FMLN SEEKS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH U.S.,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002255 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2017 TAGS: ES PGOV PREL SUBJECT: FMLN SEEKS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH U.S., MAINTAIN MODERATE TONE TO APPEAL TO CENTRIST VOTERS REF: SAN SALVADOR 2015 Classified By: The Ambassador, for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Moderate FMLN Deputy Hugo Martinez told us November 1 that FMLN leadership had decided improving relations with the U.S. was important and that he had been tapped to coordinate U.S.-FMLN relations. He commented on the difficulties presented by the FMLN's presidential ticket, but asserted FMLN leadership had taken and would take steps to keep the party on message to avoid undermining its moderate message. End Summary. ¶2. (C) FMLN Deputy Hugo Martinez told PolCouns November 1 the leadership of the FMLN had decided maintaining and improving relations with the U.S. was important for the party and the leadership had asked him to be in charge of U.S. relations. He said relations with the Salvadoran diaspora in the U.S. would be handled by others in the FMLN. Martinez told us separately on October 29 that the FMLN would be taking steps to prove their desire for strong relations with the U.S. ¶3. (C) Martinez said the upcoming municipal, legislative, and (especially) presidential campaigns would be difficult, with ARENA working to remind voters of the FMLN's rhetoric and public positions since the end of the civil war. He said the FMLN's choice of Mauricio Funes as head of the party's presidential ticket was a difficult decision. Funes, he said, has long sympathized with the FMLN, but has not been involved in party politics during his career as a journalist. Martinez said the choice of Funes was made deliberately in order to attract votes from the center, not to cater to the party's base. Funes' running mate, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, current head of delegation in the National Assembly, was selected in order to placate the FMLN's core supporters. While the combination might seem illogical at first glance, Martinez said the ticket was constructed in order to maximize its attractiveness at the center of the political spectrum. ¶4. (C) PolCouns noted the difficulties the FMLN ticket would face despite Funes' name recognition and appeal to the center, largely because of Funes' running mate, Sanchez Ceren. Martinez agreed that gaining the confidence of centrist voters would be difficult. Asked if he expected the FMLN would be able to maintain discipline during the campaign and keep candidates and party activists on message and avoid undermining Funes' attractiveness, Martinez noted that the party has already effectively silenced one internal critic, Salvador Arias, who was openly criticizing the composition of the ticket. FMLN leadership moved quickly to remove one of Arias' political allies from a position as a departmental head for the FMLN and effectively ended his public dissent. ¶5. (C) Martinez said he was surprised to hear FMLN General Coordinator tell us during lunch October 4 (Reftel) that the FMLN would "absolutely" support the continued operation of the Forward Operating Location at Comalapa. He said this was evidence of what he called slow, steady steps towards change within the FMLN, aimed at modernizing both the party and its positions. ¶6. (C) Bio note: Martinez, 39, is a moderate within the FMLN. He hails from La Union, but has lived in San Salvador since childhood. ¶7. (C) Comment: Despite the FMLN's best efforts, Salvadoran voters will not easily ignore Sanchez Ceren as Funes' running mate or forget the FMLN's long history of radical rhetoric. ARENA will do everything in its power to ensure Funes is linked in voters' minds with the FMLN's most extreme positions and personalities. Even so, we will continue to encourage moderate voices and, more importantly, actions out of the FMLN during this looming campaign season, giving the party the opportunity to put its money where its mouth is on issues of importance to the USG, such as negotiating the renewal of U.S. access to the Forward Operating Location at Comalapa. End Comment. Glazer =======================CABLE ENDS============================