VZCZCXRO4770
RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHMT
RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHUB #0277 1341830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141830Z MAY 09
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4386
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0013
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/COGARD INTELCOORDCEN WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/NAVINTELOFC GUANTANAMO BAY CU

UNCLAS HAVANA 000277 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CU
SUBJECT: GOC MOUNTS "PROTEST" IN FRONT OF THE INTERESTS 
SECTION 
 
REF: A. HAVANA RSO SPOT REPORT TO DS DATED MAY 12 
     ¶B. 2009 
 
¶1.  (U) As part of the "II International Youth Encounter for 
Solidarity with the Five Heroes," at 0800 on May 12, several 
hundred people appeared in front of the Interests Section in 
the so-called anti-imperialist amphitheater to protest a 
variety of alleged crimes committed by the USG.  The 
participants and a "Youth Tribunal" listened to "testimony" 
from the children of two of the 5 Cuban agents held in prison 
in the U.S., the grandchild of the co-pilot of the Cubana de 
Aviacion plane brought down by a bomb in 1976, and Mexican 
and Peruvian students from the Latin American Medical school 
(ELAM).  The "Tribunal" then found the U.S. to be guilty on 
all counts.  Among the "crimes" cited were the Cuban 
Adjustment Act, which allegedly protects anti-Cuban 
"terrorists" against whom the 5 Cuban agents were working, 
the CIA's alleged introduction of hemorrhagic dengue fever to 
Cuba, and U.S. support for Israel.  Participants then staged 
a brief march before dispersing.  The entire area was clear 
by about 9:30 a.m. 
 
¶2.  (U) While the "Tribunal" was in session, Cuban school 
children, most in their school uniforms and presumably 
selected for the event, wrote slogans condemning the U.S. and 
alleged "terrorist" Luis Posada Carriles and painted 
swastikas and snakes on the Malecon in front of the Section, 
which had been closed for the event. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) COMMENTS:  The "protest" was very orderly and there 
was no threat to USINT or its personnel.  It has been more 
than a year since the last such protest show, but it is not 
clear that this event indicates any change in GOC thinking. 
The issues discussed by the "protesters" are the same ones 
normally used by the GOC in its litany of complaints against 
the USG.  It may be noteworthy that the event took place just 
after the GOC completed work on removing the supports for the 
billboards that once surrounded the Section.  There had been 
no billboards since the last set was destroyed by high winds 
during the multiple hurricanes in September 2008.  Some of 
the Cuban security guards told Section officers that the 
rusted supports would be replaced and new billboards 
installed soon.  We shall see. Also of note, one observer 
commented that the protest spoke volumes about Cuba's vaunted 
educational system. There were several errors of spelling and 
grammar in the slogans painted in the street. 
WILLIAMS