US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA2388

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BELIZEAN DATT ON BORDER DISPUTE

Identifier: 03GUATEMALA2388
Wikileaks: View 03GUATEMALA2388 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Guatemala
Created: 2003-09-16 16:55:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PBTS PREL BH GT
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 002388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2013 
TAGS: PBTS, PREL, BH, GT 
SUBJECT: BELIZEAN DATT ON BORDER DISPUTE 
 
Classified By: Robert E. Copley for reason 1.5 (b). 
 
1.  (C) PolOff met with Lt. Col. Omar L. Pulido, Belizean 
Defense Attache in Guatemala, at his request, on September 9. 
 Pulido wanted our readout on whether the future of the 
confidence building measures had been affected by Guatemala's 
rejection of the OAS facilitator's proposals.  Pulido said 
President Portillo's message at the September 3 Summit, that 
the door to negotiations was "still open," was well received 
in Belize although several political factions are looking for 
ways to impose costs on Guatemala for rejecting the 
proposals.  PolOff informed Pulido that the Embassy had 
expressed keen disappointment to GOG officials and conveyed 
to him the assurances we have received regarding Guatemalan 
interest in maintaining and even expanding the confidence 
building measures. 
 
2. (C) Pulido indicated that he and Belizean Ambassador 
Martinez had made an effort to get to know the realities of 
the border region and had met with Padre Salvador Crutzal, 
the crusading priest whose comments on alleged Belizean 
Defense Force atrocities get frequent play in Guatemalan 
media.  Pulido indicated he was surprised and relieved to 
find Crutzal a pragmatic interlocutor seeking solutions for 
the daily problems of his parish.  The Belizean Embassy is 
working with Crutzal in hopes of developing a dialogue with 
Guatemalan peasants in the Adjacency Zone.  Note: FM 
Gutierrez told the Ambassador September 10 he had also met 
with Crutzal who said he may be leaving his parish.  End Note. 
 
3. (C) On a another positive note, Pulido said that for the 
first time ever, the Embassy of Belize in Guatemala was going 
to celebrate Belizean Independence on September 19.  Pulido 
hoped the event would be a low-key success that would serve 
to demonstrate continued progress in the Belizean-Guatemalan 
relationship. 
HAMILTON 

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