SPAIN'S REACTION TO US OPPOSITION TO ITS CANDIDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002607 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2015 TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER SP SUBJECT: SPAIN'S REACTION TO US OPPOSITION TO ITS CANDIDATE FOR UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR REF: SECSTATE 127795 Classified By: DCM J. Robert Manzanares for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) Poloff delivered reftel talking points to Deputy Director General for the United Nations Juan Manuel Gonzalez de Linares. Gonzalez de Linares was surprised at the strength of US opposition to Castresana's candidacy, saying the Spanish mission to the UN in Geneva had indicated that the US was more indifferent than opposed. Poloff replied that the reason for the demarche was to ensure that US policy on this issue was clear. He then defended Castresana's abilities to poloff; nonetheless, he seemed aware of the source of contention, and did not pursue his argument in any depth. Gonzalez de Linares did not commit to withdrawing GOS support for Castresana. He read over the information on Eric Schwartz, and said he would pass all talking points to his colleague in the MFA's Human Rights bureau. AGUIRRE