US embassy cable - 02ROME3669

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003669 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2007 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, EAID, CU, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: ITALY PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO CUBANS SELECTED BY 
GOC 
 
REF: SECSTATE 135151 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL P. THIEDE FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  03669  250731Z 
1.    (C) IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL DEMARCHE, MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR 
FOR CENTRAL AMERICA NICOLO' GORETTI DE FLAMINI TOLD POLOFF 
JULY 23 THAT THE GOI PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO CUBANS AS PART 
OF A FIFTEEN-YEAR OLD CULTURAL-SCIENTIFIC ACCORD BETWEEN THE 
GOI AND GOC.  UNDER THE TERMS OF THE ACCORD, THE GOC CHOOSES 
THE CANDIDATES ITSELF.  ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF 
OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS TO NON-GOC CANDIDATES, GORETTI SAID 
THAT THE EU WAS CONSIDERING ESTABLISHING A SCHOLARSHIP 
PROGRAM CALLED ALIS FOR LATIN AMERICANS.  HE AGREED TO ASK 
THE MFA'S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION BUREAU TO ADVOCATE THAT THE 
AID BE PROVIDED THROUGH NON-OFFICIAL CHANNELS. 
 
2.    (C) GORETTI DESCRIBED AS DIFFICULT BOTH THE SITUATION 
IN CUBA AND EUROPEAN-CUBAN RELATIONS.  THREE FACTORS HAVE 
CONTRIBUTED TO INCREASED REPRESSION AND CUBAN GOVERNMENT 
POSTURING:  (1) THE SPLIT BETWEEN "HAVES" -- CUBANS WHO WORK 
WITH TOURISTS OR RECEIVE REMITTANCES FROM ABROAD -- AND 
"HAVE-NOTS," LIVING ON AN AVERAGE OF $12 A MONTH, IS CREATING 
A CRISIS IN THE SOCIALIST STRUCTURE.  (2) THE CARTER AND BUSH 
SPEECHES AND THE VARELA PROJECT HAVE EMBOLDENED DISSIDENTS. 
(3) ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR OCTOBER.  "THE EU IS 
FURIOUS WITH CUBA" OVER THE RESULTING CRACKDOWN, GORETTI 
CONFIDED.  FURTHERMORE, THE DANISH (EU) PRESIDENCY IS "QUITE 
TOUGH" ON THE GOC. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME03669 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL