FUNES DISAVOWS VP'S ANTI-US COMMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000939

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ES
SUBJECT: FUNES DISAVOWS VP'S ANTI-US COMMENTS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: FM Martinez relayed September 30 a message
from President Funes that anti-U.S. comments made by VP
Sanchez Ceren September 26 did not reflect the views of
either Funes or the GOES. Martinez welcomed Charge's public
reaction that Sanchez Ceren's comments were "inconsistent"
with the position taken by both Sanchez Ceren and the
(left-wing) FMLN during the campaign and said he personally
found them difficult to explain. Charge expressed USG
concern that the VP's statements did not signal an
operational FMLN foreign policy different from official GOES
policy. He added that the U.S. was operating on the
assumption that the relationship with the FMLN had "turned
the page," looking forward not back. Martinez said he and
Funes were in complete agreement, would not permit a parallel
FMLN foreign policy, and hoped a Funes bilat with POTUS could
occur soon. End Summary.


2. (C) Salvadoran FM Hugo Martinez told Charge and PolCouns
September 30 that President Mauricio Funes had asked him to
convey urgently a message in response to comments made
September 26 by Vice President and Minister of Education
Salvador Sanchez Ceren. Sanchez Ceren said "... to the
people of the United States that they should learn this
lesson: you were defeated in Vietnam, you were defeated in El
Salvador, and you will be defeated in Latin America!" during
an FMLN rally in support of Honduran President Zelaya.
Martinez said Funes was confident the U.S. understood Sanchez
Ceren's comments reflected his personal opinion and were not
the position of the GOES. Martinez said he agreed with the
Charge's reaction to these comments in the press, that they
were "inconsistent" with either Sanchez Ceren's or the FMLN's
position during the campaign. Martinez, one of the FMLN's
more moderate members, said he was unsure if Sanchez Ceren's
comments were purely personal or reflected the view of the
FMLN's more orthodox leadership.


3. (C) Charge welcomed Martinez' comments but noted it was
indeed a problem that Sanchez Ceren's comments were made
publicly. No one, he said, is surprised that anti-U.S.
sentiment still exists inside the FMLN given U.S. support of
the GOES during the Civil War. However, he continued, the
U.S. believed we had turned a new page with the FMLN, noting
that Funes himself expressed optimism regarding the FMLN's
evolution during his meeting with the Secretary June 1.
Martinez said he found Sanchez Ceren's comments "a little
hard to explain" and said Funes had said that for him and the
GOES, the past is behind us and the relationship has entered
a new phase. Martinez reiterated Funes' desire for a
bilateral visit with POTUS soon and in the best environment
possible. Martinez said he would telephone A/S Shannon to
reiterate this message.


4. (C) Martinez said he had spoken with the VP earlier
September 30, who had acknowledged that Martinez' public
response was correct to point out that Sanchez Ceren was not
speaking on behalf of the GOES on September 26. Martinez
said he agreed with Charge, that Sanchez Ceren's comments had
been personal in nature and inconsistent with both the GOES
and FMLN position on U.S. relations. On the other hand,
Martinez acknowledged the legitimacy of Charge's concern
about FMLN free-lancing, for example, meeting with Zelaya
nearly surreptitiously at Comalapa airport on the night
before Zelaya's return to Honduras.


5. (C) Comment: While Sanchez Ceren's comments have received
attention in the Salvadoran press, they have not been
interpreted as a shift in the Funes Administration's approach
towards the U.S. Embassy contacts are surprised that Sanchez
Ceren made these intemperate comments publicly, not that he
holds this opinion. We are pleased President Funes reached
out urgently to make clear his VP's comments did not reflect
his thinking or the position of the GOES. A likely
consequence of this incident is that the cleavage between
party and president continues to grow ever more pronounced.
BLAU