VZCZCXRO5130
PP RUEHLMC RUEHROV
DE RUEHMU #1072/01 2332154
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 202154Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3054
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0370
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT PRIORITY 0015
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//J2/J3/J5// PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 001072 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WAH/CEN JUSTICE 
DEPT FOR DRL G. MAGGIO 
DEPT FOR INR/IAA - EMERSON 
DEPT FOR IO 
DEPT FOR USOAS 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2018 
TAGS: PREL PINR UNGA PREZ NU
SUBJECT: UNGA 63: NICARAGUAN FOREIGN MINISTRY - "MIGUEL 
D'ESCOTO HAS CHANGED" 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 1068 (NOTAL) 
     ¶B. MANAGUA 776 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: CDA Richard Sanders for reasons 1.4(b,d) 
 
CORRECTION OF MANAGUA 1068 ADDS INFO ADDRESSEES 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 6, EmbOff met with Ambassador Magda 
Enriquez Beitler, the Senior Advisor to Miguel D'Escoto 
Brockmann, President Elect for the 63rd General Assembly of 
the United Nations ("UNGA").  Enriquez sought to convey two 
clear messages:  first, she will be the focal point for 
relations between the United States and Nicaragua regarding 
UNGA bilateral issues; second, D'Escoto "is a changed man." 
Changed or not, D'Escoto is not likely to tone down his 
anti-U.S. rhetoric at UNGA when given the opportunity.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador Magda Enriquez Beitler, a dual United 
States - Nicaraguan citizen, is the main liaison between the 
United States Embassy and the Nicaragua Foreign Ministry's 
Office of International Organizations.  Educated at Temple 
University in Philadelphia and politically aligned with the 
Sandinista Party ("FSLN"), she was a Nicaraguan 
representative to the UN in the 1980s. With the return of the 
FSLN to power, Enriquez is currently the Director of 
Nicaragua,s Office of International Organizations with 
responsibilities in the following areas: UN Mission, 
Organization of American States, International Summits and 
Non-Aligned Nations Movement.  She will join D'Escoto in New 
York as his Senior Advisor, but will retain her position in 
Nicaragua, with her three deputies handling the portfolio. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Enriquez conveyed her strong desire to work with the 
United States in advance of the September UNGA session to 
address difficult issues "off the table, because it is better 
to solve problems before they happen."  The issues that she 
believes will consume the UNGA session include: Food Prices 
and Subsidies, Climate Change, Africa Aid, and UNGA reform. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding UNGA reform, Enriquez explained that UNGA 
President-Elect D'Escoto wants to "reform the UN General 
Assembly using outside experts that do not represent any 
particular national government."  These independent experts, 
such as scientists and economists, would participate in what 
D'Escoto calls an "interactive, thematic dialogue" to bring 
out the best ideas for reform.  D'Escoto, who is a Catholic 
Priest under Vatican sanction (ref B), wants to "bring the 
prophets" or independent experts from "the U.S., Nicaragua, 
Algeria" to bring "new vision and purpose" to the UNGA. 
 
¶5. (C) Enriquez believes that Miguel D'Escoto has "changed" - 
that he is not the same virulent critic of the United States, 
capitalism and globalization that he was during the 
Sandinista revolution.  Even though he is almost 75 years 
old, Enriquez observed that D'Escoto "is still a good 
student, and changes his mind" when presented with new 
information.  She explained that D'Escoto has been working on 
his UNGA opening address since his candidacy was announced, 
constantly revising and rewriting it. The speech sets the 
tone for the UNGA session and will be the platform for 
announcing the priorities and UNGA reforms D'Escoto seeks. 
She said that he has read several different versions of the 
speech to her on multiple occasions, and that D'Escoto has 
been open to her constructive criticisms. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: Post believes that Enriquez was placed in her 
new UNGA position to be a moderating influence on D'Escoto. 
As a dual U.S.-Nicaraguan citizen, however, she is not 
 
MANAGUA 00001072  002 OF 002 
 
 
completely trusted by small circle that surrounds President 
Ortega.  Other figures such as Presidential Advisor Paul 
Oquist, a former UN system official, are likely to also have 
input.  In her role as D'Escoto,s Senior Advisor and 
confidant, Amb. Enriquez would not explain what she meant 
regarding a "new vision or purpose" for the UNGA body.  When 
pressed for specific themes from his most recent draft of his 
opening address, she admitted that everything could change 
and that "he will not have a final version ready until just 
before he speaks."  We suspect that a mercurial D'Escoto at 
the UNGA bully pulpit, backed by an increasingly bellicose 
Ortega, is not likely to tone down his anti-U.S. rhetoric 
when given the opportunity. 
 
SANDERS