Cablegate: Costa Rica to Support, Not Cosponsor Prisoners Of

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0458 1502137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 292137Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9797
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0789

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000458

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND DRL/MLGA DWALTERS.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN PHUM PREL CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA TO SUPPORT, NOT COSPONSOR PRISONERS OF
CONSCIENCE DECLARATION

REF: A. STATE 40380

B. SAN JOSE 366
C. SAN JOSE 391

1. (U) On May 22, we delivered the Department's talking
points on WHA arguments against the Prisoners of Conscience
Declaration (provided by Joseph Rees, Acting DAS, IO Bureau,
via email) to the MFA's Chief of Staff Antonio Alarcon and to
working-level MFA personnel.

2. (SBU) On May 28, we followed up with the MFA's Deputy
Director of Foreign Policy, Alejandro Solano, who told us
that Costa Rica's main complaint was that the GOCR had not
been consulted during the formulation process of the
declaration. The MFA emphasized to us that writing such a
declaration, with the knowledge of Costa Rica's interest and
support of human rights without consultations during the
drafting of the declaration, showed a lack of respect to the
country. Therefore, he said, the GOCR would not sign on as a
co-sponsor since the declaration was delivered to them with a
"take it or leave it approach," with no opportunity to shape
the declaration's content.

3. (SBU) Solano added that Costa Rica, however, would vote in
favor of the declaration in the UN. Nevertheless, upon
receiving our points last week, he revisited the matter with
FM Bruno Stagno, and the GOCR's decision not to cosponsor,
due to being left out of the drafting process, was final.
CIANCHETTE

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