US embassy cable - 02ROME1649

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001649 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, CU, IT, UNHRC-1 
SUBJECT: (C) ITALY:  LUKEWARM SUPPORT FOR PROJECT VARELA 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 55698 
 
     B. SECSTATE 49534 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TCOUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.   (U) POLOFF DELIVERED REF A DEMARCHE MARCH 26 TO 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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AMBASSADOR NICCOLO' GORETTI DE FLAMINI, MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR 
FOR CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.  GORETTI IS A FORMER 
AMBASSADOR TO NICARAGUA. 
 
2.    (C) ACCORDING TO GORETTI, THE GOI WAS IN FAVOR OF THE 
VARELA PROJECT AND WAS FOLLOWING IT CLOSELY.  THE GOI HAD 
INFORMATION THAT THE GOC WOULD HAMPER THE PROJECT BUT WOULD 
WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE WOULD FAX OUR DEMARCHE TO 
THEIR AMBASSADOR TO CUBA.  THEIR DCM IN HAVANA MET FREQUENTLY 
WITH DISSIDENTS AND WOULD SUPPORT THIS PROJECT IN THOSE 
MEETINGS. 
 
3.    (C) GORETTI NOTED THAT SOME CUBAN DISSIDENTS OPPOSED 
PROJECT VARELA.  THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THE GOC WOULD EVER 
ALLOW A REFERENDUM. 
 
4.    (C) ASKED WHETHER THE GOI WOULD SUPPORT A RESOLUTION IN 
THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (UNCHR) ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN 
CUBA (REF B), GORETTI SAID THE GOI WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE TEXT 
AND COORDINATE WITHIN THE EU.  PROBABLY THE GOI WOULD VOTE IN 
FAVOR OF SUCH A RESOLUTION BUT WOULD NOT COSPONSOR IT.  ITALY 
WOULD BE LIKELY TO ABSTAIN ONLY IF THE TEXT MADE FAVORABLE 
MENTION OF THE AMERICAN EMBARGO, WHICH THE GOI OPPOSES.  A 
BRITISH DEMARCHE ON THE SAME SUBJECT HAD SUGGESTED THAT THE 
EU TAKE A LOW PROFILE BUT VOTE IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION.  THE 
GOI AND HMG PREFERRED THAT THE EMBARGO NOT BE MENTIONED IN A 
RESOLUTION, BUT SOME "EU GOVERNMENTS ON THE LEFT" DISAGREED 
AND, HE IMPLIED, WERE SEEKING TO INSERT A NEGATIVE REFERENCE 
TO THE EMBARGO. 
 
5.    (C) COMMENT:  GORETTI'S PROFESSION OF SUPPORT FOR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01649  031054Z 
PROJECT VARELA APPEARED PERFUNCTORY, AND HE REPEATEDLY DODGED 
POLOFF'S REQUEST FOR THE ITALIAN EMBASSY TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE 
SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AND TO URGE THE GOC TO ALLOW THE 
PROJECT TO CONTINUE.  HE SEEMED MORE EAGER TO TAKE POT SHOTS 
AT U.S. POLICY, WHICH HE SAID WAS BASED ON U.S. DOMESTIC 
POLITICS.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME01649 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL