GUATEMALA COOLS RHETORIC ON BELIZE SHOOTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000944

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2014
TAGS: PREL PBTS PHUM BH GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA COOLS RHETORIC ON BELIZE SHOOTING
INCIDENT

Classified By: PolOff Robert E. Copley for reason 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: GOG officials are ratcheting down what had
been a war of words over the April 7 shooting of a Guatemalan
peasant by Belize Defense Forces. On April 15, President
Berger called the incident "isolated" and said he would not
send troops to the border area. Foreign Minister Briz
confirmed publicly that May 4 bilateral meetings under OAS
auspices would not be affected. A bilateral border
commission held its regularly scheduled meeting April 14.
Privately, MFA officials tell us they need to stay ahead of
public opinion and will continue to respond assertively to
the shooting. Briz repeated to the Ambassador on April 15
that he is determined to use the unfortunate incident to move
public opinion toward accepting a stronger OAS role in
resolving the dispute. End Summary.


2. (C) Briz used photographs of the victim and his injuries
to punctuate a press conference in which he strongly
condemned the shooting and called for an OAS investigation.
Briz blamed an "attitude of xenophobia" in Belize for
"excessive and inexcusable use of force" resulting in injury
or death for many Guatemalan peasants over the years at the
hands of the Belizean military. Briz announced he would
refer the latest shooting to the InterAmerican Commission on
Human Rights and that he would travel to the Peten to
personally look into the matter. Guatemalan media applauded
his stance and the tensions appeared to escalate when
Belizean Ambassador Martinez called Briz's accusations
"unfortunate and ridiculous" in an April 14 press conference.
The following day, Berger and Briz responded with more
measured comments that nevertheless do not retract
Guatemala's claims of excessive use of force. Briz continues
to point to the lack of any mention of a fire-fight in the
initial Belizean reports.


3. (C) Briz told the Ambassador on April 12 that his comments
at the press conference were intended to illustrate to the
Guatemalan public the need for a more prominent role for the
OAS in resolving the border dispute. Briz repeated this goal
to the Ambassador in an April 15 meeting adding that he is
determined to use the incident to speed resolution of the
border dispute. Briz added that he would not allow the
incident to affect informal bilateral communications and
described the April 14 meeting of the bilateral border
commission as "cordial and productive."


4. (C) Comment: Unlike the last shooting incident over two
years ago, Guatemala does not dispute that the incident took
place well inside Belize, away from the Adjacency Zone, and
that at least one of the Guatemalans was armed. However,
Guatemalan Ambassador to Belize, Antonio Castellanos,
strongly rejects the Belizean Defense Force claim that its
soldiers fired in self defense, based on his interviews with
the wounded man and his partner who is detained in Belize.
Guatemala will argue that the wounded man's injuries prove he
was shot from behind as he fled, while the man known to have
been armed was arrested without injury--the opposite of what
might be expected if the patrol was firing in self defense.
The OAS investigation, which both sides have called for, will
probably not be able to resolve the issue
conclusively--certainly not before the May 4 OAS meeting to
extend the confidence building measures. Briz's initial
tough talk seems to have inoculated him against public
opinion, however, hardliners on the MFA's Belize Commission
believe the 2001 shooting forced Belize to soften its
position and will recommend using the latest incident in the
same way at the May 4 meeting. Briz will have to seriously
consider this recommendation.
HAMILTON