Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03GUATEMALA2331
2003-09-09 19:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 8TH MEETING WITH PRESIDENT

Tags:  PGOV PREL SNAR ELAB PHUM ETRD GT BZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GUATEMALA 002331 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR ELAB PHUM ETRD GT BZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 8TH MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
PORTILLO

REF: GUATEMALA 2080

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN R. HAMILTON, EMBASSY GUATEMALA, REASON:
1.5 (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GUATEMALA 002331

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR ELAB PHUM ETRD GT BZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 8TH MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
PORTILLO

REF: GUATEMALA 2080

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN R. HAMILTON, EMBASSY GUATEMALA, REASON:
1.5 (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: President Portillo says he fired number two
in the army General Rios Sosa (Rios Montt's son) for
disobeying orders to use the military to restore public order
during the FRG violent protests July 24 and for lending
military resources to the FRG campaign. He has Rios Montt's
support to fix a flawed bill establishing the civilian entity
(the SAAS) that will replace the presidential military
security service (EMP). He thinks Rios Montt is doing far
better than (opposition-funded) polls show, but that he will
lose to current front-runner Oscar Berger in a second round.
Contrary to expectations, Portillo did not mention any
interest in visiting Washington. End summary

Background:
--------------


2. (C) The Ambassador had phoned President Portillo September
2 to congratulate him for removing General Rios Sosa from the
number two position in the Army. To the Ambassador's comment
that it must have been a difficult decision, Portillo said it
was, indeed, and offered to provide details in a private
conversation. Owing to the President's travel and a bad cold
he developed in Belize September 4, the follow-on meeting did
not take place until September 8th, at the President's home.

Firing of Rios Sosa:
--------------


3. (C) The Ambassador started with the Rios Sosa topic,
asking what had prompted the decision and its timing.
Portillo said he had been determined to fire Rios Sosa after
he disobeyed orders to use the military to restore public
order during the FRG violent protests July 24-25. "Rios Sosa
was confused as to whom he works for," Portillo said;
"instead of me, he thought his commander in chief was his
sister" (Second Vice President of the Congress Zury Rios,
reportedly -- but not confirmed as -- the brains behind the
FRG protests). Portillo said General Rios Montt is furious
with him. "I've met with the General three times since the

firing," Portillo said, "and he has not raised the subject
once -- a sure sign that he is really ticked off; I know him
well." In fact, Portillo said, the entire FRG was angry with
him, but in firing Rios Sosa he had won no plaudits from the
press or opposition. He had thus appreciated the
Ambassador's call to express support, as "this job gets
lonely." Portillo also volunteered that he had discovered
that Army regional commander General Cruz, previously fired
for using army resources to build a platform for an FRG
political rally, had been acting under Rios Sosa orders.
Portillo said he let a month go by after the July 24 riots,
to remove the decision from the political debate. In
passing, Portillo had high praise for Minister of Defense
Moran, who "is loyal, consistently right on policy and who
keeps me informed and consults with me on major decisions."

Confidence Building in Elections:
--------------


4. (C) The Ambassador said the removal of Rios Sosa was a
major step toward restoring confidence that the elections
would be free and fair, but cautioned that more presidential
leadership would be required. He said the big challenge is
to stem fear that there will be election-day violence, which
arguably is being generated to keep the voter turnout low. A
particularly scary rumor making the rounds, the Ambassador
said, is that imprisoned gang leaders and members will be
allowed to escape shortly before the elections. Mulling that
one over, Portillo said he did not believe it but, at the
same time, allowed that it was not impossible and that he
would talk to Interior Minister Reyes Calderon about it. The
Ambassador also encouraged him personally to publicize legal
prohibitions on use of state resources for electoral
purposes, mentioning that this was a concern of OAS election
observation mission chief Paniagua (with whom the Ambassador
had just met).

