. STATE 51536 
     D. SAN JOSE 406 
 
1. The Costa Rican National Assembly, local media, Post and 
others observed the Day of Solidarity with Cuban People on 
May 20-21. Post contacted key representatives from each of 
these groups in the lead-up to May 21 and suggested possible 
commemorative activities and statements. Post also provided 
the communications director of the ruling PLN faction 
(Adriana Nunez) with guidance and talking points to use in 
preparing the interventions of the six parliamentarians.  A 
wrap-up of activities follows: 
 
 -- During the National Assembly's plenary session on May 21, 
six prominent Assembly members, including two heads of 
faction, called on the Castro regime to respect the Cuban 
people's human rights and freedom of speech. Public TV 
Channel 26 televised the remarks live. The six members were: 
Oscar Nunez Calvo, chief of the governing National Liberation 
Party (PLN) faction; Ovidio Aguero Acuna, head of the 
Libertarian Movement (ML); Federico Tinoco Carmona and 
Fernando Sanchez Campos, both of the PLN; and Independents 
Evita Arguedas and Jose Manuel Echandi Meza. 
 
 -- Ex-president Luis Alberto Monge, on behalf of the 
International Committee for Democracy in Cuba and along with 
the Costa Rican Committee for Solidarity with Democracy in 
Cuba, organized a forum on May 20 at the Journalists 
Association entitled, "Cuba, Current Reality, Freedom of 
Expression, Commitment of International Solidarity and 
Respect for Human Rights." Nine speakers including 
ex-president Monge, former Cuban political prisoner (and 
Miami resident) Ernesto Diaz, Assembly member Jose Manuel 
Echandi, a representative of the local Cuban community, and 
the Czechoslovakian Counselor urged democratic reforms. 
Representatives from Post attended. 
 
 -- On May 21, the Libertarian Movement held another 
commemorative event with Ernesto Diaz and Cuban community 
representatives. 
 
 -- Post successfully placed Jorge Olivera Castillo's op-ed 
"Compas de Espera" in the May 21 issue of Diario Extra, Costa 
Rica's leading daily with a circulation of 150,000. The 
editors placed it prominently in the Opinion Section, 
reported the author's email address, and noted that he was an 
independent journalist and former prisoner of conscience 
sentenced to 18 years in March 2003 and released in December 
2004 for health reasons. 
 
 -- On May 21, Ricardo Zamora, host of the leading radio talk 
show "In Focus" on Radio Eco, interviewed Libertarian 
Movement National Assembly member Mario Quiros. Quiros 
underscored Costa Rica's diplomatic efforts to nudge the 
Castro regime towards democracy. 
 
 -- Post featured President Bush's and Secretary Rice's 
statements on Cuban Solidarity prominently on our website. 
 
2. Additionally, various labor groups, among them the 
Independent Workers Movement of Cuba, paid homage to 
ex-president Monge at an event on May 15, praising him for 
his "work in defense of Cuban workers' rights." 
 
3. Still planned is a May 27 observance of the theme by Jaime 
Ordonez, a prominent intellectual and regional democracy 
expert, on his Radio Universidad program "El Mundo en 
Contacto" (The World in Contact). 
 
4. Alberto Salom, representative from the opposition Citizen 
Action Party (PAC), was the only legislator to denounce the 
U.S. embargo during the May 21 plenary session. He called for 
equally close scrutiny of human rights violations in other 
countries, "including the U.S." 
BRENNAN