This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000929 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HARARE FOR WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL GT UN OAS
SUBJECT: NGOS UPBEAT ON CICIACS DEVELOPMENTS 
 
REF: A. GUATEMALA 890 
     ¶B. STATE 77340 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Embassy officers met with human rights 
activists Frank LaRue, Claudia Samayoa, and Orlando Blanco on 
April 2 to discuss both the recent protest by human rights 
groups in front of the Embassy and their silence on Cuban 
dissident jailing (Ref A), as well as steps that the Embassy 
can take to help the NGOs move the Commission to Investigate 
Illegal Bodies and the Clandestine Security Apparatus 
(CICIACS) proposal forward.  Embassy officers offered 
technical expertise to help NGOs analyze investigative models 
of possible use to the CICIACS.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On April 2, representatives from POL, NAS, ICITAP, 
AID, and RSO met with human rights activists to address 
questions emerging from DAS Fisk's meeting with Jose Miguel 
Vivanco (Ref B), and to demonstrate our continuing moral and 
technical support for the NGOs as they push the formation of 
the CICIACS forward.  We discussed the commission set-up, the 
NGO's latest dealings with the GOG, the budget progress, the 
commission candidates, and further steps for Embassy-NGO 
collaboration. 
 
From Here to September: A Cloudy Process 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) According to LaRue (and confirmed to us by the MFA), 
the GOG has appointed former Ambassador to the Court of St. 
James, Maritza Ruiz de Vielman to handle GOG negotiations 
with the UN and the OAS for the creation of the CICIACS. 
Ruiz de Vielman drafted an initial agreement in which the GOG 
would establish the CICIACS under the Secretary of Peace 
(SEPAZ), a domestic institution in which the NGOs have little 
confidence.  The Human Rights Ombudsman communicated with FM 
Gutierrez to say that the NGOs were not supportive of that 
idea and that the CICIACS had to be set up as an 
international commission for the NGOs and the international 
community to support it.  Gutierrez reportedly agreed, saying 
that Ruiz de Vielman misunderstood the March 13 agreement 
from which she drew her proposal, and that the GOG also wants 
an international commission.  To that end, Gutierrez sent 
Ruiz de Vielman to New York on April 1, to lobby the UN and 
start the official exchange of letters. 
 
¶4. (U) As NGOs understand the situation, the GOG and the UN 
and OAS will now exchange letters proposing a joint 
commission, and this series of agreements will then be 
submitted to Congress for ratification.  The NGOs have heard 
that commissions of this size need only the approval of the 
Secretaries General of the UN and OAS, and need not be 
 
SIPDIS 
submitted to these organizations' general assemblies.  The 
NGO representatives also told us that they have heard that 
both UN SecGen Annan and OAS SecGen Gaviria are already on 
board in support of CICIACS. 
 
Budget Progress 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The NGOs have delayed further work on the CICIACS 
budget, instead choosing to focus their energies on the 
set-up of the commission.  Once the UN and the OAS have 
confirmed their involvement, and agreed on the scope, 
mandate, and timing of the CICIACS, the NGOs hope that these 
organizations will provide fiscal experts to help them 
develop a realistic budget. 
 
Commission Candidates 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Human rights activists Nery Rodenas and Orlando Blanco 
are traveling to the UN and the OAS on April 9 to present 
their ideas for candidates for the commission and to solicit 
feedback.  Frank LaRue told DCM and PolOffs that their top 
choices currently are Peruvians Jose Ugaz and Gino Costa. 
LaRue separately told the Ambassador that they were also 
considering Guatemalan Ramon Cadena, whom the Attorney 
General said was his choice to replace Tatiana Morales as 
Human Rights Prosecutor in the Public Ministry. (Note: LaRue 
doubted that Cadena would accept a job offer from De Leon. 
End Note.) 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
¶7. (U) The NGOs have items that they would like to discuss 
with Embassy experts in the future.  Many of them have to do 
with the role of the Public Ministry, including how the 
CICIACS will provide protection for the special prosecutor 
appointed by the Attorney General, how the CICIACS will help 
improve the Public Ministry, and how the CICIACS will protect 
witnesses and investigators.  The NGOs also wondered if we 
had any advice on how to mount a public relations campaign to 
help educate the average Guatemalan about clandestine groups 
and the aims of CICIACS.  NGOs intend to contact the Embassy 
to discuss this after the official exchange of letters 
between the UN, OAS, and GOG. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (U) The NGOs were appreciative of our continued support. 
They trust the GOG's interlocutor, Ruiz de Vielman, and are 
hopeful that the commission set-up will proceed along the 
lines they envisioned.  We will continue our support and 
inform the Department about further requests for 
collaboration.  End Comment. 
HAMILTON