http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/08/06GEORGETOWN860.

html 06GEORGETOWN860, GUYANA ELECTION STATUS REPORT: AUGUST 30 AT 15:00 Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN860 VZCZCXYZ0008 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0860 2422046 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 302046Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4005 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1007 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0387 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0157 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2185 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0094 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000860 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA FOR DAS DUDDY WHA/CAR WHA/OAS DS/IP/WHA SOUTHCOM ALSO POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION STATUS REPORT: AUGUST 30 AT 15:00 HOURS REF: A. GEORGETOWN 855 B. GEORGETOWN 854 C. GEORGETOWN 850 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(d) 1. (C) SUMMARY: Georgetown continues to remain quiet two days after the August 28 national and regional elections, but things may change as the official results are announced. Although both international and local observers agree that the vote went technically well, conflicting reports concerning election results are likely to cause problems. There are indications suggesting that the PNC is making Created 2006-08-30 20:46 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

preparations to mobilize its members and begin protests in the near future. In response, the donors and OAS are trying to arrange a meeting leader Robert Corbin to address security fears party to remain peaceful. DONORS AND OAS SUPPORT GECOM RESULTS

street international with PNC and urge the

2. (C) Donor nations and four observer missions agree that GECOM's handling of the elections was technically a success. Reports from both international and national observers show that proper procedures were followed at polling places and that the election process proceeded with only a few, minor glitches. These reports are in line with OAS A/SYG Ramdin's August 29 statement indicating that the election took place in a calm, professional, and orderly manner. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW PPP WIN AND RETAIN MAJORITY 3. (C) Both GECOM's preliminary and official count and the local Election Assistance Bureau's (EAB) unofficial tabulations show that the PPP party will win the election and retain its majority control over the Parliament. With six out of the 10 regions reporting, EAB results show the PPP winning 51%, the PNC winning 33% and the AFC finishing a distant third at 8%. Having approximately 75% of the polling places accounted for, GECOM results show the PPP at 54%, PNC at 34%, and the AFC at 8%. The result of the OAS quick count after the polls closed showed similar findings. Analysis of the results also suggests that Guyana continues to vote almost entirely based upon racial lines. Predominantly Indo-Guyanese areas voted overwhelmingly PPP, while Afro-Guyanese areas voted overwhelmingly for the PNC. WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP 4. (C) As the nation awaits the final results all remains peaceful in Guyana. There are signs, however, that the calm may not last. While preliminary vote counts show that the PPP has won the election and will likely retain its majority control over the Parliament, the PNC leader Corbin yesterday announced to its members that the PNC will be victorious, thus creating the framework for dissention when the official GECOM results show otherwise. The PNC may use a leaked AFC exit poll to claim victory. The AFC poll shows AFC 21%, PPP 33% and PNC 36% and is not believed to be credible by any who have seen it. AFC leaders have not explained the methodology under which the poll was conducted. Both the OAS and donors will attempt to contact AFC leaders to discuss the exit poll and explain to them why it is not valid. We have received information suggesting that the PNC has begun mobilizing its members, possibly in order to organize street protests.

DONORS TRYING TO MEET WITH CORBIN 5. (C) PNC leader Corbin is deliberately avoiding donor/OAS requests to meet. A high-level PNC official says that he has been in back-to-back meetings with party activists and is also drafting a speech for tonight. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/08/06GEORGETOWN862.html 06GEORGETOWN862, SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION STATUS REPORT: AUGUST 31 Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN862 VZCZCXYZ0015 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0862/01 2432015 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 312015Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4007 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1008 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0388 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0158 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2186 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0095 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000862 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA - DAS DUDDY WHA/CAR WHA/OAS DS/IP/WHA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION STATUS REPORT: AUGUST 31 AT 17:00 HOURS REF: A. GEORGETOWN 860 B. GEORGETOWN 855 C. GEORGETOWN 854 D. GEORGETOWN 850 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(d) 1. (C) SUMMARY: GECOM is expected to officially announce final results at 6:00 p.m. showing that the ruling PPP/C has won the election and will retain its majority in the National Parliament. Due to persistent rumors yesterday of impending street protests by PNCR supporters, the PNCR released a press Created 2006-08-31 20:15 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

statement denying the reports and PNCR leader Robert Corbin later addressed the nation and reiterated the party's commitment to maintaining an environment of peace. Ambassador and select counterparts met privately with Corbin in order to discuss the elections and address security issues - although Corbin said all of the right things, the validity of his assertions are called into question due to both his and the PNCR's past history. As of today, Georgetown remains calm and peaceful. End Summary. --------------------------------------------- ---------STILL UNOFFICIAL: PPP WINS ELECTION AND RETAINS MAJORITY --------------------------------------------- ---------2. (C) Although GECOM has yet to make the results of the August 28 national and regional elections official, it is clear that the PPP/C has won the election and has retained it majority in the Parliament. With 96% of the vote verified, the PPP/C stands at 55%, the PNCR at 33%, and the AFC at 8%. Based upon current vote totals, the distribution of seats in Parliament will be: PPP/C - 38; PNCR - 23; AFC - 3; and GAP-ROAR - 1. Due to Guyana's peculiar distribution system, there may be slight variance to these numbers once final results are announced. GECOM had initially planned to have the official results announced by August 30, but they have been slow to verify the final votes - they plan to make the election results official at 6:00 pm. today. -------------------------------------------PNC DENIES RUMORS OF PROTEST: CALLS FOR CALM -------------------------------------------3. (C) Persistent rumors began spreading yesterday that the PNCR supporters were mobilizing and planning protest marches on Georgetown and that a PNCR group in Buxton had plans to set fires and use explosives as well. In response to these rumors, the PNCR issued a press release denying any involvement in such activity and condemning "these cheap attempts at fermentation and cheap politicking." To further underscore their position, Corbin addressed the nation concerning the elections and the reports of impending protests. Corbin's address, in pertinent part, stated that: (1) the party is monitoring the results from GECOM to ensure they are consistent with the information provided by Party agents; (2) the PNCR is firmly committed to peace and justice for all citizens and therefore has no interest in creating or encouraging conditions of instability; and (3) there is a hardened perception among the Guyanese Community that they cannot survive another 5 years of PPP/C rule and that the country faces imminent peril. ---------------------------CORBIN SAYS PNCR WILL BEHAVE ----------------------------

4. (C) Ambassador, British High Commissioner, EU Ambassador, and OAS Albert Ramdin met privately with Corbin and PNCR Deputy Winston Murray Tuesday night to discuss the elections and address security issues. Corbin stated that the PNCR's tally of votes generally agreed with that reported by GECOM. In regard to potential protests or violence, Corbin stated that the PNCR wished to avoid trouble because "violence will put a nail in our coffin." Corbin further reasoned that the PNCR members could not live under 5 years under President Jagdeo's rule, but that any real changes in government must come through economic means, not political. Although Corbin said all the right things in the meeting, there is reason to question the sincerity of his comments. Both the PNCR and Corbin have a long history of using force in order to make a statement. The PNCR protests following the 2001 elections, along with the history of rape and thuggish action by Corbin, are sufficient evidence to demonstrate that problems may still occur. ------COMMENT ------5. (C) The three days of calm that Guyana has enjoyed since election day may have made this Guyana's most peaceful election in two decades. This at least is one positive sign that the political system is finally beginning to mature. The overwhelming PPP/C victory is not good news for Guyana, neither is the fact that voters appear to have split sharply on racial lines - even more so than in past elections. The next task for international donors is to figure out how to advance an agenda for meaningful reform of Guyana's broken and dangerous political system after the electorate's apparent vote to maintain the status quo. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN869.html 06GEORGETOWN869, SUBJECT: THE RESULTS ARE IN: PPP/C IN A LANDSLIDE Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN869 Created 2006-09-01 19:49 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3215 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0869 2441949 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 011949Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4015 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1010 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0390 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0160 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2188 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0097 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000869 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA-DAS DUDDY WHA/CAR WHA/OAS DS/IP/WHA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: SUBJECT: THE RESULTS ARE IN: PPP/C IN A LANDSLIDE REF: A. GEORGETOWN 862 B. GEORGETOWN 860 C. GEORGETOWN 855 D. GEORGETOWN 854 E. GEORGETOWN 850 1. (U) The Guyana Elections Commission announced the official results of the August 28 national and regional elections yesterday evening - the result: the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in a landslide. With 338,839 total votes cast, the ruling PPP/C received 183,887 (54.6%) votes, the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) 114,283 (34%), the Alliance for Change (AFC) 28,336 (8.4%), the Guyana Action Party- Rise Organize and Rebuild (GAP-ROAR) 4,249 (1%), and The United Force (TUF) 2,694 (.8%). Under the Largest

