VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUB #0218 1041251
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141251Z APR 09
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0005
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4307
INFO RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCOGCA/COMNAVBASE GUANTANAMO BAY CU

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/13/2019 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU SW EU
SUBJECT: SWEDEN, THE EU, AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA 
 
REF: (A) STATE 32156(B) 08STATE STOCKHOLM 664 
 
Classified By: COM JONATHAN FARRAR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Chief of Mission (COM) met on April 13 with Swedish 
Ambassador Caroline Fleetwood at her request to discuss 
U.S.-Cuban relations and Sweden's perspective on Cuba as 
Sweden prepares to assume the EU Presidency.  Ambassador 
Fleetwood travels to Washington later this month for a 
schedule that includes meetings with the Department and 
others on Cuba issues. 
 
¶2.  (C) Ambassador Fleetwood began by saying that the EU 
missions in Havana have started drafting a paper to submit to 
Brussels prior to the EU's review of Cuba policy in June. 
COM asked what signs she saw of any progress on the human 
rights front since last June.  The ambassador replied that 
Cuba may ratify the UN covenants on civil and political 
rights, and on economic, social and cultural rights, and had 
invited the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit Cuba. 
She added that the release of some political prisoners would 
be a definitive sign of progress.  COM noted these mostly 
were actions that Cuba might take in the future rather than 
indications of recent progress.  He added that EU 
Commissioner Louis Michel made three visits to Cuba over the 
past year without meeting with civil society and apparently 
without raising human rights with the GOC.  Ambassador 
Fleetwood said Michel had raised human rights in one of his 
meetings but without result, adding that the Cubans are tough 
negotiators. 
 
¶3.  (C) COM noted that we have received reports of Sweden's 
new human-rights centered foreign policy, and asked the 
Ambassador how she would balance pursuing that policy with 
reaching consensus on EU positions.  The ambassador said she 
still was considering her approach on human rights.  When 
asked if she meets with civil society, the ambassador said 
that her DCM does so.  COM encouraged her to think of human 
rights in a broad context, and look for areas such as 
Internet access where Sweden might help the people of Cuba to 
connect with the world, and vice-versa.  This prompted a 
series of questions from the ambassador regarding USINT's 
Internet centers, and the degree to which the GOC attempts to 
interfere or to screen Cuban users. 
 
¶4.  (C) The ambassador asked about our interpretation of the 
March changes in the  GOC Cabinet and other personnel moves. 
COM said the most succinct explanation was that Raul Castro 
was putting in place people with whom he is most comfortable, 
and asked the ambassador whether she thought the moves 
constitute an advance or retreat from prospects for 
transition in Cuba.  The ambassador said the changes help 
advance the transition from Fidel to Raul, but not beyond 
(Note:  we agree).  Ambassador Fleetwood asked what the COM 
thought of Raul's economic policy changes, and what Cuban 
people thought of them.  COM said he sees the policy changes 
thus far as superficial with the possible exception of the 
program to lease farmland, which had at least some potential 
to increase production.  He added that most of the Cuban 
people with whom he talks around town have limited access to 
foreign currency and are more focused on making ends meet on 
official salaries of twenty dollars a month than on access to 
consumer goods which they cannot afford. 
 
¶5.  (C) Ambassador Fleetwood asked about the recent 
Congressional Black Caucus CODEL, and what it might augur for 
changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba.  COM said that USINT had 
considerable interaction with the CODEL but that the Members 
of Congress set their own agenda.  He added that we would 
announce soon policy changes toward Cuba on travel, 
remittances, and other areas important to the people of Cuba, 
and that we then would have to see what is the GOC response. 
 
¶6.  (C) Comment:  Ambassador Fleetwood is caught between a 
GOS foreign policy to promote human rights and her own desire 
for closer contacts with the GOC, and thus has been dragging 
her heels on any human rights initiatives.  We recommend 
Washington use upcoming meetings with her to urge Sweden to 
get moving on its bilateral efforts, and to use its upcoming 
presidency to foster closer cooperation between the U.S. and 
the EU on Cuba.  The April 13 White House announcement on 
Cuban policy initiatives opens the door for us to make some 
progress on both fronts.  End comment. 
FARRAR