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Viewing cable 06MANAGUA1513, MARTINEZ CUENCA: SECOND THOUGHTS ON REFUSING

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06MANAGUA1513 2006-07-10 21:39 2011-06-01 08:00 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Managua
Appears in these articles:
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758456.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758467.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758468.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758464.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4103/la-embusa-y-el-gabinete-de-ortega
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4104/d-rsquo-escoto-en-onu-ldquo-un-desafio-de-ortega-a-ee-uu-rdquo
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4102/estrada-y-la-ldquo-doble-cara-rdquo-ante-ee-uu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3966/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-ee-uu-en-el-2006
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2758764.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2758753.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4041/millones-de-dolares-sin-control-y-a-discrecion
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4040/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-venezuela-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4047/rodrigo-barreto-enviado-de-ldquo-vacaciones-rdquo
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2757239.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2746658.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2757244.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2746673.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3991/dra-yadira-centeno-desmiente-cable-diplomatico-eeuu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3968/pellas-pronostico-a-eeuu-victoria-de-ortega-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3967/barreto-era-ldquo-fuente-confiable-rdquo-para-eeuu
VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #1513/01 1912139
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 102139Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6932
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0733
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM NU
SUBJECT: MARTINEZ CUENCA: SECOND THOUGHTS ON REFUSING 
LEWITES, OFFER TO RUN AS VP CANDIDATE 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 1482 
 
     B. MANAGUA 1220 
     C. MANAGUA 1210 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli. Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) Alejandro Martinez Cuenca shared with Ambassador, 
DCM, and polcouns on July 7 his regret for not having 
accepted Sandinista Renewal Movement (MRS) Herty Lewites' 
invitation to run as his VP for the November 5 presidential 
race (Reftels).  He recounted how a clairvoyant Lewites had 
feared he would die before the election.  With Herty no 
longer in the picture, Martinez Cuenca fears the MRS will 
lose much of its support, citing a Nuevo Diario website poll 
showing respondents overwhelmingly opposed to the new MRS 
ticket.  He added that a number of Sandinistas have also told 
him that he, not Edmundo Jarquin, should have replaced 
Lewites.  Martinez Cuenca predicted that some of the MRS's 
independent-minded supporters will switch to PLC dissident 
Eduardo Montealegre, a few Sandinistas will return to FSLN 
candidate Daniel Ortega, while other pro-Herty Sandinistas 
may well abstain, thus hurting Ortega's campaign. 
 
A POSSIBLE PLACE IN THE MRS - IF THE PRINCIPLES FIT 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
2.  (C) Despite the setback of Herty's death, Martinez Cuenca 
believes that the MRS is possibly salvageable, noting that he 
had offered to help the MRS campaign in some capacity.  He 
then enumerated three ideals that the MRS must uphold if he 
is to support it: democracy, tolerance, and rule of law - in 
sum, a re-engineering or transformation of Nicaraguan 
government.  Martinez Cuenca concurred with Ambassador's 
suggestion of a fourth principle -- the separation of party 
and government -- noting that when Lewites was Mayor of 
Managua, he had served all Managuans, regardless of political 
ilk. 
 
ORTEGA HAS THE CHURCH IN HIS POCKET? 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - 
 
3.  (C) Martinez Cuenca reiterated his previous warning  that 
Ortega is emboldened by Cardinal Obando y Bravo's open 
endorsement, even suspecting that Ortega's recent visit to 
Rome may have included a meeting with the Vatican.   He 
speculated that the Catholic Church might be willing to 
"accept" Ortega in exchange for assurances that if elected he 
will support the Catholic Church and limit the influence of 
the growing Evangelical movement.  Ambassador replied that 
both the Nuncio and Archbishop Brenes have voiced concern 
that Obando's association with Ortega could give Ortega an 
unfair edge, and thus we doubt the Vatican would endorse 
Ortega - either publicly or privately.  We offered, however, 
to verify that Ortega did not/not meet with Vatican 
officials. (NOTE: According to Ortega's press statements, he 
met with a number of Italian mayors to arrange municipal 
exchanges.) 
 
CSE PRESIDENT TELLS HIM ORTEGA VICTORY A "DONE DEAL" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
4.  (C)  Martinez Cuenca then recounted how in September 
2005, Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) President Roberto Rivas 
(whose mother is Obando y Bravo's personal secretary) 
informed him that Ortega's victory is "a done deal," 
suggesting that "it would be better to wait your turn." 
According to Martinez Cuenca, further proof of Ortega's 
"arrogance" was his refusal to meet with former President 
Jimmy Carter at Carter's hotel -- thereby conveying the 
signal that as Nicaragua's next president, Ortega should not 
go to Carter. 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
5.  (C) Martinez Cuenca was fishing for our views on his role 
in Nicaragua's political landscape.  He appears to genuinely 
regret not having accepted Lewites' offer to run with him and 
is clearly disaffected with the MRS' new ticket -- probably 
because he believes he should have been offered the 
presidential or vice-presidential slot.  Undoubtedly, 
Martinez Cuenca is a much more moderate and qualified 
candidate than Mejia Godoy, who has publicly stated he still 
considers the U.S. an enemy -- even though he also claims he 
would be willing to engage us (his son was discharged from 
U.S. military service in a highly publicized case after 
 
refusing to serve a second tour in Iraq).  Martinez Cuenca's 
concerns over Obando's endorsement of Ortega are also valid 
and we have heard similar concerns from Nicaragua's private 
sector.  Nonetheless, we see no evidence of Vatican support 
for Ortega. 
TRIVELLI