Remaining Hare (LRH) formula for determining the distribution of seats in Parliament, the PPP will receive 36 seats, PNC 22 seats, AFC 5 seats, GAP-ROAR 1 seat, and TUF 1 seat. Although the PPP garnered a higher percentage of the vote this election (54.7%) versus the 2001 election, the actual number of votes received by the party fell by more than 25,000 (209,031 v. 183,887). Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN915.html 06GEORGETOWN915, SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION: FREE, FAIR AND Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN915 VZCZCXYZ0010 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0915/01 2562020 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 132020Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4063 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1011 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0395 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0161 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2189 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0099 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000915 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA - DAS DUDDY WHA/CAR WHA/OAS DS/IP/WHA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION: FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT? REF: A. GEORGETOWN 860 B. GEORGETOWN 855 C. GEORGETOWN 854 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(B) 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Guyana's 2006 national and regional elections: free, somewhat fair, but not transparent. International observers agree that: (1) the elections were technically a success; (2) proper procedures were followed at polling places in the subsequent vote count. However, there Created 2006-09-13 20:20 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

are long-standing problems with the fairness and transparency of Guyana's electoral process, including the People's Progressive Party's (PPP/C) use of government resources -including state run media and tax authorities - to support its campaign. Likewise, the total exclusion of the public from the regulatory decision-making processes regarding the conduct of the election and an electoral system in which the public do not know which individuals they are choosing to represent them in Parliament result in a poor grade for transparency. END SUMMARY. ----------------------VOTING PROCESS WAS FREE ----------------------2. (SBU) By final count, more than 336,000 Guyanese cast votes at approximately 2000 polling places in the August 28 national and regional elections. Aside from a few minor glitches - mostly issues regarding voter identification and/or location of correct polling place - national and international election observers agreed that Guyana's 2006 elections were a success. With more than 120 international observers (OAS, Commonwealth, CARICOM, Carter Center) and approximately 1200 local Election Assistance Bureau (EAB) observers well as polling agents from at least two parties at nearly every polling station, the integrity of the voting process was watched with great detail. Shortly after the polls closed, the accolades began flowing in: -- OAS A/SYG Albert Ramdin released a statement on August 29 declaring that "reports from OAS observers throughout the day indicated that the General and Regional Elections took place in a calm, professional and orderly manner." -- In a follow up press release, the OAS declared that the elections were "exemplary" and that they will long be remembered for their historical value and for setting an inspirational basis for changes to come. -- The Carter Center issued a press release on August 31 commending the people of Guyana, the political parties and GECOM for "what so far has been the most peaceful and orderly electoral process in recent history." -- The Commonwealth Observer Group endorsed the voting process, proclaiming that there was no interference or manipulation during the process and that conditions existed at the elections for "a free expression of will of the electors and the results reflected their wishes." -- The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana issued a statement praising the election process and thanking GECOM for "conducting elections in a peaceful and transparent manner.

-- US Embassy staff, serving as volunteer election observers in most parts of the country, reported that voting procedures were followed and that no major problems occurred at the polling places. --------------------------------------------- ----PPP'S USE OF GOVERNMENT RESOURCES IMPEDES FAIRNESS --------------------------------------------- ----3. (SBU) The fairness of the electoral process was hindered by the PPP/C's use of government resources to tilt the playing field. As the ruling party, they had an unfair advantage in regard to both the quantity and quality of media exposure during the elections. Radio is the only form of electronic media that reaches most parts of Guyana's interior. The only licensed radio station in Guyana is controlled by the PPP/C led government, which used this monopoly control to its advantage. The government also controls a network of television stations that covers most of the coast. The PPP/C used this media advantage to, among other things, air pro-party documentaries for months, including the night before the election, and to constantly bombard cricket match viewers with pictures of President Jagdeo during the contest. In another example of misuse of government resources, the PPP/C-run media tripled the cost for political advertisements during the month before the election, while keeping constant the rates for commercial ads, effectively denying access to less well-funded parties. In private meetings with election observers, Jagdeo and his senior ministers admitted that their "Cabinet Outreach" program was purely a state-funded campaign activity. The PPP/C's misuse of government resources went as far as political-related tax audits - the leaders of both the Alliance for Change (AFC) and Guyana Action Party-Rise Organize and Rebuild Guyana (GAP-ROAR)reported that they were queried or audited by the Guyana Revenue Authority in the run-up to the election. -----------------------------LACK OF TRANSPARENCY A CONCERN -----------------------------4. (SBU) Although Guyana's national and regional elections were an overall success, issues concerning lack of transparency in the process did arise. First, most of GECOM's decisions regarding the election were discussed and decided in closed meetings. This lack of transparency left voters guessing as to how, exactly, the decisions were made and who, ultimately, was responsible for making them. The constitutional selection process for Parliament members is opaque. After learning how many seats their party has won, the party leaders than pick and choose names from the

