US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA623

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000623 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
GENEVA FOR JEFF DELAURENTIS 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, GT, UNHRC 
SUBJECT: NEW GUATEMALAN AMBASSADORS TO GENEVA, TOKYO, AND 
OAS 
 
REF: GENEVA 720 
 
1. (SBU) An excellent MFA source confirmed that Ricardo 
Alvarado was sworn in at noon on March 4 as Guatemalan 
Ambassador to Geneva.  Ambassador to the OAS, Arturo Duarte, 
will move to Tokyo and will probably be replaced by Victor 
Godoy.  Bio information below.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Ricardo ALVARADO Ortigoza is a lawyer specializing 
in constitutional law and human rights.  He also holds a 
masters degree in public administration from San Carlos 
University.  He is a member of the ruling FRG party and 
became Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights 
Commission (COPREDEH in Spanish) when the Portillo 
Administration came to power in January 2000.  Alvarado 
resigned in the wake of the Vice President's dismissal of 
COPREDEH President Victor Godoy (see para 4) in May, 2001. 
Alvarado has been in the press recently for his role 
representing the government of Guatemala before the 
Inter-American Court for Human Rights in its hearing of the 
Myrna Mack case.  The GOG committed a major tactical error at 
the hearing, withdrawing its defense inexplicably at the 
outset of the hearing. 
 
3. (SBU) Arturo DUARTE Ortiz is a highly successful career 
diplomat.  He won a Fullbright and holds a master's degree in 
Anthropology from State University of New York as well as a 
graduate certificate in Latin American Studies.  Duarte also 
holds a graduate certificate in International Relations from 
the University of Brazilia.  Duarte's diplomatic career 
includes high-profile postings such as Counselor to the 
Guatemalan Embassy in Washington, Alternate Representative to 
the OAS, Director General for Multilateral Affairs and 
Permanent Representative to the OAS.  As Director General for 
Multilateral Affairs, Duarte was a reliable Embassy contact, 
capable of speaking with authority on a wide range of policy 
issues.  Duarte is an accomplished vocalist and expert on 
religious music from Guatemala's colonial period. 
 
4. (SBU) Victor Hugo GODOY Morales is a friend of President 
Portillo and a career politician with leftist roots.  He 
served as a member of Congress from 1985 - 1990 with the 
now-defunct Revolutionary Party.  He holds a degree in 
Sociology from San Carlos University.  From January 2000 to 
May 2001, Godoy headed the Presidential Human Rights 
Commission.  He was dismissed after being accused of leaking 
Guatemala's position on the 2001 Cuba Resolution at the UN 
Human Rights Commission.  Godoy denied the accusation and was 
appointed by Portillo to several Presidential advisory 
positions before being named Minister of Labor in February 
2002.  Godoy continued reform of the Inspectorate at Labor, 
began new worker training initiatives, encouraged social 
dialogue between labor and business leaders (so much so that 
some believe he lost his job for this reason), and 
(half-heartedly) pursued legislative changes to the labor 
procedural code dealing with labor rights violations.  Labor 
leaders believe Godoy was replaced for refusing to take a 
hard line against striking teachers. Godoy does not speak 
English well. 
 
5 (SBU) Comment: Our MFA source commented that despite 
Alvarado's background in Human Rights, convention wisdom 
within the Ministry holds that he will be far less 
independent than was his predecessor in Geneva.  Asked how 
she thought Alvarado might address the lack of fundamental 
Human Rights protections for four Guatemalans tried and 
sentenced in 2002 in Cuba, our source stated that no one in 
the Foreign Ministry knew what Alvarado's appointment would 
mean for the Cuba vote but added that she felt relations with 
Cuba will deepen with the arrival of the Cuban Foreign 
Minister.  She also speculated that the decision would be 
made by President Portillo alone with little or no input from 
the Ministry and that Alvarado would probably carry out 
Portillo's instructions precisely. 
HAMILTON