Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04GUATEMALA360
2004-02-13 18:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

GUATEMALA EXTENDS AUTHORIZATION FOR US MILITARY CD

Tags:  MOPS MARR SNAR PREL PGOV GT 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000360 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2014
TAGS: MOPS MARR SNAR PREL PGOV GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA EXTENDS AUTHORIZATION FOR US MILITARY CD
OPERATIONS

REF: GUATEMALA 317

Classified By: PolMilOff Rob Copley for reason 1.5 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000360

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2014
TAGS: MOPS MARR SNAR PREL PGOV GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA EXTENDS AUTHORIZATION FOR US MILITARY CD
OPERATIONS

REF: GUATEMALA 317

Classified By: PolMilOff Rob Copley for reason 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: With more than a two-thirds majority and
as a matter of national urgency, on February 12 the
Guatemalan Congress approved a two-year extension of Central
Skies/Mayan Jaguar authority to conduct joint
counternarcotics exercises. Extensive lobbying on the part
of WHA A/S Noriega, the Ambassador, and other members of the
country team was crucial to the new administration's efforts
to get the authorization through a divided congress. This
positive first step demonstrates that the Berger
Administration takes its counter-narcotics obligations
seriously. End Summary.


2. (U) Mayan Jaguar is the Guatemalan component of Central
Skies, a joint regional counter drug (CD) military operation.
The renewed authorization, Decree 5-2004, will expire on
December 31, 2005. The bill passed with 120 votes in favor -
15 more than necessary to form a two-thirds majority. Only
the far-left URNG and ANN parties opposed the measure.


3. (C) A/S Noriega pressed President Berger and his security
cabinet for renewed Mayan Jaguar authorization during his
February 3-5 visit (reftel),and received a commitment from
President of Congress Morales to give the measure "emergency
treatment." Ambassador Hamilton had previously met with key
Ministers and with the new congressional leaders to explain
the benefits of Mayan Jaguar. The Embassy lobbied all
political parties and counseled the new administration on the
mechanics of preparing the bill and submitting it to the
legislature.


4. (C) Despite all the preparatory efforts, on the day of the
vote the ANN and URNG parties twice attempted to scuttle the
measure on procedural grounds, once it was clear that the GOG
had the necessary votes to pass it. They nearly succeeded in
forcing a compromise that would have reduced the
authorization to one year vice two, but close, last-minute
Embassy coordination with key FRG members Zury Rios and
Antonio Arenales, who sought and fed our arguments directly
onto the floor of the Congress, saved the day and convinced
the plenary to adopt approval for two years.


5. (C) Comment: Although the new administration's
inexperience in processing legislative proposals required
extra time and some effort on our part to identify logjams,
the political will of the Berger Administration to secure
this important legislation was never in doubt. Passage of
this important tool in the fight against narcotics, through
the divided Congress, is a concrete indication that the
Berger government places a high value on counternarcotics
cooperation with us.
WHARTON