Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04GUATEMALA25
2004-01-08 20:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

EMBASSY GUATEMALA'S 90-DAY PLAN: FIRST QUARTER 2004

Tags:  PREL AMGT GT 
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082036Z Jan 04
C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000025 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AS NORIEGA AND WHA/PPC ALAIN NORMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2014
TAGS: PREL AMGT GT
SUBJECT: EMBASSY GUATEMALA'S 90-DAY PLAN: FIRST QUARTER 2004

REF: 03 STATE 349946

Classified By: Ambassador John Hamilton for reason 1.5 (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000025

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AS NORIEGA AND WHA/PPC ALAIN NORMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2014
TAGS: PREL AMGT GT
SUBJECT: EMBASSY GUATEMALA'S 90-DAY PLAN: FIRST QUARTER 2004

REF: 03 STATE 349946

Classified By: Ambassador John Hamilton for reason 1.5 (d).


1. (C) Oscar Berger's assumption of power on January 14 opens
the door to an improved bilateral relationship and increased
GOG cooperation with us in a wide range of areas. Embassy
Guatemala's highest priority goals for the first quarter of
2004 will be to establish a positive, solid working
relationship with the new administration, negotiate the terms
of an Article 98 agreement with the GOG and secure Guatemalan
Congressional approval for an extension of the Mayan Jaguar
counter-narcotics exercises.

Building Bridges to the New Government
--------------

2. (C) Embassy Guatemala's highest priority goal during these
next 90 days will be to build on our positive relationship
with President-elect Oscar Berger and his team of advisors
and Cabinet members, to cement the relationship and ensure
that the Berger government is responsive from the outset to
USG interests. The Ambassador and Country Team members
briefed Berger and his most senior advisors on USG bilateral
priorities in December, 2003, and will use introductory calls
on new ministers to raise specific action requests on pending
matters. We have received assurances from Berger that he
will continue the highly productive bilateral inter-agency
working group meetings on counter-narcotics cooperation and
trafficking in persons. We will use the next 90 days to get
to know the members of the new government at every level and
to build on Berger's political will to address the pending
matters in our bilateral relationship.

Negotiating an Article 98 Agreement
--------------

3. (C) Attempts to get the Portillo government to negotiate
an Article 98 Agreement were consistently and successfully
thwarted by Portillo's senior foreign policy advisors,
including Foreign Ministers Orellana and Gutierrez. We have
raised our interest in concluding an Article 98 Agreement
with President-elect Berger and his advisors, and they have
expressed an openness to the proposal. In our early meetings
with Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate Briz, we will
request an expedited time-table for negotiating an Article 98
Agreement. Our goal for the first quarter of 2004 will be to
reach agreement with the GOG on the text of an Article 98
Agreement, with Congressional ratification to follow,
possibly in the second quarter.

Extending Mayan Jaguar
--------------

4. (C) In December, 2001 Guatemala's Congress ratified an
agreement authorizing U.S. troops to enter Guatemala to
participate in joint counter-narcotics exercises. These
exercises, called "Mayan Jaguar" in Guatemala ("Central
Skies" in the U.S.),have been successful at disrupting
cocaine trafficking patterns through Guatemala. Host
government authority to conduct these exercises expired in
December, 2003, and the current Congress adjourned without
approving an extension. We have already advised
President-elect Berger that securing a two-year extension of
Mayan Jaguar will be one of our highest priorities with the
new government and Congress. Berger is a strong supporter of
USG counter-drug efforts in Guatemala, and we will urge him
to send Congress before February a draft legislative decree
authorizing the extension. We will lobby the major
legislative blocks to secure prompt Congressional
ratification.
HAMILTON