CARICOM DID NOT DECIDE ON UNSC SEAT SAYS GUYANA

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000672 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR WHA/PPC - YONEOKA WHA/OAS IO/UNP - HARRIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2016 TAGS: PREL UNSC CARICOM GY SUBJECT: CARICOM DID NOT DECIDE ON UNSC SEAT SAYS GUYANA FONMIN REF: A. GEORGETOWN 651 ¶B. GEORGETOWN 607 ¶C. GEORGETOWN 519 ¶D. GEORGETOWN 191 Classified By: Ambassador Roland W. Bullen For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador probed Guyana's and CARICOM's stance on the UNSC seat issue during a July 10 farewell call on Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally. (Note: Insanally represented Guyana at the St. Kitts CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, in President Jagdeo's absence.) Insanally plans to address the OAS Permanent Council in Washington on Wednesday July 12 in reponse to OAS A/SYG Albert Ramdin's request for an update on electoral preparations in Guyana. This presents an opportunity for the Department to intervene with Insanally. ¶2. (C) Insanally shared a few insights with Ambassador coming out of the CARICOM meeting: -- CARICOM did NOT reach a final consensus to vote as a block for Venezuela. -- Guyana still reserves the right to pursue its own course, although they are leaning towards Venezuela. (Note: This was reported in the local press last week; see Ref A.) -- Insanally counseled his colleagues not to decide too hastily and to caucus further on the subject. -- If the rest of CARICOM is supporting Venezuela, then Guyana will NOT go it alone in support of Guatemala. ¶3. (C) Comment: Guyana will maintain a facade of independence over the UNSC issue, not wanting to look like a pushover for Venezuela. But at the end of the day Guyana has little intention of bucking the rest of CARICOM -- where consensus consistently trumps principle. Still, Post believes that Insanally played a more constructive role in St. Kitts than President Jagdeo would have done. Insanally is well aware that blindly following Chavez' lead is a dangerous strategy for Guyana, for CARICOM, and for the International Community. It is doubtful that Jagdeo would have aired a similar note of caution. End Comment. BULLEN