Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06GUATEMALA1961
2006-10-05 15:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:
AMBASSADOR MAISTO'S SEPTEMBER 27-28 VISIT TO
VZCZCXYZ0016 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGT #1961/01 2781513 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 051513Z OCT 06 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0868 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001961
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND WHA/USOAS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS PHSA KDEM OTRA OAS GT BH HO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MAISTO'S SEPTEMBER 27-28 VISIT TO
GUATEMALA
Classified By: Ambassador James Derham, Reason: 1.4(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001961
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND WHA/USOAS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS PHSA KDEM OTRA OAS GT BH HO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MAISTO'S SEPTEMBER 27-28 VISIT TO
GUATEMALA
Classified By: Ambassador James Derham, Reason: 1.4(d)
1. (C) Summary: During a September 27-28 visit to
Guatemala, U.S. Ambassador to the OAS John Maisto promoted
"relevant multilateralism" in a number of fora and discussed
the Guatemala-Belize dispute with the Belizean Ambassador to
Guatemala and with senior officials in the Guatemalan Foreign
Ministry. Ambassador Maisto urged his interlocutors to take
full advantage of the good offices of the OAS to advance
Guatemala-Belize negotiations. End Summary.
2. (C) U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS John Maisto
began his official meetings in Guatemala on September 28 with
a breakfast with Belizean Ambassador to Guatemala Alfredo
Martinez, hosted by Ambassador Derham at the residence.
Ambassador Martinez presented his interpretation of the
dispute between the two countries, and expressed particular
concern about the recent construction of an access road to
the Guatemalan expatriate community of Santa Rosa, noting
that the paved road was provocatively (and deliberately)
constructed within Belizean territory. Martinez opined that
the construction of the road could be construed as bad faith
on the part of the GOG as it ran counter to agreements to
remove the community from Belizean soil. However, Martinez
praised the recent appointment of Gert Rosenthal as
Guatemalan Foreign Minister, and expressed hope that
Rosenthal could resolve the road issue and generally bring
under control recalcitrant figures on the Guatemalan side
(most notably the GOG's Belize Commission).
3. (C) Ambassador Martinez also recounted recent
developments in the delineation of maritime boundaries, which
he reported to be stalled by a Guatemalan refusal to accept a
proposal for a tripartite maritime ecological park preserve
that encompassed the disputed waters. Martinez noted that
Belize and Honduras had agreed to give Guatemala
"sovereignty" over an eight mile-wide maritime corridor (half
ceded by Belize and half by Honduras). Guatemala had
insisted on the term "sovereignty" even though part of the
corridor extended beyond the twelve nautical mile territorial
limit; Belizean representatives are asking their lawyers for
a legal interpretation of this anomaly, Martinez said. The
tentative settlement - which Martinez judged to be much more
generous that anything that Guatemala could achieve through
an international judicial ruling - was jeopardized by the GOG
opposition to the maritime park proposal. Martinez blamed
the GOG position for the extremely acrimonious exchanges
between the Honduras and Guatemala at a tripartite meeting in
Panama shortly before Rosenthal took over as Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
4. (C) Ambassador Maisto noted that OAS Secretary General
Insulza recently had a positive meeting with Guatemalan and
Belizean representatives, and stated that the "good offices"
of the OAS were available for facilitating resolution of
disputes and/or obstacles in the process. During subsequent
discussion of the UN Security Council Race, Ambassador Maisto
suggested that it was not too late for the GOB to consider
issuing a statement to release its fellow Caricom members
from a commitment to not vote for Guatemala, provided that a
positive development occurred in the border negotiations
process. Martinez noted that some of the other Caricom
members use Belizean opposition as an fig leaf for other
motives for supporting Venezuela.
5. (SBU) Acting Foreign Minister Marta Altolaguirre received
Ambassador Maisto during his Foreign Ministry courtesy call;
the other two Vice Ministers, Luis Fernando Andrade and
Anamaria Dieguez, also joined the meeting. Two of the
principal themes of the meeting were trafficking in persons
(one of Altolaguirre's personal concerns) and the UNSC race.
Ambassador Maisto mentioned the availability of OAS good
offices for the Guatemala-Belize dispute and stressed the
need for a positive gesture by the GOG. VFM Andrade asked if
starting the process of relocating Santa Rosa residents would
be considered such a positive gesture; Ambassador Maisto
responded that it would.
6. (U) Ambassador Maisto's final event before departing
Guatemala was a presentation to International Relations
students at the Jesuit Rafael Landivar University.
Ambassador Maisto gave the students an extensive briefing on
the OAS and its role in strengthening and promoting democracy
in the Western Hemisphere - with emphasis on the
InterAmerican Democratic Charter and the OAS role in election
monitoring - and he underlined how U.S. policy supports these
goals. During a subsequent question and answer session,
Ambassador Maisto fielded questions on topics such as
elections in Nicaragua and Mexico, free trade agreements,
Guantanamo prisoners, and corruption.
