SPAIN ON ELECTION SUPPORT FOR HAITI AND GUYANA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001088 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016 TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV HA GY SUBJECT: SPAIN ON ELECTION SUPPORT FOR HAITI AND GUYANA REF: A. SECSTATE 65841 ¶B. SECSTATE 64057 ¶C. MADRID 793 Classified By: Charge Kathy Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4 (b)&(d). (C) Poloff discussed the importance of supporting elections in Haiti and Guyana (refs A & B) with MFA director of OAS Affairs Jose Maria de la Torre on April 28. ESTHoff discussed the same issues with Pasqual Navarro, Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) Deputy Director General for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean on April 27. De la Torre said that Spain strongly supports the democratic process in Haiti and has already made significant contributions totaling more than USD 10 million (ref C). He noted that when the OAS previously asked Spain to contribute USD 140,000 for election support, Spain chose to more than double that amount and gave USD 300,000. He also said that given the need to focus on instability in Haiti, Spain would not necessarily push for immediate local elections. On Guyana, de la Torre said that the EU is likely to provide financial support for the elections, but Spain has not budgeted any funds for this effort. According to Navarro, Spain is encouraging the EU to support the Guyana elections. FITZPATRICK