BARBADOS TO ABSTAIN ON UNSC VOTE; SEEKS ECOSOC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 001276 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2016 TAGS: PREL PINR UNGA XL VE SUBJECT: BARBADOS TO ABSTAIN ON UNSC VOTE; SEEKS ECOSOC MEMBERSHIP REF: BRIDGETOWN 1215 Classified By: Ambassador Mary Kramer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action cable. See para 5. ¶2. (C) At a July 19 reception, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur pulled Ambassador Kramer aside and told her Barbados plans to abstain from voting for either Venezuela or Guatemala to fill the non-permanent UN Security Council seat open in January 2007. PM Arthur said his government disagrees with Venezuela's political stances and cannot vote for the South American country. He and Trinidad's PM Manning (along with Jamaica's then-PM Patterson) have repeatedly asked Venezuelan President Chavez to meet with them to discuss energy solutions. Chavez has failed to respond to their entreaties. ¶3. (C) Neither will Barbados support Guatemala because of the strong opposition of many CARICOM countries, particularly the Eastern Caribbean banana producers and Belize, to that country's candidacy. The smaller OECS countries believe Guatemala was most aggressive in leading the "banana" revolution. They find Guatemala's behavior in undermining their economies "unforgivable." PM Arthur also revealed that he believes Trinidad and Tobago plans to abstain from the UNSC vote for similar reasons. ¶4. (C) Comment: PM Arthur's leadership in the face of apparent CARICOM-wide support for Venezuela is commendable and may encourage other Caribbean nations to reconsider their wavering "consensus" position on the upcoming UNSC ballot. End Comment. ¶5. (C) Action Request: Post recommends that the USG support Barbados' bid for membership on the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). PM Arthur told Ambassador Kramer June 29 that his government had previously requested U.S. support for election to one of the 10 Latin American/Caribbean seats but had not received a response. Post believes that Barbados could make a very positive contribution to ECOSOC and that its presence on the Council would resonate positively throughout the Caribbean. KRAMER