"the dissidents were not invited for the first time in many years"

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
September 30, 2009

QUESTION: Yeah, on Cuba. This diplomatic reception in Havana, the dissidents were not invited for the first time in many years. Does it mean --

MR. CROWLEY: Can I clarify? The dissidents --

QUESTION: -- it was a diplomat --

MR. CROWLEY: -- were invited --

QUESTION: Cuban dissidents.

MR. CROWLEY: Yes.

QUESTION: There were none – there were none of them, no. There were not.

MR. CROWLEY: I suppose there’s a question of definition here. But just since you introduced the subject, Deputy Assistant Secretary Bisa Williams, as everyone knows, was in Havana recently to lead a delegation on direct mail service between the United States and Cuba. She took advantage of the opportunity while there to do a number of things, did have meetings with Cuban officials. I would describe these as kind of mechanical meetings, maybe – on very specific issues in our existing relationship, including the functioning of the consulate – or, I’m sorry, not the consulate, the Interests Section in Havana, following up on the migration talks that we had in July, real nuts and bolts working-level things.

But while she was in Cuba, she did have interaction with human rights advocates, members of civil society, dissidents, talking about a variety of issues, both economic and political. She also had the opportunity to travel to western Cuba to see a part of the country that had been severely hit by hurricanes last year.

So if the question – the suggestion was that she did not meet with dissidents in Havana, she did.

QUESTION: No, no, this was not – but since we are now on Ms. Williams, the fact that she stayed much longer --

MR. CROWLEY: She stayed for six days.

QUESTION: -- was this prepared before she went, or it was after she spoke to Cuban officials?

MR. CROWLEY: No, she had planned to stay beyond the mail talk meeting.

QUESTION: Yeah, but what I meant – and maybe you can take the question otherwise – there was a diplomatic reception in the Interests Section. And every year, they invite the dissidents. This time, they did not invite them for the first time in many years, and there were plenty of people of the civil society, people under the regime could see that it’s – the regime approves – they’re as musicians or entertainers or writers or whatever, so many people from the cultural scene and – but no dissidents. And this is the first time in a long time.

MR. CROWLEY: Okay. I will seek a clarification, but while she was there, she --

QUESTION: No, this has nothing – no, no, this has nothing to do with her. This is --

MR. CROWLEY: Yeah, okay, okay.

QUESTION: Yeah, okay.

QUESTION: On an related --

MR. CROWLEY: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- situation, you said she had planned to stay beyond the talks on – postal talks. So this invitation to extend her stay presumably was worked out ahead of time?

MR. CROWLEY: Well, actually, it’s hard to say. I mean, there was – she had planned to stay beyond the one-day meeting at the same time that there was this kind of organic process where the Cuban Government had some issues to discuss with us; for example, diplomatic notes that had been previously sent to the United States but had not been answered. So I think there was a general agreement that there were benefits on both sides to having these kind of follow-on discussions on very specific, very narrow issues related to our existing relationship.

QUESTION: Right, but that was --

MR. CROWLEY: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- worked out beforehand.

MR. CROWLEY: I think some of this was worked out beforehand, and perhaps some of this was worked out once she was on the ground.

QUESTION: That doesn’t mean – after all, this relationship --

MR. CROWLEY: I wouldn’t say it changes anything in terms of our relationship with Cuba, but obviously, it’s consistent with the President’s efforts to increase the free flow of information and the interaction between the United States and the Cuban people.

Yes.
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