VZCZCXYZ0022
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #2255 3121709
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 081709Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8556
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2017 
TAGS: ES PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: FMLN SEEKS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH U.S., 
MAINTAIN MODERATE TONE TO APPEAL TO CENTRIST VOTERS 
 
REF: SAN SALVADOR 2015 
 
Classified By: The Ambassador, for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Moderate FMLN Deputy Hugo Martinez told us 
November 1 that FMLN leadership had decided improving 
relations with the U.S. was important and that he had been 
tapped to coordinate U.S.-FMLN relations.  He commented on 
the difficulties presented by the FMLN's presidential ticket, 
but asserted FMLN leadership had taken and would take steps 
to keep the party on message to avoid undermining its 
moderate message.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) FMLN Deputy Hugo Martinez told PolCouns November 1 the 
leadership of the FMLN had decided maintaining and improving 
relations with the U.S. was important for the party and the 
leadership had asked him to be in charge of U.S. relations. 
He said relations with the Salvadoran diaspora in the U.S. 
would be handled by others in the FMLN.  Martinez told us 
separately on October 29 that the FMLN would be taking steps 
to prove their desire for strong relations with the U.S. 
 
¶3. (C) Martinez said the upcoming municipal, legislative, and 
(especially) presidential campaigns would be difficult, with 
ARENA working to remind voters of the FMLN's rhetoric and 
public positions since the end of the civil war.  He said the 
FMLN's choice of Mauricio Funes as head of the party's 
presidential ticket was a difficult decision.  Funes, he 
said, has long sympathized with the FMLN, but has not been 
involved in party politics during his career as a journalist. 
 Martinez said the choice of Funes was made deliberately in 
order to attract votes from the center, not to cater to the 
party's base.  Funes' running mate, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, 
current head of delegation in the National Assembly, was 
selected in order to placate the FMLN's core supporters. 
While the combination might seem illogical at first glance, 
Martinez said the ticket was constructed in order to maximize 
its attractiveness at the center of the political spectrum. 
 
¶4. (C) PolCouns noted the difficulties the FMLN ticket would 
face despite Funes' name recognition and appeal to the 
center, largely because of Funes' running mate, Sanchez 
Ceren.  Martinez agreed that gaining the confidence of 
centrist voters would be difficult.  Asked if he expected the 
FMLN would be able to maintain discipline during the campaign 
and keep candidates and party activists on message and avoid 
undermining Funes' attractiveness, Martinez noted that the 
party has already effectively silenced one internal critic, 
Salvador Arias, who was openly criticizing the composition of 
the ticket.  FMLN leadership moved quickly to remove one of 
Arias' political allies from a position as a departmental 
head for the FMLN and effectively ended his public dissent. 
 
¶5. (C) Martinez said he was surprised to hear FMLN General 
Coordinator tell us during lunch October 4 (Reftel) that the 
FMLN would "absolutely" support the continued operation of 
the Forward Operating Location at Comalapa.  He said this was 
evidence of what he called slow, steady steps towards change 
within the FMLN, aimed at modernizing both the party and its 
positions. 
 
¶6. (C) Bio note: Martinez, 39, is a moderate within the FMLN. 
 He hails from La Union, but has lived in San Salvador since 
childhood. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: Despite the FMLN's best efforts, Salvadoran 
voters will not easily ignore Sanchez Ceren as Funes' running 
mate or forget the FMLN's long history of radical rhetoric. 
ARENA will do everything in its power to ensure Funes is 
linked in voters' minds with the FMLN's most extreme 
positions and personalities.  Even so, we will continue to 
encourage moderate voices and, more importantly, actions out 
of the FMLN during this looming campaign season, giving the 
party the opportunity to put its money where its mouth is on 
issues of importance to the USG, such as negotiating the 
renewal of U.S. access to the Forward Operating Location at 
Comalapa.  End Comment. 
Glazer

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