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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MANAGUA 002008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/PPC BATLLE 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/PPC GONZALEZ, DEACON AND MILLER 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/CEN CORNFORTH 
NSC FOR K. MCDONALD 
DEPT FOR CA 
DEPT FOR EAP/J AND S/WCI 
DEPT FOR INR/B 
USUN NEW YORK FOR MCBRIDE 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2012 
TAGS: PREL OPDC PINR CVIS UNGA VT NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA NOMINATES ANTI-U.S., FORMER AMCIT AS 
GRULAC CANDIDATE FOR 63RD UNGA PRESIDENCY 
 
REF: VISAS DONKEY FOR D'ESCOTO BROCKMANN (SENT 
     8/15/07 THROUGH CCD) 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Nicaragua plans to nominate former Foreign 
Minister, Miguel D'ESCOTO Brockmann, a gratuitously 
anti-U.S., former AMCIT, and former Catholic priest, as the 
GRULAC candidate for President of the 63rd Session of the 
UNGA (2008-2009), Foreign Minister Samuel Santos told us on 
August 24.  Based on recent consultations with his other 
GRULAC counterparts, Santos was assured that no other 
candidates were being considered from the region.  D'Escoto 
is well-known for outrageous and gratuitously offensive 
public comments about the U.S.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNGA NEEDS A PRESIDENT, WHY NOT A NICARAGUAN? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) During an August 24 meeting with the Ambassador, 
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister, Samuel Santos, passed us a 
letter (see text para 9) addressed to the Secretary informing 
that Nicaragua planned to nominate Miguel D'ESCOTO Brockmann, 
as the GRULAC candidate for President of the 63rd Session of 
the UNGA (2008-2009).  Santos told us that the GRULAC region 
would take its "turn" as UNGA president during 2008-2009, per 
the UN's tradition of regional rotations.  He also said that 
during recent consultations with his other GRULAC 
counterparts, Santos was told that no other candidates were 
being considered from the region. 
 
¶3.  (U) On August 28, an article appeared on page 5 of the 
left-of-center, Nuevo Diario newspaper, one of Managua's two 
major dailies.  The article reports that "FM Santos has 
confidently declared that Nicaragua will win the UNGA 
presidency for 2008-2009."  The article adds that Santos told 
journalists that D'Escoto's candidacy had been formally 
submitted in New York and that no other candidates had been 
announced.  Santos added that, he had "spoken personally with 
each and every ambassador" from GRULAC member states and that 
"all of them expressed total support for Nicaragua's 
candidate."  Santos said his next step would be to seek 
backing for D'Escoto's candidacy from the Non-Aligned 
Movement countries during their upcoming meeting in Tehran. 
 
WHO IS MIGUEL D'ESCOTO BROCKMANN? 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) D'Escoto, who served as Foreign Minister during the 
first Ortega Administration, currently holds a ministerial 
rank as advisor to the President on Border Dispute Issues. 
Although the former Catholic priest (Maryknoll Order) was 
born in Los Angeles, he renounced his U.S. citizenship and 
actually was the beneficiary of property seized from other 
American Citizens by the Sandinista government in the 1980s. 
D'Escoto appears to harbor deep loathing for the country of 
his birth.  He regularly makes critical and outrageous claims 
about U.S. foreign policy. 
 
A MAN WHO BELIEVES THE TWIN TOWERS ATTACK WAS NO BIG DEAL 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Recently, D'Escoto's anti-U.S. public statements 
reached new levels when he dismissed the gravity of the 
September 11th attacks.  During an August 13 speech President 
Ortega said that the 3,000 deaths in New York on September 
11th were "insignificant" compared to the "acts of U.S. 
genocide" in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed 120,000.  The 
next morning, during a TV interview, D'Escoto opined that 
Ortega had been "very moderate," (muy suave) because he had 
only included the number of immediate deaths in Japan, not 
the total number of those who died as a result of "genocidal" 
atomic bombs, "which was five times that number." 
 
