UNGA 63: NICARAGUAN FOREIGN MINISTRY - "MIGUEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 001072 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR WAH/CEN JUSTICE DEPT FOR DRL G. MAGGIO DEPT FOR INR/IAA - EMERSON DEPT FOR IO DEPT FOR USOAS SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2018 TAGS: PREL PINR UNGA PREZ NU SUBJECT: UNGA 63: NICARAGUAN FOREIGN MINISTRY - "MIGUEL D'ESCOTO HAS CHANGED" REF: A. MANAGUA 1068 (NOTAL) ¶B. MANAGUA 776 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: CDA Richard Sanders for reasons 1.4(b,d) CORRECTION OF MANAGUA 1068 ADDS INFO ADDRESSEES ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 6, EmbOff met with Ambassador Magda Enriquez Beitler, the Senior Advisor to Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, President Elect for the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations ("UNGA"). Enriquez sought to convey two clear messages: first, she will be the focal point for relations between the United States and Nicaragua regarding UNGA bilateral issues; second, D'Escoto "is a changed man." Changed or not, D'Escoto is not likely to tone down his anti-U.S. rhetoric at UNGA when given the opportunity. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) Ambassador Magda Enriquez Beitler, a dual United States - Nicaraguan citizen, is the main liaison between the United States Embassy and the Nicaragua Foreign Ministry's Office of International Organizations. Educated at Temple University in Philadelphia and politically aligned with the Sandinista Party ("FSLN"),she was a Nicaraguan representative to the UN in the 1980s. With the return of the FSLN to power, Enriquez is currently the Director of Nicaragua,s Office of International Organizations with responsibilities in the following areas: UN Mission, Organization of American States, International Summits and Non-Aligned Nations Movement. She will join D'Escoto in New York as his Senior Advisor, but will retain her position in Nicaragua, with her three deputies handling the portfolio. ¶3. (SBU) Enriquez conveyed her strong desire to work with the United States in advance of the September UNGA session to address difficult issues "off the table, because it is better to solve problems before they happen." The issues that she believes will consume the UNGA session include: Food Prices and Subsidies, Climate Change, Africa Aid, and UNGA reform. ¶4. (SBU) Regarding UNGA reform, Enriquez explained that UNGA President-Elect D'Escoto wants to "reform the UN General Assembly using outside experts that do not represent any particular national government." These independent experts, such as scientists and economists, would participate in what D'Escoto calls an "interactive, thematic dialogue" to bring out the best ideas for reform. D'Escoto, who is a Catholic Priest under Vatican sanction (ref B),wants to "bring the prophets" or independent experts from "the U.S., Nicaragua, Algeria" to bring "new vision and purpose" to the UNGA. ¶5. (C) Enriquez believes that Miguel D'Escoto has "changed" - that he is not the same virulent critic of the United States, capitalism and globalization that he was during the Sandinista revolution. Even though he is almost 75 years old, Enriquez observed that D'Escoto "is still a good student, and changes his mind" when presented with new information. She explained that D'Escoto has been working on his UNGA opening address since his candidacy was announced, constantly revising and rewriting it. The speech sets the tone for the UNGA session and will be the platform for announcing the priorities and UNGA reforms D'Escoto seeks. She said that he has read several different versions of the speech to her on multiple occasions, and that D'Escoto has been open to her constructive criticisms. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: Post believes that Enriquez was placed in her new UNGA position to be a moderating influence on D'Escoto. As a dual U.S.-Nicaraguan citizen, however, she is not MANAGUA 00001072 002 OF 002 completely trusted by small circle that surrounds President Ortega. Other figures such as Presidential Advisor Paul Oquist, a former UN system official, are likely to also have input. In her role as D'Escoto,s Senior Advisor and confidant, Amb. Enriquez would not explain what she meant regarding a "new vision or purpose" for the UNGA body. When pressed for specific themes from his most recent draft of his opening address, she admitted that everything could change and that "he will not have a final version ready until just before he speaks." We suspect that a mercurial D'Escoto at the UNGA bully pulpit, backed by an increasingly bellicose Ortega, is not likely to tone down his anti-U.S. rhetoric when given the opportunity. SANDERS