7. (U) Ambassador Maisto has cleared this cable.
Derham
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND WHA/USOAS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS PHSA KDEM OTRA OAS GT BH HO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MAISTO'S SEPTEMBER 27-28 VISIT TO
GUATEMALA
Classified By: Ambassador James Derham, Reason: 1.4(d)
1. (C) Summary: During a September 27-28 visit to
Guatemala, U.S. Ambassador to the OAS John Maisto promoted
"relevant multilateralism" in a number of fora and discussed
the Guatemala-Belize dispute with the Belizean Ambassador to
Guatemala and with senior officials in the Guatemalan Foreign
Ministry. Ambassador Maisto urged his interlocutors to take
full advantage of the good offices of the OAS to advance
Guatemala-Belize negotiations. End Summary.
2. (C) U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS John Maisto
began his official meetings in Guatemala on September 28 with
a breakfast with Belizean Ambassador to Guatemala Alfredo
Martinez, hosted by Ambassador Derham at the residence.
Ambassador Martinez presented his interpretation of the
dispute between the two countries, and expressed particular
concern about the recent construction of an access road to
the Guatemalan expatriate community of Santa Rosa, noting
that the paved road was provocatively (and deliberately)
constructed within Belizean territory. Martinez opined that
the construction of the road could be construed as bad faith
on the part of the GOG as it ran counter to agreements to
remove the community from Belizean soil. However, Martinez
praised the recent appointment of Gert Rosenthal as
Guatemalan Foreign Minister, and expressed hope that
Rosenthal could resolve the road issue and generally bring
under control recalcitrant figures on the Guatemalan side
(most notably the GOG's Belize Commission).
3. (C) Ambassador Martinez also recounted recent
developments in the delineation of maritime boundaries, which
he reported to be stalled by a Guatemalan refusal to accept a
proposal for a tripartite maritime ecological park preserve
that encompassed the disputed waters. Martinez noted that
Belize and Honduras had agreed to give Guatemala
"sovereignty" over an eight mile-wide maritime corridor (half
ceded by Belize and half by Honduras). Guatemala had
insisted on the term "sovereignty" even though part of the
corridor extended beyond the twelve nautical mile territorial
limit; Belizean representatives are asking their lawyers for
a legal interpretation of this anomaly, Martinez said. The
tentative settlement - which Martinez judged to be much more
generous that anything that Guatemala could achieve through
an international judicial ruling - was jeopardized by the GOG
opposition to the maritime park proposal. Martinez blamed
the GOG position for the extremely acrimonious exchanges
between the Honduras and Guatemala at a tripartite meeting in
Panama shortly before Rosenthal took over as Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
4. (C) Ambassador Maisto noted that OAS Secretary General
Insulza recently had a positive meeting with Guatemalan and
Belizean representatives, and stated that the "good offices"
of the OAS were available for facilitating resolution of
disputes and/or obstacles in the process. During subsequent
discussion of the UN Security Council Race, Ambassador Maisto
suggested that it was not too late for the GOB to consider
issuing a statement to release its fellow Caricom members
from a commitment to not vote for Guatemala, provided that a
positive development occurred in the border negotiations
process. Martinez noted that some of the other Caricom
members use Belizean opposition as an fig leaf for other
motives for supporting Venezuela.
5. (SBU) Acting Foreign Minister Marta Altolaguirre received
Ambassador Maisto during his Foreign Ministry courtesy call;
the other two Vice Ministers, Luis Fernando Andrade and
Anamaria Dieguez, also joined the meeting. Two of the
principal themes of the meeting were trafficking in persons
(one of Altolaguirre's personal concerns) and the UNSC race.
Ambassador Maisto mentioned the availability of OAS good
offices for the Guatemala-Belize dispute and stressed the
need for a positive gesture by the GOG. VFM Andrade asked if
starting the process of relocating Santa Rosa residents would
be considered such a positive gesture; Ambassador Maisto
responded that it would.
6. (U) Ambassador Maisto's final event before departing
Guatemala was a presentation to International Relations
students at the Jesuit Rafael Landivar University.
Ambassador Maisto gave the students an extensive briefing on
the OAS and its role in strengthening and promoting democracy
in the Western Hemisphere - with emphasis on the
InterAmerican Democratic Charter and the OAS role in election
monitoring - and he underlined how U.S. policy supports these
goals. During a subsequent question and answer session,
Ambassador Maisto fielded questions on topics such as
elections in Nicaragua and Mexico, free trade agreements,
Guantanamo prisoners, and corruption.
7. (U) Ambassador Maisto has cleared this cable.
Derham