GUATEMALA'S COMMITMENT TO HAITI

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001993

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2015
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR HA GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA'S COMMITMENT TO HAITI

REF: STATE 149277

Classified By: CDA Bruce Wharton for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (C) Polcouns delivered reftel demarche to Guatemalan
Acting FM Carlos Ramiro Martinez and U/S for International
Organizations Amb. Carla Rodriguez, who said that Guatemala's
resident ambassador in Chile, Amb. Castellanos, would
represent Guatemala at the August 19 Santiago
vice-ministerial. Rodriguez said that Castellanos had been
instructed to convey Guatemala's support for extending
MINUSTAH's mandate. She also noted that Guatemala's
experience with MINUSTAH had been positive and, assuming the
consent of Guatemala's Ministry of Defense, the GOG would
continue to contribute troops.


2. (C) Rodriguez confided that at a Rio Group prepcom in
Buenos Aires a few weeks ago, the Venezuelans had argued
vociferously against extending MINUSTAH's mandate, insisting
that it was not a stabilization mission but unwelcome foreign
intervention. She said Venezuela was isolated within the Rio
Group on this issue. Rodriguez noted that the Rio Group
summit scheduled for August 25-26 in Bariloche had been
downgraded to a ministerial, ostensibly because not enough
presidents could attend but implicitly for lack of consensus
on Haiti and other issues.
WHARTON