VZCZCXRO3979
RR RUEHLA
DE RUEHGT #0184 0571831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261831Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7026
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 5101
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 0029

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000184 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR USAID FOR LAC/CAM KSEIFERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM KJUS PHUM PGOV KCRM SOCI GT
SUBJECT: PROGRESS IN BRIDGING GAP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND 
CIVIL SOCIETY 
 
REF: GUATEMALA 99 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The Ambassador has been facilitating 
constructive dialogue between civil society and the Colom 
government, urging both sides to find common ground.  The 
most recent event was a meeting at the Residence between 
human rights leader Helen Mack and Minister of Government 
Gandara where both agreed to meet regularly.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Since his appointment in December 2008, Minister of 
Government Salvador Gandara has faced strong criticism from 
the Guatemalan human rights community.  Part of the friction 
stems from the fact that Gandara's predecessor, Francisco 
Jimenez, was the candidate of the human rights community. 
Jimenez, who is bright and honest, was nevertheless widely 
regarded as an ineffective leader and manager.  His 
replacement by the much more operationally inclined Gandara, 
and Jimenez's appointment as Secretary of the new National 
Security Council were good news to many who had seen the 
security situation deteriorate under Jimenez, but were 
worrisome to human rights groups.  Meanwhile, human rights 
leaders have continued to criticize Gandara's appointment, 
accusing him of being involved in social cleansing while 
Mayor of Villanueva and when he was Vice Minister of 
Government in the Arzu government, and of being close to 
persons, such as Luis Mendizabal, who have also been accused 
of social cleansing (reftel). 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador has used our credibility with human 
rights leaders and Gandara to persuade them to find common 
ground.  In January, he hosted a lunch roundtable with human 
rights leaders, and on February 20 he hosted a private 
meeting between Gandara and leading human rights activist 
Helen Mack.  Gandara and Mack discovered that they shared 
views on police reform, police training, and setting up a 
planning/chief of staff cell in the National Civilian Police 
(with Mack emphasizing the planning aspect, and Gandara 
focusing on the operational side).  They also shared views on 
ensuring that the Police Inspector General reports directly 
to the Chief of Police. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mack pressed Gandara pointblank on whether he had 
been involved in social cleansing and whether he was 
preparing to hire Luis Mendizabal.  Gandara denied both 
outright, and pledged that under his watch there would be "no 
Rambos" or social cleansing.  The Ambassador reiterated the 
importance of that commitment.  The meeting concluded with 
mutual commitments to stay in contact (they later agreed to 
meet February 26), and in particular for Mack to provide 
input to Gandara on proposed changes in the law governing 
police structure and policies.  In a subsequent meeting with 
an AID official, Mack expressed gratitude for the Embassy's 
role in brokering the meeting.  While Mack still has doubts 
about Gandara, she says the relationship with the Ministry of 
Government has increased substantially. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment:  This is a good example of how the Embassy 
can bridge differences between important sectors of society. 
While there will continue to be some tension between human 
rights groups and the government, the meeting between Mack 
and Gandara underscored the significant extent to which they 
-- and we -- agree on key objectives. 
McFarland