OAS REFORM AND MANDATE FOR NEXT SECRETARY GENERAL (DOMINICAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 000065 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/25 TAGS: PREL OAS KDEM AORC DR SUBJECT: OAS REFORM AND MANDATE FOR NEXT SECRETARY GENERAL (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) REF: STATE 16528 CLASSIFIED BY: Alexander Margulies, Pol-Econ Counselor, State, ECOPOL; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Charge, accompanied by Pol-Econ Counselor, on 24 February 2010, delivered the demarche on "OAS Reform and Mandate for Next Secretary General" (Reftel) to Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso and Vice Minister Juan Manuel Trullols. The Foreign Minister said that the Dominican Government shares the USG's views on the need for OAS institutional reform and for improvement in the OAS' defense of democracy and human rights, opining that our talking points were aimed at "Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia," but made no commitment to having the DR's Ambassador to the OAS make these points at the 3 March Permanent Council meeting. Morales stated that the Dominican Republic will support Jose Miguel Insulza's re-election bid, and did not think that a rumored candidacy of outgoing Uruguayan President Tabare Vasquez would amount to much even if it does have Brazilian backing. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: We expect that, at the 3 March Permanent Council meeting, the Dominican Ambassador to the OAS will express support for Insulza's re-election, but will refrain from raising any points that could be interpreted as reflecting negatively on Insulza's prior tenure. END COMMENT. ¶3. (U) Minimize considered. Lambert