US embassy cable - 04GUATEMALA25

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000025 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AS NORIEGA AND WHA/PPC ALAIN NORMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2014 
TAGS: PREL, AMGT, GT 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY GUATEMALA'S 90-DAY PLAN: FIRST QUARTER 2004 
 
REF: 03 STATE 349946 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Hamilton for reason 1.5 (d). 
 
1. (C) Oscar Berger's assumption of power on January 14 opens 
the door to an improved bilateral relationship and increased 
GOG cooperation with us in a wide range of areas.  Embassy 
Guatemala's highest priority goals for the first quarter of 
2004 will be to establish a positive, solid working 
relationship with the new administration, negotiate the terms 
of an Article 98 agreement with the GOG and secure Guatemalan 
Congressional approval for an extension of the Mayan Jaguar 
counter-narcotics exercises. 
 
Building Bridges to the New Government 
-------------------------------------- 
2. (C) Embassy Guatemala's highest priority goal during these 
next 90 days will be to build on our positive relationship 
with President-elect Oscar Berger and his team of advisors 
and Cabinet members, to cement the relationship and ensure 
that the Berger government is responsive from the outset to 
USG interests.  The Ambassador and Country Team members 
briefed Berger and his most senior advisors on USG bilateral 
priorities in December, 2003, and will use introductory calls 
on new ministers to raise specific action requests on pending 
matters.  We have received assurances from Berger that he 
will continue the highly productive bilateral inter-agency 
working group meetings on counter-narcotics cooperation and 
trafficking in persons.  We will use the next 90 days to get 
to know the members of the new government at every level and 
to build on Berger's political will to address the pending 
matters in our bilateral relationship. 
 
Negotiating an Article 98 Agreement 
----------------------------------- 
3. (C) Attempts to get the Portillo government to negotiate 
an Article 98 Agreement were consistently and successfully 
thwarted by Portillo's senior foreign policy advisors, 
including Foreign Ministers Orellana and Gutierrez.  We have 
raised our interest in concluding an Article 98 Agreement 
with President-elect Berger and his advisors, and they have 
expressed an openness to the proposal.  In our early meetings 
with Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate Briz, we will 
request an expedited time-table for negotiating an Article 98 
Agreement.  Our goal for the first quarter of 2004 will be to 
reach agreement with the GOG on the text of an Article 98 
Agreement, with Congressional ratification to follow, 
possibly in the second quarter. 
 
Extending Mayan Jaguar 
---------------------- 
4. (C) In December, 2001 Guatemala's Congress ratified an 
agreement authorizing U.S. troops to enter Guatemala to 
participate in joint counter-narcotics exercises.  These 
exercises, called "Mayan Jaguar" in Guatemala ("Central 
Skies" in the U.S.), have been successful at disrupting 
cocaine trafficking patterns through Guatemala.  Host 
government authority to conduct these exercises expired in 
December, 2003, and the current Congress adjourned without 
approving an extension.  We have already advised 
President-elect Berger that securing a two-year extension of 
Mayan Jaguar will be one of our highest priorities with the 
new government and Congress.  Berger is a strong supporter of 
USG counter-drug efforts in Guatemala, and we will urge him 
to send Congress before February a draft legislative decree 
authorizing the extension.  We will lobby the major 
legislative blocks to secure prompt Congressional 
ratification. 
HAMILTON