COLOM ANNOUNCES HIS CABINET

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000033 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PLS PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/CAM - K. STENKIEWICZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR GT SUBJECT: COLOM ANNOUNCES HIS CABINET REF: A. GUATEMALA 26 ¶B. 2007 GUATEMALA 2244 Classified By: Ambassador James M. Derham for reasons 1.4 b&d. Introduction -------------- ¶1. (C) President-Elect Alvaro Colom, who will assume office January 14, announced his new cabinet January 8. Many of the nominees are well and favorably known to the Embassy, and we believe we can work well with them. Colom told the Ambassador that, in choosing his cabinet officers, he tried to strike a balance between those with social democratic views and those with private sector backgrounds. ¶2. (C) While Colom emphasized social inclusion in his campaign and said his government would have a "Mayan face," the new cabinet includes just one woman and one indigenous person. Colom told the Ambassador January 9 that there were few indigenous persons with the level of preparation necessary for ministerial positions, and those few tended to be more interested in local politics (ref a). There are many qualified women in the country, Colom said, but most are graduates of (right-leaning) Francisco Marroquin University; he told the Ambassador he "did not want to go that route." Many of the incoming cabinet officers are graduates of Guatemala's public San Carlos University, of which Colom and President-Elect Espada are also graduates. ¶3. (U) Biographic information on ministers and key secretaries and advisors follows. Like ministers, SIPDIS secretaries have cabinet rank, and are assigned personnel and SIPDIS budget, but secretaries' staffs and budgets are smaller than those of ministers. Advisors do not have cabinet rank, but some will nonetheless be very influential in the incoming administration. End Introduction. Ministers -------------- ¶4. (U) Minister of Foreign Affairs - Haroldo Rodas Melgar (DOB: May 29, 1946) Haroldo Rodas is an economist who graduated from Guatemala's San Carlos University as well as the University of Geneva, Switzerland (ref b). He was an advocate of CAFTA and is a firm supporter of free trade. Rodas has spent the last 13 years working at the Central American Economic Integration System (SIECA),as Secretary General and in other capacities. He was Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs during 1991-1992. Rodas has also served in several international organizations, including the OAS, the IDB, and the UNDP. Rodas is not a member of Colom's UNE party, but was a member of Guatemala's Democratic Socialist Party (PSD) in the late 1970's and 1980's. ¶5. (U) Minister of Economy - Jose Carlos Garcia (DOB: August 10, 1958) Garcia is a lawyer and worked with Haroldo Rodas at SIECA as an advisor on trade and integration issues. He previously served as Vice Minister of Economy and Director of Economic Integration during 1992-1995. Garcia also worked for the influential Chamber of Industry. He is currently studying a Master's Degree in Mercantile Law at San Carlos University. ¶6. (U) Minister of Agriculture - Raul Rene Robles Avila Robles was one of the founders of UNE, was a Member of Congress for Retalhuleu Department during 2004-2008 (serving on the Finance Committee),and was the UNE congressional caucus leader during 2005. ¶7. (C) Minister of Defense Colom told the Ambassador he would probably name Brigadier General Marco Tulio Garcia Franco as Minister of Defense. Garcia is currently serving as Guatemala's Defense Attache in QGarcia is currently serving as Guatemala's Defense Attache in Belize. Colom told the Ambassador he believes Garcia to be loyal and honest, and that he would not announce Garcia's appointment until January 13 or 14. Garcia previously served as Inspector General of the Army, D-2 (Head of Military Intelligence),Zone Commander for Zacapa, and Defense Attache in Taiwan, among other positions. The Embassy has enjoyed a good working relationship with Garcia in the past, though there are unconfirmed reports that in the 1990's he was close to military officers who are now involved in organized crime. ¶8. (U) Minister of Environment - Luis Alberto Ferrate Feliche (Born 1937) Ferrate is a geographer and has a Ph.D. in environmental studies. He has worked for the IDB and World Bank. Ferrate was a founder of the School of Biology at the San Carlos University. Ferrate was also one of the founders of Guatemala's environmental movement in the 1960's. ¶9. (U) Minister of Communication - Luis Alfredo Alejos Olivero (Born 1965) Alejos is an industrial engineer who graduated from Texas Tech University and received an MBA from Thunderbird University. He was a junior manager for Chevron and Citibank Guatemala, and since 1993, has been general manager for Continental Motors in Guatemala. The Alejos family was a principal financier of the Colom campaign. His distant cousin Gustavo will serve as President Colom's personal secretary, and Gustavo's brother Roberto (who studied in SIPDIS Texas and Alabama) was elected to Congress for the UNE. ¶10. (U) Minister of Culture - Geronimo Lancerio Lancerio is a member of UNE's National Committee, and is the only indigenous person named to Colom's cabinet. He is the manager of Corsa Group, an exporter of tropical plants, and is a member of the influential Guatemalan Non-Traditional Exporters' Association (AGEXPORT). ¶11. (U) Minister of Education - Ana Francisca Ordonez de Molina (DOB: July 24, 1955) Ana de Molina graduated from San Carlos University in 1979 with a degree in economics, and is the only woman appointed to Colom's cabinet. De Molina served as Director of Foreign Aid of the General Secretariat for Planning from 1981 to ¶1986. She was a consultant to the Finance Ministry from 1988 to 1990, worked in the Human Rights Ombudsman's office from 1991 to 1993, and served as Minister of Finance during 1993-1996. Most recently, she was the Coordinator for USAID's Social Investment Dialogue, and has enjoyed a good working relationship with USAID officers. ¶12. (U) Minister of Energy and Mines - Carlos Ivan Meany Valerio Meany, from one of Guatemala's wealthy families, is a mechanical engineer who graduated from Landivar University, and earned a Master's degree in textiles engineering from Spain's Universidad de Canet de Mar. Since 1987, he has managed several businesses, and owns an insurance company and a pulp mill. ¶13. (U) Minister of Finance - Juan Alberto Fuentes Knight Fuentes is a member of leftist political party "Encuentro por Guatemala." He studied economics in Canada and the UK. He was in charge of the National Human Development Report for UNDP Guatemala for six years, and founded the Central American Institute of Fiscal Studies in 2006. Fuentes Knight is the son of late Social Democrat leader Alberto Fuentes Mohr, who was assassinated while running for president in ¶1978. ¶14. (C) Minister of Government Colom told the Ambassador that he would not announce his Minister of Government until January 13 or 14, but that he had narrowed his choices to current Vice Minister of Government Vinicio Gomez (ref a) and former Attorney General Asisclo Valladares. Although a member of the outgoing Berger Government, Gomez served on UNE's security strategy team. He has maintained excellent working relations with the Embassy, and is an advocate for enhanced USG-GOG security cooperation. Despite Valladares' right-wing political views, he and Colom have remained close due to long-standing ties between their Qhave remained close due to long-standing ties between their families. In addition to being Guatemala's first Attorney General (in which position he received mixed reviews), Valladares twice ran unsuccessfully for president, and was also Ambassador to the Vatican. ¶15. (C) Minister of Health - Eusebio Del Cid Peralta Del Cid will reportedly lead a new commission to bolster the integration of health services provided by the Ministry of Health and the National Social Security Institute (IGSS, ref a). He previously served as Minister of Health under the Serrano Government during 1990 to 1992, and was Director of the National Social Security Institute. Del Cid was Deputy Director of the Health Office of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C. He is a member of Opus Dei, and enjoys a long-standing and positive relationship with USAID, dating back to the 1970's. ¶16. (U) Minister of Labor - Edgar Rodriguez (Born 1946) Rodriguez is a lawyer who graduated from San Carlos University. He was a founder of, and congressman for, Colom's UNE party. Presidential Secretaries and Advisors -------------- ¶17. (U) Coordinator for Rural Development - Alfredo Miron Miron is an influential member of the business community, has an MBA from INCAE, and is owner of several agricultural export companies. He is a founding member of the Guatemalan Exporters' Association (AGEXPORT),and is a long-time friend of the Embassy. ¶18. (U) Secretary for Administrative and Security Affairs - Carlos Quintanilla Quintanilla, who owns several security firms and has been in charge of Colom's personal security detail since 2003, will be in charge of the civilian police unit that protects the President and other senior members of government. Quintanilla has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from George Washington University, a Master's of Administration from the International University of Panama, and also studied at the Guatemalan Army's Polytechnic Institute. ¶19. (U) Advisor for Implementation of the Plan of Government - Edgar Barquin Barquin, who was Colom's chief economic advisor during the campaign, developed the UNE's Plan of Government and the Plan for the First 100 Days of the new administration. Barquin is an accountant and attorney (he graduated from San Carlos University),and also holds degrees in administration and economics. He has occupied senior positions in banking, was a member of Guatemala's monetary policy board, and worked at the Office of Banking Oversight for 18 years. Barquin told econoff he looks forward to close engagement with the USG on economic issues. ¶20. (U) Secretary for Executive Coordination - Salvador Gandara (DOB: November 13, 1957) Gandara, a member of the Unionist Party, was most recently the popular mayor of one of Guatemala City's working class neighborhoods, Villa Nueva. He studied business at El Salvador's Universidad Centro Americana, and criminal justice in Florida, Texas and Israel. Gandara was in charge of security for the municipalities of Guatemala City from 1986 to 1991, and of social welfare programs from 1991 to 1996. He served as Vice Minister of Government during 1996-2000. ¶21. (U) Personal Secretary to the President - Gustavo Alejos Gustavo Alejos, along with his brother, Congressman-elect Roberto Alejos and distant cousin, Minister of Communication-designate Luis Alejos, was a principal financier of the Colom campaign. Alejos made a fortune in pharmaceuticals, and is the owner or manager of several companies. Derham