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### Viewing cable 06HAVANA23546, LANDMARK FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER YOUNG CUBAN

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06HAVANA23546 | 2006-11-27 19:07 | 2010-12-16 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | US Interests Section Havana

`

    VZCZCXRO9483
    PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
    DE RUEHUB #3546/01 3311937
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 271937Z NOV 06
    FM USINT HAVANA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0934
    INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY
    RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
    RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY PRIORITY 0010
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 023546

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    STATE DEPT FOR WHA/CCA

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
    TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI CU
    SUBJECT: LANDMARK FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER YOUNG CUBAN
    ACTIVISTS

    HAVANA 00023546 001.3 OF 002

    Classified By: COM Michael Parmly for Reason 1.4(d).

    ¶1. (C) Summary: An unprecedented opposition youth forum
    brought together young Cuban pro-democracy activists and
    counterparts from Monterrey, Mexico on November 24 in Havana.
    The three-hour-long event, held at the PAO Residence, saw
    participants engage in open debate after watching an
    inspirational documentary on the fall of Milosevic. Many of
    the participants agreed on the need to coordinate the
    activities of the country's three biggest opposition youth
    groups. They acknowledged that they are much weaker than the
    Yugoslav youth groups (especially OTPUR) depicted in the
    documentary. Cuban authorities prevented at least 11 young
    activists from taking part, but did not interrupt the event
    or launch an immediate crackdown against participants.
    Retaliatory action could be harsh. End Summary.

    ¶2. (C) Sixty-three young pro-democracy activists from three
    of Cuba's most influential opposition youth groups gathered
    in Havana on November 24 for a landmark forum aimed at
    finding common ground. The event, held in the back yard of
    the PAO Residence, drew members XXXXXXXXXXXX
    Also  present were young members of other groups from
    Bayamo,  Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Havana, Pinar del Rio,
    Matanzas,  Santa Clara, Santiago and Trinidad. Two young
    Mexican  pro-democracy activists from Monterrey brought
    messages of  support. Several USINT officials were also
    present. One  would-be Cuban participant was detained
    and police prevented  at least ten others from attending
    (mainly by confiscating  their ID cards), but the GOC did
    not launch an immediate  crackdown after the event.

    "RESISTANCE"
    ------------

    ¶3. (C) After brief welcoming remarks by Poloff, the three
    youth-group leaders addressed the crowd and then turned the
    microphone over to the Mexicans, who spoke passionately about
    "solidarity" and the inevitable triumph of democracy in Cuba.
    Participants then watched a stirring, 70-minute documentary
    on the fall of Yugoslavian dictator Milosevic, which
    emphasized the role of youth group OTPOR ("Resistance") in
    precipitating change, through rallies, outreach and biting
    sarcasm. Among the scenes that resonated most with
    participants were those in which the regime labeled OTPOR
    activists as "terrorists." (Note: Virtually all of the
    viewers have been branded "mercenaries," "terrorists" or
    "traitors." End Note.) On the other hand, it was clear to
    the Cubans that OTPOR had more room to maneuver in Yugoslavia
    and that Cuban groups are far behind in terms of influence
    and organizational capacity.

    ONGOING HARASSMENT
    ------------------

    ¶4. (C) For the ensuing 90 minutes, participants took turns
    addressing the group in an open debate. Topics included the
    intense, ongoing harassment of activists, particularly those
    in eastern Cuba; horrific prison conditions and attacks by
    guards; a project to press the GOC to allow the reopening of
    a Catholic university; and the problematic situation of
    HIV/AIDS sufferers, thousands of whom are unable to receive
    the medicines they require. A common theme at the forum was
    the need to coordinate the activities of the key youth
    groups, and to network with university groups in a way that
    avoids a State Security crackdown.

    HEAVY STATE SECURITY PRESENCE
    -----------------------------

    ¶5. (C) The State Security presence around the venue, in
    Havana's Miramar district, was heavy, and police patrol cars
    passed by the site frequently. Two large vans of the Cuban
    telecom, ETECSA, were parked next door. However, the GOC
    made no obvious effort to interrupt the event, either through
    power cuts or blocked street access. (XXXXXXXXXXXX
    and  XXXXXXXXXXXX told us November 25 that they
    were not  aware of any of their groups' participants being
    detained  after the event.) There was only one incident
    involving a  possible GOC provocateur. An uninvited
    "independent  journalist" who showed up and gained entry
    after asking a  youth-group leader to vouch for him addressed
    the group and  rejected the messages of the Mexicans and the
    documentary,  saying "the problems of Mexico and Yugoslavia
    are not the
    problems of Cuba."

    HAVANA 00023546 002.3 OF 002

    PRISONER QUILT DISPLAYED
    ------------------------

    ¶6. (C) A centerpiece of the forum was the vertical display of
    the "prisoners of conscience" quilt, a paneled work honoring
    the 75 peaceful pro-democracy and human rights activists
    jailed in the "Black Spring" crackdown of 2003. (Sixty of
    the 75 remain behind bars.) The imprisoned activists' names
    are embroidered on the quilt, which was created in Boston by
    members of the group Cuban Flag. The quilt drew attention
    and generated considerable buzz.

    COMMENT
    -------

    ¶7. (C) That 63 young "opositores" would travel long
    distances, at substantial personal expense and with no
    assurance that they would not be subsequently imprisoned,
    shows the hunger among some Cuban youth not only for change,
    but for action to set that change in motion. As
    thought-provoking as the documentary and debate were, the
    true success of the November 24 event lay in the networking
    that occurred on the sidelines, with small groups of
    like-minded young Cubans meeting each other, most for the
    first time. The event also went a long way toward building
    bridges between the XXXXXXXXXXXX, and
    XXXXXXXXXXXX, which have  for years suffered from
    mutual mistrust and bad blood, some  of it personality-driven.
    For one evening, at least, the  leaders of these groups focused
    on their common objectives.

    ¶8. (C) One key value in the event was that it was a
    grass-roots, Cuban-generated activity. It would not have
    happened without USINT providing the venue and facilitating
    contacts. It is one small but important counterpoint to the
    regime's boast that since July 31, all Cubans have been quiet
    and accepting of Fidel's "proclama." We anticipate that the
    Cuban Government will retaliate harshly, both against the
    young dissidents and against USINT, which helped sponsor the
    event at their request. The regime will likely use state
    media and mass-based communist organizations to label the
    youth leaders as USG agents, and mobilize militant thugs and
    State Security officials to punish them with "acts of
    repudiation," citations, brief detentions, and possibly
    expulsions from workplaces and universities. We will be
    working just as intently to encourage actions in the other
    direction, particularly more/better networking among
    university students who oppose the regime.
    PARMLY

`