US embassy cable - 05CARACAS768

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000768 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PREF, CVIS, VE 
SUBJECT: CUBAN DOCTOR SEEKS ASYLUM 
 
 
Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(d 
) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Cuban medical doctor Ulises Bernal Perez requested 
political asylum March 2.  He did not claim or appear to fear 
for his safety, nor fear political persecution.  Poloff 
explained the procedure for political asylum and referred 
Bernal to UNHCR.  Bernal told poloff he arrived in Venezuela 
October 2003 to work with the Barrio Adentro mission staffed 
by Cuban doctors, but "defected" December 2003 with his 
brother-in-law who he said is now in the U.S.  He also 
claimed to have been in prison in Tachira State for about 10 
months on false kidnapping charges.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) RSO notified poloff March 2 that Ulises Bernal Perez 
(DOB 9/8/1973, POB Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Passport number 
0228412) a Cuban doctor, was at the Embassy's front gate 
requesting asylum.  Bernal told poloff he came to Venezuela 
in October 2003 to work with the Barrio Adentro mission in 
Barquisimeto, Lara State. In December 2003, at his 
brother-in-law's suggestion, the two men "defected" from the 
program.  Bernal told poloff his brother-in-law, also a Cuban 
doctor, was now in the U.S. but could not give him 
information on how he had gotten to Miami.  Bernal asserted 
that he and his brother-in-law publicly denounced the Barrio 
Adentro program for its lack of medicine when they left the 
program. 
 
3. (C) Separating for security, Bernal said, both he and his 
brother-in-law attempted to leave Venezuela.  Bernal said he 
was in Tachira State, on the border with Colombia, where he 
claimed some reporters were going to try to get him across 
the border.  He told poloff he thought one of them got cold 
feet, backed out, and denounced him to the authorities. 
Bernal said he was imprisoned from February-December 2004 on 
charges of kidnapping the reporter.  Upon his release, Bernal 
said he lived with a family in Tachira State that had 
befriended him while he was in the local Santa Ana Prison. 
After waiting for family in Miami to send him money, he 
traveled to Caracas the week of March 2 to seek asylum at the 
U.S. Embassy. 
 
4. (C)  Bernal asserted that after his public statements 
against the Barrio Adentro program and imprisonment, Cuba 
would not accept his return.  However, he did not express any 
fear of returning to his country of birth.  He asserted that 
he had no future in Venezuela because of his time in prison 
and wanted to leave.  After being in prison for several 
months, he said, he was trying to be careful and get out of 
the country "legally."  He claimed that the UNHCR and 
Caritas, because they worked with the GOV, could not be 
trusted to help him.  He therefore came to the U.S. Embassy 
which, he said he had heard, offered asylum to Cubans. He did 
not claim or appear to be afraid for his safety, nor in 
imminent danger. Poloff explained the asylum process and 
referred him to UNHCR. 
 
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Comment 
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5. (C) Bernal did not seem strongly opposed to or afraid of 
the Cuban government or his current situation in Venezuela. 
Rather, he appeared to be a searching for a better life and 
acting on what he had heard, came to the Embassy to ask for 
asylum or assistance leaving Venezuela.  While parts of his 
story were illogical, inconsistent, or vague, it could easily 
have been nerves rather than nefarious intentions. 
Brownfield