US embassy cable - 05WARSAW3642

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 003642 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CCA AND EUR/NCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, KPAO, OIIP, PL, CU, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: POLAND/CUBA:  MFA SENIOR OFFICIAL MEETS ONLY WITH 
OPPOSITION DURING RECENT VISIT; PROPOSES OPPOSITION VIDEO 
CONFERENCE WITH LECH WALESA. 
 
REF: A. HAVANA 20751 
 
     B. HAVANA 20420 
 
Classified By: DCM KENNETH HILLAS, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) This is an action request for WHA/CCA and USINT 
Havana.  See paragraph  8. 
 
2.  (C) Summary:  MFA Director for the Americas Henryk 
Szlajfer gave PolCouns a read-out on his recent visit to 
Cuba, where he met only with opposition figures, and was 
completely boycotted by the government.  He said he was 
impressed by the "determination" of many in the opposition, 
but noted some divisions.  Poland wants to do what it can to 
support democracy movements in Cuba, and will follow the 
German model in inviting opposition and government officials 
to separate events on the same day for their upcoming 
November 11 national day.  Szlajfer asked our assistance in 
helping to arrange a video conference between the dissidents 
and former Polish President Lech Walesa.  End Summary. 
 
3.  (C)  Szlajfer, who spent time in jail under the Polish 
Communist government, said he felt like he had "traveled back 
in time," with the heavy-handed presence of police and the 
economic stagnation.  Prior to his trip the Cuban MFA called 
the Polish Charge in Havana to warn that Szlajfer's visa had 
been issued "by mistake," but he decided to travel.  He was 
met at the airport by the UK DCM (representing the EU).  When 
the Cuban government said officials would not meet with him 
if he met with the opposition, he chose to meet the 
opposition, and so had no official meetings during his stay. 
 
 
4.  (C) Szlajfer met with several opposition leaders and 
groups, including Marta Beatriz Roque, Vladimiro Roca, 
Oswaldo Paya, and Elizardo Sanchez.  (Note:  Szlajfer said 
that he understood that USINT Havana had some concerns about 
Sanchez, perhaps because of his history in the secret police, 
but noted that none of the other dissidents had any problem 
meeting with Szlajfer with Sanchez present.  End Note)  He 
also met with the "Ladies in White" group of wives of 
political prisoners, and traveled to Pinar del Rio to meet 
with Dagoberto Valdes and the local Catholic bishop.  He 
commented that the later group's activities were tolerate by 
the Castro government because of their ties to the Vatican. 
Szlajfer noted that he met all the opposition leaders at the 
now-vacant residence of the Polish Ambassador, and that on 
his road trip to Pinar del Rio he was followed for some time 
by security, but then they appeared to have dropped off. 
 
5.  (C)  Szlajfer said he thought there was some "progress" 
among the opposition in terms of overall unity and 
determination, but noted some continuing divisions.  He said 
he thought Marta Roque was the "most energetic," but that 
some of the others were concerned about her close ties to the 
emigre community in Miami, and noted what he interpreted as 
some "resentment" among some of the others over the role of 
the emigre community.  He was most impressed by the 
"determination" of the "Ladies in White" group.  He said 
their situation was difficult not only because of repression, 
but also because, he believed, "significant elements" of the 
population are not alienated by the regime, and in fact feel 
they owe something to Castro.  He thought the police were 
more brutal than Poland had experienced under communism, and 
was struck by the activism of the neighborhood "revolutionary 
committees" in monitoring the actions of individuals. 
 
6.  (C) The opposition saw two possible scenarios for 
post-Castro Cuba.  One is a peaceful transition, and he said 
he spent "hours" discussing Poland's transition with the 
dissidents.  They were, in particular, interested in how 
Poland handled "reconciliation" with those who participated 
in the communist government, and in how Cuba might use such 
"reconciliation" as a way forward.  Szlajfer said some of the 
dissidents saw the alternative as violence "along the Haiti 
model," with dramatic bloodshed among "competing caudillos." 
 
7.  (C) Poland's policy is to support efforts to bring 
democracy to Cuba, and Szlajfer said that the Polish Embassy 
will follow Germany's model (Ref B) for its national day on 
November 11, inviting the opposition and the government to 
two separate events on the same day.  The Polish government 
knows the Cuban government will not be happy.  "Let them 
refuse" to come, said Szlajfer. 
 
8.  (C)  Szlajfer said the opposition asked if Poland could 
help organize a real-time video conference with former 
President Lech Walesa, who led Poland's Solidarity movement 
that sparked Poland's own transition to democracy.  Szlajfer 
said the Polish government supports the idea and asked if the 
U.S. could participate on both ends to make this happen, with 
Walesa appearing from the Embassy Warsaw DVC facility and the 
Cuban opposition meeting at USINT in Havana for the 
conference.  He said the Cuban opposition wanted to work with 
us to make it clear Walesa was speaking from Poland in order 
to convey symbolically the path Poland had taken in its 
peaceful transition to democracy. 
9.  (C) Comment and Action Request:  The Poles are strong 
supporters of pro-democracy efforts vis a vis Cuba.  Jacek 
Saryusz-Wolski, one of the Euro-Deputies refused entry in 
June, may well become Foreign Minister when the new 
government is formed next week, and reflects the attitudes of 
others in the incoming center-right coalition government. 
Embassy Warsaw would like to work with the Poles make the 
video conference happen.  We have an in-house DVC facility 
which we believe would work for such a program.  We stand 
ready to move forward and look forward to a response from 
USINT or WHA/CCA. 
ASHE