US embassy cable - 05PANAMA388

UNCLAS PANAMA 000388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN 
VANCOUVER FOR CG ARREAGA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PM, POLITICS & FOREIGN POLICY, POL & FOREIGN POL 
SUBJECT: PANAMA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED SEEKING SUPPORT FOR US 
VIEWS ON OAS SOCIAL CHARTER 
 
REF: STATE 28929 
 
1. (SBU) DCM demarched Vice Foreign Minister Ricardo Duran on 
February 18, stressing U.S. concern about Venezuela's 
aggressive bid to chair the working group that will draft the 
OAS social charter and action plan.  DCM underscored the U.S. 
commitment to work constructively with other countries to 
develop a realistic, non-polemical charter and action plan. 
DCM pointed out that Venezuela's ideologically driven bid to 
chair the working group runs the risk of undermining the OAS 
goal of drafting a charter and action plan that does not 
reflect mutually-shared principles among member states.  DCM 
outlined the list of solid choices to chair the working 
group, adding that it was critical to preserve the OAS 
principle of reaching consensus on a candidate.  DCM 
requested that Vice Foreign Minister Duran instruct Panama's 
delegation to seek an alternative to Venezuela as chair of 
this crucial OAS working group. 
 
2. (SBU) Duran said he would speak to the Foreign Minister to 
see how Panama could work constructively with the U.S. on 
this issue.  USOAS might want to follow up with Panamanian 
PermRep Royo. 
WATT