MANAGUA 00002008  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) We suspect D'Escoto's UNGA Presidency nomination is 
simply the latest effort by Ortega to challenge us.  Since 
taking power in January, Ortega has gone out of his way to 
offend, with D'Escoto frequently and gleefully engaging in 
public one-upsmanship of gratuitously offensive comments. 
Ironically, we have, at the same time. been under constant 
pressure from the government to expedite and issue visas for 
senior advisors and officials, many of whom have serious 
ineligibilities--including D'Escoto.  In Ortega's mind, 
D'Escoto likely embodies the perfect trifecta as a candidate. 
 He has legitimate international diplomatic experience as 
former Foreign Minister.  His vociferous, anti-U.S. stance 
grants him credibility with hardliners, and like most 
high-level Ortega Administration officials, D'Escoto has 
serious visa ineligibilities.  Only weeks ago, D'Escoto 
requested a visa to travel to the U.S. for medical treatment. 
 D'Escoto initially refused to appear at the Embassy, and 
verbally abused Embassy employees over the phone, using 
excessively vulgar and offensive language.  (NOTE: While 
D'Escoto is currently listed in CLASS as potentially 
ineligible for a U.S. visa because of "terrorist activities," 
the Embassy does not have information on file that would 
support this finding.  End note.) 
 
¶7. (C) D'Escoto is among the worst candidates possible for 
63rd UNGA President. Setting aside his poor health and 
grotesquely cavalier attitude toward September 11th, D'Escoto 
has repeatedly demonstrated disdain and disregard for 
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In his personal 
demeanor, he swings erratically from charming to threatening, 
oozing arrogance throughout.  We are certain that there are 
more suitable candidates for the 63rd UNGA Presidency from 
within the GRULAC region.  The 63rd UNGA is still over one 
year away; however, we believe serious thought should be 
given to encouraging the GRULAC to identify more qualified 
individuals for the position.  Given that, in 1981, D'Escoto 
was barred by the Vatican from performing any priestly 
functions, it may be worthwhile to consult with the Holy See. 
 
BIO NOTES 
--------- 
 
¶8. (C)  D'Escoto comes from what he described as "a 
privileged Nicaraguan family with a tradition of rebellion." 
Born in Hollywood, CA in 1933, he returning to Nicaragua with 
his family in 1934.  By 1951 he had renounced his U.S. 
citizenship.  He received B.A. and M.A. degrees from St. 
Mary's College of California and holds an M.A. in Journalism 
from Columbia University (1962).  In 1981, D'Escoto defied a 
Vatican order calling upon priests to remove themselves from 
government service and he refused to recognize the authority 
of the Vatican.  As a result of his defiance, the Vatican 
prohibited D'Escoto from performing any priestly duties.  To 
our knowledge, the prohibition has never been rescinded. 
Even so, in Nicaragua D'Escoto is still commonly referred to 
a "Father."  MFA personnel also address him as "Father" and 
Embassy personnel were also instructed to do so when he 
applied for a visa.  D'Escoto speaks Spanish, English, and 
understands some Italian and French.  His brother, Francisco, 
was the FSLN Ambassador to the U.K. at least between 1984 and 
¶1987. 
 
TEXT OF LETTER TO SECRETARY RICE 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Following is our unofficial English translation of 
the letter from FM Santos to Secretary Rice.  We will pass 
the original to WHA/CEN separately. 
 
 
MANAGUA 00002008  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
BEGIN EMBASSY UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION 
 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Managua, August 24, 2007 
MRE/VM-DGO/743/08/07 
 
Dear Madam Secretary: 
 
With a lot of joy, I want to share with you the decision of 
the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of 
presenting the candidacy of father Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann 
MM. as president of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. 
 
Father Miguel D'Escoto was chief of Nicaraguan diplomacy in 
the decade of the 80s, which gave him an extraordinary 
experience in international themes by actively participating 
in the agreement of nations and in the search of political 
and diplomatic negotiations in the solution of international 
controversies. For this reason and for his human and social 
sensibility, he is a most suitable candidate to preside over 
the General Assembly. 
 
