VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUB #0784/01 2742102
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 302102Z SEP 08
FM USINT HAVANA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3765

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013 
TAGS: EAID SCUL CU
SUBJECT: CUBAN PARTICIPATION IN THE PRESIDENT'S EDUCATION 
INITIATIVE FOR WHA: USINT HAVANA RESPONSE 
 
REF: STATE 098793 
 
Classified By: COM Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ¶1. ( C ) SUMMARY:  USINT Havana appreciates WHA and ECA 
support for Cuba's participation in Partnership for Latin 
American Youth (PLAY) programs.  We believe that such 
programs would be very well received among Cubans.  We are 
not sanguine about the likelihood of the GOC standing aside 
to allow the programs to proceed unfettered, but we further 
believe that we should not be deterred by official 
opposition.  We propose to employ all public diplomacy assets 
available to us to make the Cuban public aware of the 
existence of these programs and the procedures for applying 
for them.  If the GOC moves to block participation in our 
programs, so be it, but we must be sure that if no clear 
resistance from the GOC develops, those who apply are able to 
participate promptly.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. ( C ) The following are our views on the viability of the 
specific programs outlined in reftel: 
 
¶A. Community College Initiative:  This would be the most 
ideal candidate for Cuba as it comes closest to addressing 
youth career interests.  At least initially, we believe the 
numbers could be kept modest (say, for example 4-6 students) 
in order to create some success stories.  USINT proposes to 
recruit by means such as our USINT website, Radio and TV 
Marti--even our electronic billboard--as well as word 
of-mouth through the existing network of Cuban youth that has 
been the target of our outreach efforts in the past couple of 
years.  While our contacts in this area are comparatively 
limited at the moment, they likely would grow as word spread 
about the existence of this program.  We believe 
English-language training would be necessary for all 
participants.  The biggest challenge will be securing exit 
visas from the GOC once it ascertains the program's funding 
sources and objectives. 
 
¶B. Undergraduate Student Leader Institutes: This program also 
is a good option for the same reasons outlined in (A) above. 
It will likely have greatest success if conducted in Spanish. 
 We are not sure that an intensive English-language training 
component would be cost effective for a program lasting only 
six weeks, but if pursued, this would obviously expand 
interest among the applicants and available options.  Once 
again, exit visas would be the biggest challenge. 
 
¶C. Youth Ambassadors:  We do not believe this would be a 
viable program in Cuba at this point due to the requirement 
for English-language ability and the young ages of the 
participants.  Nonetheless, we could employ the same 
strategies for advertising the program listed in (A) above 
and see what develops. On travel and visa issues, in addition 
to the GOC's requirement to obtain exit visas, there is an 
additional requirement that parents be authorized by the GOC 
to allow their minor children to travel. 
 
¶D. English Access Micro-Scholarship Program:   This would be 
an excellent program, but cannot be supported in the present 
environment due to the nonexistence of any private language 
schools or NGOs willing to accept U.S. assistance.  USINT 
works closely with and provides regular training to a group 
of private English teachers who tutor Cuban students on an 
individual basis, but the infrastructure required by this 
program does not presently exist.   Nevertheless, we would 
hope to move forward with the program at some point in the 
future when the environment is more favorable. 
 
¶E. N/A 
 
¶3. ( C ) As reftel acknowledged, there will indeed be a 
number of challenges to overcome in identifying candidates 
and providing them with access to these programs, including: 
 
-- the difficulty of reaching youth audiences, particularly 
students at Cuban universities, whose academic careers and 
future livelihoods (and those of their families) could be 
jeopardized by participation in U.S.-sponsored exchanges; 
 
-- intense GOC efforts to isolate USINT from Cuban academic, 
intellectual, artistic, and cultural circles, 
 
-- the lack of alternatives to state-owned and state-operated 
educational institutions, including any for the purpose of 
teaching English; 
 
-- insufficient staff in USINT's Public Affairs Section (PAS) 
if we receive large numbers of applicants. 
 
Offering programs such as those in PLAY could help overcome 
the first two points as Cubans would likely start coming to 
us on their own.  Thus, the greatest challenge we may face 
 
will be having sufficient resources to manage the 
applications that come in.  Assuming we will not be able to 
increase staff locally, we would appreciate any support 
Washington-based offices could provide to review the 
applications.  USINT would do everything in its power to 
expedite visas for those selected to participate in these 
programs, but ultimate authority to issue or not rests with 
Washington. 
 
¶4.  ( C ) Given the GOC's historical objections to any 
programs initiated or paid for by the United States, coupled 
with its equally adamant stance against allowing Cuban 
university students to study elsewhere (and particularly in 
the U.S.), we are not confident that the GOC will allow 
Cubans to participate actively in any of these programs. 
That said, announcing the availability of such opportunities 
for Cuban youth at a time when despair over their economic 
futures has led them to eschew long-term study in general, 
even for formerly prestigious careers, would redound to the 
U.S.'s favor.  We would prefer move forward and then let the 
GOC choose whether to cast itself as the heavy, forcing it to 
deny their youth access to programs that would be seen as 
desirable by most Cubans.  As a result, USINT proposes to go 
all-out to recruit, review, process and promote students for 
these programs, notwithstanding the likely interference of 
the Cuban government. 
FARRAR