Cablegate: Request to Brazil to Resettle Cuban Migrants Protected On Guantanamo

VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBR #1276 3031547
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301547Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5304
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1604

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001276

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BR CU PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO BRAZIL TO RESETTLE CUBAN MIGRANTS PROTECTED ON GUANTANAMO

REF: A. A. SECSTATE 103585
B. B. 2008 BRASILIA 775

1. On October 16, Poloff delivered reftel demarche and left nonpapers in English and Portuguese with Gilda Mattos Santos Neves, head of the United Nations Division of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE), who promised to shepherd our request through the GOB. Neves said she would check with the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE), under the Ministry of Justice but with MRE representation, which she believed would have the lead. She was concerned, however, that the migrants did not fall neatly into any Brazilian legal category and were not being handled with the intermediation of the UNHCR. Poloff stressed UNHCR support for the resettlement program and the active involvement of IOM.

2. Neves did not raise any political or diplomatic issues with regard to resettling Cubans in Brazil, and she said she would report back to us after she received the views of CONARE and others in the GOB.

3. On October 28, Poloff revisited Neves to check on progress with regard to the Cuban migrants. Neves apparently had not received a positive reaction within the GOB and had nothing to report. Based on previous efforts to engage the GOB on this issue (ref B), we do not expect a definitive response. Nonetheless, we will check back periodically. KUBISKE

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