AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES MIGRATION, MORALES, AND FMLN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000077 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2016 TAGS: SMIG PREL PGOV ES MX VE BL IMMIGRATION SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES MIGRATION, MORALES, AND FMLN WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LAINEZ REF: MEXICO 2995 Classified By: Ambassador H. Douglas Barclay for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador Barclay spoke for 45 minutes on January 10 with Foreign Minister Francisco Lainez regarding the January 9 regional meeting on migration held in Mexico. (Note: The meetings had been originally scheduled to treat both energy and migration issues, but in response to Lainez's suggestion, energy issues were set aside for separate meeting concentrated on immigration. End note.) Lainez was pleased with the climate of the discussions and the overall outcome of the meeting. Mexican Foreign Minister Derbez and the Mexican delegatio moderated their position on migration to more closely track with that proposed by the Salvadorans, who have publicly supported the United States' right to determine its own policies on immigration. However, El Salvador advocates the creation of additional work visa programs, and does not support the criminalization of illegal immigration. ¶2. (C) Lainez and Derbez also discussed President-elect Evo Morales of Bolivia; the Mexican government has decided not to attend Morales's inauguration because of his support of Zapatista forces of Mexico. Lainez believes that Morales may also support the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and El Salvador's Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN); support would be on a party-to-party, rather than official, basis. ¶3. (C) Lainez noted that the FMLN had recently sent a youth group to Venezuela for unspecified training, during which a female member of the group died. The cause of death remains unknown, and Salvadoran consula officials were prevented from examining the remains for more than a week. Lainez believes that the body was withheld for such a length of time to conceal evidence that the young woman may have been involved in explosives training. Lainez went on to report that he has appointed a trusted Chief of Mission to Venezuela. Barclay