GUATEMALAN REACTION TO HR 4437

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000027 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SMIG PHUM PREL PGOV EAID KJUS GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN REACTION TO HR 4437 REF: A. GUATEMALA 0009 ¶B. ZIFF E-MAIL - DEMARCHE ON JANUARY 09 IMMIGRATION MEETING ¶1. AMBASSADOR MET SEPARATELY ON JANUARY 4 WITH VICE PRESIDENT STEIN AND FOREIGN MINISTER BRIZ, AND MADE REF B POINTS ON ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM INCLUDING A TEMPORARY WORKERS PROGRAM, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT MAKING PUBLIC STATEMENTS THAT UNDERMINE THE PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO SECURE PASSAGE OF SUCH REFORM. ¶2. STEIN WAS DEFENSIVE ABOUT HIS REPORTED COMMENTS ON HR4437. STEIN SAID THAT WHEN HE MET WITH THE PRESS ON DECEMBER 29 FOLLOWING THE PEACE ACCORDS CEREMONY HE SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THERE WOULD BE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMMIGRATION BILL AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED TO RESPOND. INSTEAD HE REACTED OFF THE CUFF AND EMOTIONALLY. IN ADDITION, THE MEDIA REPORTS DID NOT PROVIDE THE PROPER CONTEXT. STEIN SAID THAT IN HIS REMARKS TO REPORTERS HE HAD STRESSED THAT PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR GUATEMALANS AND REDUCING PRESSURES TO IMMIGRATE WAS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE A GUATEMALAN PROBLEM AND RESPONSIBILITY. HE SAID ALSO THAT HIS COMMENT ABOUT RETHINKING ("REPLANTEAR") RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. WAS IN THE CONTEXT OF RECOGNIZING THAT GUATEMALAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. WERE NOT LIKELY TO RECEIVE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS). GUATEMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON OTHER PRIORITIES SUCH AS A TEMPORARY WORKERS PROGRAM AND CAFTA IMPLEMENTATION. STEIN ADMITTED THAT UNFORTUNATELY HIS REPORTED COMMENTS WERE BEING EXPLOITED BY OPPONENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT POLICIES. STEIN SAID THAT IN HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS ON JANUARY 4 HE ADOPTED A MORE MEASURED, CONSTRUCTIVE TONE. (PRENSA LIBRE, GUATEMALA'S LARGEST CIRCULATION DAILY, REPORTED JANUARY 5 THAT STEIN URGED THAT GUATEMALA FOCUS ON GETTING THE U.S. TO APPROVE A TEMPORARY WORKERS PROGRAM.) ¶3. IN HIS MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, FOREIGN MINISTER BRIZ VOLUNTEERED THAT HE DID NOT AGREE WITH STEIN'S COMMENTS. BRIZ SAID THAT IN HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS HE HAD FOCUSED ON POSITIVE STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN BY THE U.S., SUCH AS A TEMPORARY WORKERS PROGRAM. THIS WOULD BE THE LINE HE WOULD ADVOCATE AT THE JANUARY 9 MEXICO CITY MEETING. REGARDING THE IDEA THAT GUATEMALA SHOULD REACH OUT TO MERCOSUR, THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST IN CULTIVATING STRONGER ECONOMIC TIES THROUGHOUT THE HEMISPHERE AND DID NOT REPRESENT A NEW INITIATIVE. AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, HOWEVER, GUATEMALA HAD LIMITED INTERESTS IN SOUTH AMERICA. BRIZ NOTED THAT NEITHER PRESIDENT BERGER NOR VICE PRESIDENT STEIN WOULD GO TO BOLIVIA FOR THE MORALES INAUGURATION. HE (BRIZ) MIGHT ATTEND BUT ONLY IN THE INTEREST OF ADVANCING GUATEMALA'S UNSC BID (SEPTEL). DERHAM