US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO6327

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 006327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), WHA/CCA, IO/UNP, USUN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, ETRD, CU, DR 
SUBJECT: GODR ON CUBA AT THE UNGA AND THE IBERO-AMERICAN 
SUMMIT 
 
REF: A. STATE 297777 B. STATE 301451 
 
Classified By: EcoPol Counselor Michael Meigs, reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.(C)  Summary.  The Dominican Republic will not vote against 
or abstain in Cuba's UNGA resolution on the U.S. embargo. 
However, the Dominicans will support a separate resolution 
against human rights abuses in Cuba at the Ibero-American 
Summit.  End Summary. 
 
 2. (U) Poloffs delivered reftel B talking points to 
Ambassador Rhadys Abreu de Polanco, Deputy Director of the 
International Organizations desk at the Dominican Foreign 
Ministry, on November 3.  Reftel A talking points were 
delivered on October 30.  Ambassador Abreu told us that the 
Dominican Republic would not vote against or abstain on the 
Cuban resolution on ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba 
which will be presented in the UNGA.  The GODR voted for 
Cuba's resolution last year, and the Dominican UN permrep has 
already been instructed to do so again this year.  Ambassador 
Abreu listened politely to arguments on why the Dominican 
Republic should abstain from voting for the resolution, but 
remained unswayed.  She told us that the Foreign Ministry did 
not receive our request far enough in advance to change the 
instructions to the Dominican permrep. 
 
3. (C)  Ambassador Abreu was considerably more positive on 
the possibility of supporting a resolution condemning Cuba's 
human rights record at the upcoming Ibero-American Summit. 
She told us that the Ibero-American Summit was the correct 
forum to raise the issue of the "events" that took place in 
March in Cuba.  She indicated that other countries felt the 
same way and thought that a resolution could be successfully 
introduced and adopted at the summit. 
 
4. (U)  Ambassador Abreu raised the subject of official 
representation at international organization summits, 
assemblies and conferences.  She told us that the current 
Foreign Minister approves all representatives from the GODR 
and that he often waits until the last minute to decide who 
will attend or to change the list of attendees.  For example, 
the GODR expected to send its Deputy Foreign Minister and 
International Organizations Director to the OAS Special 
Security Conference in Mexico.  On the day they were to 
depart, the Foreign Minister decided that he would attend 
himself and no other ministry personnel would accompany him. 
Ambassador Abreu said she would inform the Foreign Minister 
that for planning purposes the USG prefers to have a list of 
attendees as far in advance as possible. 
 
5. (C)  COMMENT:  It appears that the GODR is under regional 
pressure to vote with Cuba on its UNGA resolution. 
Ambassador Abreu's comment that the USG's request to vote 
against the resolution or abstain from voting was tardy, is 
not an indication that the GODR would have voted any 
differently even if asked to do so months in advance.  The 
GODR is unlikely to introduce a resolution condemning Cuba at 
the Ibero-American Summit, but can be expected to vote for 
such a resolution if one is introduced. 
HERTELL