VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #1038/01 2421858
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 291858Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0021
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 001038 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC ES
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF MAURICIO REPORT HARASSMENT, FEAR 
VIOLENCE 
 
Classified By: The Ambassador, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Representatives of the Friends of Mauricio 
group supporting (left-wing) FMLN presidential candidate 
Mauricio Funes alleged to Pol and Econ Counselors August 27 
they were experiencing harassment and feared it would 
intensify as the March election approaches.  They claimed 
they could not rule out the possibility of violence against 
themselves or even the FMLN candidate.  They expressed hope 
that because both the FMLN and (center-right, pro-U.S.) ARENA 
were orienting their campaign message to the political 
center, the real winner of 2009 elections would be El 
Salvador, regardless of which candidate is victorious. 
Embassy is in listening mode, not yet having seen any 
confirmed incident of election-related violence.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Funes Economic Advisor Alex Segovia requested a 
meeting with Pol and Econ Counselors August 27 to meet with 
leadership of the Friends of Mauricio movement.  Segovia was 
accompanied by Gerardo Caceres, Director of Puntual, S.A., a 
debt collection agency that is working with Ex-Im Bank; 
Miguel Menendez, owner of a variety of businesses including 
coffee farms, car parts importation, and a private security 
firm; and, Col. (retired) David Munguia Payes, retired 
Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) Colonel believed to be in line 
as Defense Minister in a Funes government. 
 
¶3. (C) The group argued that they had expected elements of 
ARENA to be concerned by Funes' strong support and for the 
campaign to be dirty, but were concerned by the increasing 
threats they suffered.  They claimed their phones are tapped. 
 They also alleged they and their families are being followed 
by groups of armed men they believe to be associated with 
Salvadoran police forces.  When they call 911 for assistance, 
they say police officers answer the phone but take no action. 
 They report that several of their businesses have been 
subjected to serial inspections by a number of GOES agencies, 
including Social Security, the Health Ministry, Labor 
Ministry, and tax authorities.  They expressed fears that 
these groups might step up their pressure and even make an 
attempt on Funes' life.  The group said they planned to make 
these allegations public but wanted to alert us because of 
the U.S. close ties with El Salvador and our interest in free 
and fair elections.  Segovia said the group was also 
considering airing their concerns with the Inter-American 
Commission on Human Rights. 
 
¶4. (C) The three added that they had received what they 
believed to be credible information from a variety of sources 
that groups inside ARENA ) they were careful not to accuse 
the entire party ) were reactivating the death squads that 
existed during the Salvadoran Civil War. 
 
¶5. (C) All three men described their motivation for 
supporting Funes.  Munguia Payes said that in the ESAF he had 
fought against the FMLN for twelve years.  Payes said he 
viewed a potential Funes government as a "democratic 
transition," beginning the alternation of power that was 
inevitable in a democracy.  Menendez had suffered at the 
hands of the FMLN during the war, including the destruction 
of two entire coffee harvests.  He said all Salvadorans had 
paid the costs of the armed conflict, but the time had come 
to look forward, not back.  Caceres said a Funes win with 
strong support from elements outside the FMLN would empower 
Funes to govern without being beholden to hard-line forces in 
the party.  At the same time, if Funes loses with strong 
support outside the party, he would become the de facto 
leader of El Salvador's opposition.  A Funes loss with only 
the support of FMLN hard-liners, though, would perpetuate the 
polarization that has characterized El Salvador since the 
1992 peace accords.  In that case, the next FMLN candidate 
would be a hard-liner, representing a step backwards for the 
party and democracy, according to Caceres. 
 
¶6. (C) Munguia Payes gave us a copy of a letter apparently 
signed by ARENA candidate Rodrigo Avila addressed to current 
and retired members of the ESAF.  He said the letter falsely 
accuses the FMLN of hating the ESAF and planning to abolish 
it, and of showing disrespect to the survivors of those ESAF 
members killed during the Salvadoran Civil War.  Munguia 
Payes said these allegations are false and that ARENA and 
Avila know they are false. He commented that they are an 
attempt to undermine one of El Salvador's most respected 
post-war democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of 
having the ESAF prevent the FMLN from taking power if Funes 
wins the election.  He added that the ESAF is becoming 
increasingly disenchanted with the ruling government because 
of its failure to provide adequate uniforms, boots, gasoline 
and other supplies. 
 
¶7. (C) Despite these concerns, Munguia Payes expressed hope 
that the current campaign would not be excessively polarized. 
 He noted that Funes was seeking votes from the political 
center in the same way Avila was orienting ARENA more towards 
the center.  If these trends can survive the campaign, he 
said, the real winner will be El Salvador. 
 
¶8. (C) Election-related violence or harassment is a serious 
allegation, and we would want to respond to it if and when we 
are presented confirmed evidence that it is really taking 
place.  For now we are in listening mode, and recognize that 
the very polarization described by this group of visitors 
makes it hard to distill facts from charges and 
counter-charges.  Regardless of our views regarding Avila's 
or Funes' proposals and their effects on U.S. interests, we 
and other senior USG officials have expressed to all 
Salvadoran audiences the high value that we place on free, 
fair, and peaceful elections.  We will continue to do that. 
BLAU