VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0520 1761937
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241937Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2211
INFO RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0222

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PRM (RGEHRING AND RMACKLER), WHA/PPC, WHA/CCA, 
AND WHA/CEN (ETELLO) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2018 
TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG CU IT PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: RESETTLEMENT OF CUBAN MIGRANTS PROTECTED 
ON GUANTANAMO 
 
REF: STATE 43061 
 
Classified By: POLCOUNS Brian R. Naranjo.  Reason:  1.4 (d) 
 
¶1. (U)  This is an action request.  Please see para 3. 
 
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Panama Inquires Into "Exceptional" Nature of Cases 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (C) The degree to which it could be demonstrated that the 
Cuban migrants protected on Guantanamo are in an "exceptional 
situation" would be a significant factor that Panamanian 
President Torrijos would weigh in determining whether to 
agree to resettle two Cuban migrants, as requested reftel, 
MFA Senior Advisor Adolfo Ahumada informed POLCOUNS on June 
¶23.  Furthermore, Ahumada underscored several times that 
under no circumstances could acceptance of these migrants be 
understood as accepting a "precedence" to do so in the 
future.  Therefore, Ahumada requested additional information 
regarding these migrants' families in Panama, information 
that would assist the GOP in justifying a "socially 
responsibly humanitarian decision" to resettle these 
individuals in Panama.  For example, if the family members in 
Panama were the only ones capable of providing meaningful 
support and constituted their sole family ties outside of 
Cuba, Ahumada said he believed that an adequate case might be 
made that Panama needed to agree to accept these migrants for 
resettlement out of serious concern for their well being, as 
requested by the U.S. 
 
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Action Request 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Post seeks Department's guidance in responding to this 
request for additional information that would demonstrate the 
"exceptional" nature of the request to resettle these two 
protected migrants in Panama. 
 
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Comment 
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¶4. (C) The acceptance of any refugees -- particularly Cuban 
refugees -- is an extremely sensitive matter for Panama, a 
country that across administrations has posite its foreign 
policy on sustaining friendly relations with all who seek 
friendly relations with it, including Cuba.  The Torrijos 
Administration does not wish to draw the ire of the Cuban 
regime for accepting these migrants.  It is for this reason 
that the GOP is highly appreciative of the discrete manner in 
which these cases have been handled.  It is also the reason 
for which the GOP essentially seeks USG assistance to craft a 
narrative to explain why these cases constitute "exceptional 
situations" for which Panama needs to do the right thing in 
accepting these migrants for resettlement.  Panama's two 
month delay in responding to Post's initial demarche 
highlights the close scrutiny and high-level GOP attention 
that these cases will receive.  Ambassador raised this 
demarche with First VP and FM Samuel Lewis on June 17, and 
Lewis, aware of the substance of the demarche, said the 
matter was under consideration.  Ahumada's interim answer is 
basically a request that the USG explain why Panama is really 
the only reasonable hope for resettlement so that, if asked, 
Panama can in the future say that it consulted extensively 
with us and an understanding was reached that Panama was the 
only option.  Panama's last experience with a resettled 
migrant a few years ago was not a happy experience and left 
Panama reluctant to jump on board with future resettlement 
requests. 
EATON