EMP Dismantling/SAAS Creation:
--------------


5. (C) The Ambassador asked abut the current status of the
bill to create a civilian presidential security agency (the
SAAS) to replace the military security service (EMP),which
has been responsible over the years for so many human rights
abuses. Portillo reaffirmed his intention to adhere to the
timetable that dismantles the EMP by October 31 and said he
had, earlier in the day, discussed the bill with General Rios
Mont. The General had reviewed a memorandum on the subject
prepared by Foreign Minister Gutierrez and had agreed with
his arguments for further amendments, to fix troublesome
changes introduced by FRG congressmen at the behest of army
officers lobbying on their own account. If the changes were
not made, Portillo reconfirmed his willingness to veto a bad
law. Comment: This has been a major concern to us and to
Guatemalan and international human rights groups.

Belize:
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador commented that the public disavowal of
the OAS facilitators' recommendation on Belize had been
disappointing and asked what prompted it. Echoing what the
British Ambassador said the Foreign Minister had told him,
Portillo said it had been necessary to pre-emptively defend
against a legal charge of treason that an opposition deputy
had been preparing to bring against him. Portillo said he
had had a good, private meeting with Belizean Prime Minister
Said Musa, explaining the decision as necessitated by this
threat. Portillo said Musa was understanding and was willing
to look at concrete steps the two countries could take to
convey the determination of both governments to handle the
border dispute responsibly. Portillo is interested in
creating a free zone along the border and increasing the
hours of operation at a border crossing.

CICIACS:
--------------


7. (C) The Ambassador said we understand that the UN, which
sent a technical mission to Guatemala in July to determine
what was needed to set up an effective commission to study
clandestine groups, may recommend major measures to give the
commission legal "teeth" to do the job properly. For
example, would the Portillo government and FRG be willing, if
asked, to enact legal reforms to give the commission
authority to use court-sanctioned telephone intercepts?
Portillo indicated that he would look sympathetically on any
well-reasoned recommendation and said he would be meeting on
the subject in New York with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Labor Issues:
--------------


8. (C) The Ambassador briefed the President on his meeting,
earlier in the day, with Attorney General Carlos De Leon on
two specific labor issues: the still unresolved murder of
labor leader Oswaldo Monzon and the incarceration on shaky
legal grounds of labor leader Rigoberto Duenas. The
Ambassador said that both issues would likely be invoked
during a congressional debate on CAFTA. Portillo listened,
asked a couple of clarifying questions, and said he would
make a run at the Attorney General on the issue.

Narcotics:
--------------


9. (C) In a brief discussion of narcotics cooperation and the
currently ongoing Mayan Jaguar joint operation, Portillo said
he was expecting to receive shortly a report from Guatemalan
military intelligence detailing how virtually every political
party is receiving campaign contributions from
narco-traffickers, the FRG included, he said. He promised
the Ambassador a copy, but did not yet know what else he
would do with the report.

Immigration Issues:
--------------


10. (C) He said he had fixed a problem on the border with El
Salvador (wherein Guatemalan had literally withdrawn from a
jointly operated port of entry) and commented that, again, it
had been General Rios Sosa who had been at the source of the
problem. He also commented that he had restored full
authority to Immigration Director Oscar Contreras (who has
been cooperative with us). Vice President Reyes Lopez had
curtailed Contreras' authority during Portillo's trip abroad,
to Taiwan. Comment: This is the second time in as many
meetings that Portillo has complained about the Vice
President.

Politics:
--------------


11. (C) On electoral politics, Portillo commented that FRG
private polls (which he insisted have been professionally
conducted to inform the FRG) shows Rios Montt running second,
with 23 percent public support, to Bergers 32 percent. He
and Rios Montt had speculated together that the opposition,
should the General win, will cite the public opinion polls
(which in August put the General way back in fifth place,
with single digit support) as indication of fraud. But
Portillo does not think Rios Montt can beat Berger in a
second round. Incidentally, Portillo said he had been
favorably impressed by Berger's public comment that drug
recertification was not a political issue and that it would
be good for Guatemala. Comment: Most of the oppostion hopes
Guatemala will remain decertified.

Final:
--------------


12. (C) Comment: Portillo was, as usual, relaxed, seemingly
confident but appreciative of the Ambassador's support on the
Rios Sosa issue. Surprisingly, Portillo did not mention any
interest in visiting Washington.
HAMILTON