Your Excellency, Nicaragua grants a particular importance to 
this candidacy and is aware of the responsibility and 
importance that presiding the General Assembly implies. I 
assure you that Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann will dignifiedly 
represent our countries in such a high position.  Attached 
you will find Miguel D'Escoto MM's curriculum vitae. 
 
Waiting that our proposal be considered by your government, I 
reiterate the assurances of my highest consideration. 
 
(handwritten above the signature) 
A hug 
 
//S// 
Samuel Santos Lopez 
 
The Honorable 
Condoleezza Rice 
Secretary of State 
 
SIPDIS 
of the United States of America 
 
END Embassy Non-Official Translation of Letter 
 
 
¶10. (U) BEGIN D'ESCOTO C.V. (Translation by Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs) 
 
Miguel d,Escoto Brockmann, M.M. 
 
Was born in California in 1933.  A year later, June 1934 he 
came to Nicaragua, his parents' country, only four months 
after the assassination of the national hero Sandino. 
 
Later, in 1947 he went back to the United States, after 
graduating from high school and studied Civil Engineering. 
 
In 1953 entered the Maryknoll Missionary Congregation where 
in 1961 was became a priest in New York. 
 
From 1953 to 1955 studied Philosophy in Glen Ellen, Illinois. 
Later on, from 1957 to 1961 he studied Theology and Pedagogy 
in New York. Further on attended the Journalist School 
(Pulitzer Institute) at the Columbia University, New York, 
where in 1962 he obtained a Master in Sciences. 
 
In 1963, was send to Chile and funded the Instituto Nacional 
de Accion Poblacional e Investigaciones (INAP) where he 
worked full-time with "callampas;" the name given to the 
poorest neighbors Chile.  These "callampas" were located 
outside Santiago as well as other cities such Concepcion and 
Temuco, in the southern region of Chile. 
 
MANAGUA 00002008  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
In 1970 headed the Maryknoll Social Communication Department 
in New York where his greatest contribution was to found 
ORBIS a publication which is still considered one of the most 
important in the United States concerning Third World issues. 
 
After the Managua Earthquake in 1973 he created the Fundacion 
pro Desarrollo Comunitaria Integral, FUNDECI, in order to 
help the victims of the earthquake. 
 
Afterwards, and living in New York by that time, he became 
one of the founders of Grupo de los 12 (Group of 12), 
conformed by professionals and intellectuals which shared 
democratic and progressive  views in favor of the struggle of 
the FSLN, Sandinista National Liberation Front. 
 
In July 1979 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
staying in the post until 1990, period in which among many 
other important events he had an outstanding participation in 
the peace process of Contadora and Esquipulas. 
 
In February 2007 he was appointed Counselor to President 
Daniel Ortega Saavedra in the field of International 
Relations and bordering issues with the rank of Minister. 
 
Some Awards 
 
Carlos Fonseca Amador Order, highest recognition given by the 
FSLN. 
 
Julio Cortazar Prize for Peace and Democracy in Latin America 
and the Caribbean, given by the International Relations 
Institute of Argentina in June 1985. 
 
Lenin For Peace, International Prize given by the Soviet 
Union,  June 1987. 
 
Alfonso Comin por la Paz Prize in 1984 
 
Doctor Honoris Causa in Engineering, given by the Nicaraguan 
University of Engineers on November 25, 2005. 
 
Orden al Merito Centroamericano, given by the Central 
American Parliament in May 2006. 
 
Nora Astorga Distinction, given jointly by la Universidad 
Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua, UNAN-Managua and the National 
Students Union UNEN, on June 27, 2006 
 
Jose de Marcoleta Order, given by Nicaragua,s Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs on June 14, 2007. 
 
Cardinal Miguel Obando Bravo Order, highest award given by la 
Catholic University Redemptoris Mater (UNICA), on August 21, 
¶2007. 
 
END D'ESCOTO C.V. 
TRIVELLI