Wikileaks releases cables on UK Miami 5 campaigners
Campaign News | Saturday, 5 February 2011
US Embassy in London reports on pressure from UK campaigners
Leaked cables from the US Embassy published by The Telegraph on 4 February 2011 show that UK campaigners for the Miami Five have been successful in reaching the highest levels of the US government.
A US Embassy cable from February 2010 entitled 'PM Brown's call to Secretary Clinton regarding "Cuban Five"' reports that Gordon Brown asked Hilary Clinton to grant visas to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez "as a result of a commitment that he had made to UK trade unionists".
Another leaked cable with the heading 'Delegation presents petition to Embassy advocating visitation rights for wives of convicted Cuban spies', details the arguments for visitation rights made by a Cuba Solidarity Campaign delegation to the US Embassy in October 2008. It reports the handing over of a petition and the following CSC vigil outside the Embassy which led the US diplomats to issue a press release in an attempt to defend their position.
Read the full text of both cables below.
US Embassy Cable on Gordon Brown raising visitation rights with Hillary Clinton, dated 2 February 2010:
PM BROWN'S CALL TO SECRETARY CLINTON REGARDING "CUBAN FIVE"
Ref ID: 10LONDON242
Date: 2/2/2010 16:48
Origin: Embassy London
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Destination:
Header: VZCZCXYZ0000RR RUEHWEBDE RUEHLO #0242 0331648ZNY CCCCC ZZHR 021648Z FEB 10FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDCRUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4841INFO RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0056
Tags: PREL,PGOV,PINR,CU,UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000242 NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR S - J. SULLIVAN AND EUR - P. GORDON; NSC FOR E. SHERWOOD-RANDALL E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2020 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, CU, UK SUBJECT: (C/NF)
PM BROWN'S CALL TO SECRETARY CLINTON REGARDING "CUBAN FIVE"
Classified By: Ambassador Louis Susman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C/NF) Following the London Conference on Afghanistan, we understand Prime Minister Brown raised with Secretary Clinton the question of visas for two wives of members of the "Cuban Five," a group of agents of Cuba's foreign intelligence service who were convicted of espionage in 2001 and are currently serving sentences in U.S. federal penitentiaries. Brown requested that the wives (who have previously been refused visas to visit the U.S.) be granted visas so that they could visit their husbands in prison.
2.(C/NF) Our subsequent queries to Number 10 indicate that Brown made this request as a result of a commitment that he had made to UK trade unionists, who form part of the Labour Party's core constituency. Now that the request has been made, Brown does not intend to pursue this matter further. There is no USG action required. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX ed_Kingdom SUSMAN
..........................................................................
US Embassy Cable on CSC delegation to US Embassy, dated 7 October 2008:
DELEGATION PRESENTS PETITION TO EMBASSY ADVOCATING VISITATION RIGHTS FOR WIVES OF CONVICTED CUBAN SPIES
Ref ID: 08LONDON2565
Date: 10/7/2008 17:38
Origin: Embassy London
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Destination:
Header: VZCZCXYZ0000RR RUEHWEBDE RUEHLO #2565 2811738ZNY CCCCC ZZHR 071738Z OCT 08FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0036INFO RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DCRUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDCRUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0042
Tags: PINR,PREL,PHUM,CVIS,CU,UK,KCRM
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 002565 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018 TAGS: PINR, PREL, PHUM, CVIS, CU, UK, KCRM
SUBJECT: DELEGATION PRESENTS PETITION TO EMBASSY ADVOCATING VISITATION RIGHTS FOR WIVES OF CONVICTED CUBAN SPIES Classified By: Political Counselor Rick Mills for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1.(C) A four person delegation representing the "Cuba Solidarity Campaign," a UK-based pressure and advocacy group, presented a petition to Polcouns and the Department of Justice Attache October 7 on behalf of two Cuban women requesting permission to visit their imprisoned husbands, operatives of the Cuban intelligence service who have been convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage and members of the so-called "Miami Five." The delegates expressed "deep concern" about the purported "denial of visitation rights," which they claimed was a violation of "international standards" of human rights. They asserted that preventing one woman from seeing her husband for eight years and another from seeing her husband for ten years was sparking anti-U.S. sentiment in the UK and around the world. They also claimed that a visit would not harm U.S. national security, stating that "human rights organizations would chaperone the visit." Polcouns rebutted appropriately, stressing that one of the women was deported for espionage-related activity and the other was shown to be in training as a U.S.-based Cuban spy. He also reminded the delegates that the convicted Cubans have received numerous visits from family members, Cuban government officials and lawyers.
2. (C) The delegates stated that more than ten thousand people, including Nobel prize laureates and 112 MPs had signed the petition and that Amnesty International condemned the USG position. Len McCluskey, Assistant General Secretary of the UK's Unite the Union, an organization of trade unions, was the spokesperson for the delegation. The three other delegates were Rob Miller, Director of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, and representatives of U.S. unions (United Steel Workers and the Service Employees International Union).
(SBU) Following the meeting, the Embassy distributed a Press Notice summarizing the facts surrounding the conviction of the "Miami Five" and explaining the basis for denying visitation to the two wives. The Cuban Solidarity Campaign organized a 90 minute "vigil" outside the U.S. Embassy, which began at 6 p.m. local time October 7. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXXLeBaro
- Original report on Clinton and Brown from The Telegraph
- Original report on CSC delegation from The Telegraph
