Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07GUATEMALA650
2007-04-02 22:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:
MORALES AND MENCHU ABSENT FROM INDIGENOUS SUMMIT IN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGT #0650 0922249 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 022249Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2318 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0097 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR MADRID 0389 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4136 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0877 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000650
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KDEM PHUM GT
SUBJECT: MORALES AND MENCHU ABSENT FROM INDIGENOUS SUMMIT IN
GUATEMALA
REF: GUATEMALA 384
This is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
From Resistance to Power
------------------------
UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000650
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KDEM PHUM GT
SUBJECT: MORALES AND MENCHU ABSENT FROM INDIGENOUS SUMMIT IN
GUATEMALA
REF: GUATEMALA 384
This is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
From Resistance to Power
--------------
1. (U) An estimated 1,800 delegates from various ethnic groups of
the Americas gathered for the Third Continental Summit of Indigenous
People in Iximch, Guatemala, March 26 to 30. Two prominent
indigenous leaders, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Guatemalan
Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu, were no-shows despite having been
billed as keynote speakers.
2. (U) The Summit focused on the theme of "From Resistance to
Power." Among the issues discussed were: indigenous rights, lands
and identity, and democracy and government of indigenous people.
Previous summits were held in Teotihuacan (Mexico, 2000) and Quito
(Ecuador, 2004). The goal of this year's Summit was the
establishment of a permanent coordinating entity to make the
Indigenous Summit permanent.
Morales and Menchu Absent
--------------
3. (SBU) Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was invited to
participate in the Summit and had agreed to provide closing remarks
and to participate in a post-Summit protest march, did not come to
Guatemala. Press reported his absence but did not provide any
explanation for his absence, indicating only that he was capricious
regarding his schedule. However, the Summit agreed to support his
nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
4. (SBU) Rigoberta Menchu, who was invited to be the keynote speaker
for the opening ceremony and to participate in the Summit, also did
not participate. Menchu's spokesperson told press that she was out
of the country, seeking political support for her presidential
campaign in Mexico and meeting in the U.S. with Nobel Laureates.
Rafael Gonzalez, leader of the National Coordination of Peasant
Organizations (CENOC),declared that the Summit did not feel
"represented by Menchu's movement" and also declined to endorse
Menchu's candidacy for president.
5. (SBU) Comment: Menchu's recent decision to spurn leftist party
URNG, which remains bitter about her refusal to run as its
candidate, and her lukewarm support for Morales and reluctance to be
labeled his supporter may have precipitated her decision to avoid
the indigenous summit.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KDEM PHUM GT
SUBJECT: MORALES AND MENCHU ABSENT FROM INDIGENOUS SUMMIT IN
GUATEMALA
REF: GUATEMALA 384
This is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
From Resistance to Power
--------------
1. (U) An estimated 1,800 delegates from various ethnic groups of
the Americas gathered for the Third Continental Summit of Indigenous
People in Iximch, Guatemala, March 26 to 30. Two prominent
indigenous leaders, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Guatemalan
Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu, were no-shows despite having been
billed as keynote speakers.
2. (U) The Summit focused on the theme of "From Resistance to
Power." Among the issues discussed were: indigenous rights, lands
and identity, and democracy and government of indigenous people.
Previous summits were held in Teotihuacan (Mexico, 2000) and Quito
(Ecuador, 2004). The goal of this year's Summit was the
establishment of a permanent coordinating entity to make the
Indigenous Summit permanent.
Morales and Menchu Absent
--------------
3. (SBU) Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was invited to
participate in the Summit and had agreed to provide closing remarks
and to participate in a post-Summit protest march, did not come to
Guatemala. Press reported his absence but did not provide any
explanation for his absence, indicating only that he was capricious
regarding his schedule. However, the Summit agreed to support his
nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
4. (SBU) Rigoberta Menchu, who was invited to be the keynote speaker
for the opening ceremony and to participate in the Summit, also did
not participate. Menchu's spokesperson told press that she was out
of the country, seeking political support for her presidential
campaign in Mexico and meeting in the U.S. with Nobel Laureates.
Rafael Gonzalez, leader of the National Coordination of Peasant
Organizations (CENOC),declared that the Summit did not feel
"represented by Menchu's movement" and also declined to endorse
Menchu's candidacy for president.
5. (SBU) Comment: Menchu's recent decision to spurn leftist party
URNG, which remains bitter about her refusal to run as its
candidate, and her lukewarm support for Morales and reluctance to be
labeled his supporter may have precipitated her decision to avoid
the indigenous summit.