electoral list to represent their party in Parliament. The selection mechanism is closed to all other than the inner-circle of party faithful. The two major parties presented electoral lists with far more names than the total number of seats in Parliament. Thus, even if the PPP/C or PNC/R-1G had won 100% of the vote and all 65 seats in Parliament, the electorate still would not know which individuals would end up representing them in Parliament. Lastly, the number of Parliament seats awarded to each contesting party is calculated through a confusing constitutional formula that left most observers (as well as candidates) dumbfounded as to whether the resulting distribution was correct. The Chief Electoral Officer apparently did not get it correct when explaining the system to the national media, and none of the candidates or senior party leaders EmbOffs spoke with were able to come to agreement on how seats are supposed to be distributed. From a transparency standpoint, Guyana's voting laws need to be re-written so that even the public can understand them. -------COMMENT -------5. (C) As former President Carter has remarked, Guyana does not need help counting ballots. This election was as free as the last three elections since 1992. The problems with fairness and transparency are also largely the same as those in the 1992, 1997, and 2001 elections. The peaceful and orderly electoral process at least is one positive sign that the political system is beginning to mature. The violence and constitutional crisis brought on by the last few elections has, at least temporarily, been replaced by a functioning electoral process and a smooth transition into the next five years. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN925.html 06GEORGETOWN925, PARTY POLITICS, PERSONAL LOYALTY KEY IN CABINET Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN925 VZCZCXYZ1314 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0925/01 2581413 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 151413Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4075 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2192 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0164 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0398 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0103 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000925 SIPDIS SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: PARTY POLITICS, PERSONAL LOYALTY KEY IN CABINET RESHUFFLE Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(d) 1. (C) SUMMARY: President Jagdeo's new cabinet, sworn in September 9, showcases a cadre of up-and-coming, Moscow-educated party leaders with close personal ties to the President. While this cabinet also confirms the ascendancy of the more venal Janet Jagan faction of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) over the late Cheddi Jagan's idealist following, many of the appointees owe their loyalty directly to Jagdeo, rather than to Mrs. Jagan. Party outsiders and technocrats are few, and while Jagdeo did trim some deadwood, several aging and incompetent ministers linger. -----------------------------------PARTY FAITHFUL REWARDED AND RECYCLED -----------------------------------Created 2006-09-15 14:13 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

2.

(C) Seven ministers retained their posts:

--Prime Minister Samuel Hinds is the former head of the now-defunct CIVIC movement, which merged with the PPP in 1992 as Hinds first became Prime Minister on Cheddi Jagan's ticket. He is a weak figurehead, tapped primarily for his Afro-Guyanese ethnicity and his docility. According to Hinds' family and staff, he is looking to get out and would like to be High Commissioner to Canada. --Dr. Roger Luncheon, a pivotal member of the PPP's politburo-style Executive Committee, will stay on as Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Secretary to the Cabinet, and Secretary to the Defense Board. He serves as Jagdeo's SIPDIS gatekeeper, strategist, and primary military/security coordinator. --Dr. Rudy Insanally was reappointed Minister of Foreign Affairs as one of four technocrat ministers. Despite his advanced age and increasing ill health, he will also continue to juggle his two other jobs as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN)-a position he has held since 1985-and non-voting member of the National Assembly. Insanally has a long diplomatic career behind him and a good reputation in UN circles. --Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, an accomplished U.S.-educated biochemist, will continue as Minister of Health. Ramsammy told EmbOffs that he would also take over the duties of former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Reepu Persaud, considerably enlarging his profile. Ramsammy reputedly raised a significant share of the PPP's 2006 campaign war chest. His wife and children live in the U.S. and Ramsammy himself is a U.S. citizen. --Dr. Jennifer Westford will retain her post as Minister of Public Service. Webster studied medicine in Cuba, and holds degrees in International Relations from the University of Guyana and the University of Canterbury. --Doodnauth Singh will stay on as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, defying rumors that he was on the way out due to old age and loss of favor. National Assembly Speaker Ralph Ramkarran and Chief Justice Carl Singh told EmbOffs that Doodnauth was retained because there was nobody else to appoint. He is a successful criminal attorney and the former Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Doodnauth is a technocrat and does not enjoy a close relationship with Jagdeo or the PPP. --Carolyn Rodrigues was renewed as Minister of Amerindian Affairs. She has a reputation for efficiency, and was

instrumental in pushing through the 2006 reforms to the Amerindian Act over the objections of several Amerindian groups. The PPP campaigned hard for the growing Amerindian vote in the 2006 election, suggesting that Rodrigues' profile may rise. 3. (C) Five cabinet members were assigned new ministries:

--Manzoor Nadir, leader of the minor party The United Force (TUF) took over as Minister of Labour. As Minister of Tourism, Commerce, and Industry, the impoverished Nadir mysteriously became well off. He is Jagdeo's only cross-party appointee. --Clement Rohee, previously Minister of Foreign Trade, was moved to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Rohee is a PPP Executive Committee member, and stays in the cabinet because of his loyalty to Janet Jagan, who reportedly fought hard with Jagdeo for his inclusion. Rohee is known for unwillingness to delegate or accept advice, and has been skewered in the local media for his mishandling of the foreign affairs portfolio (Previous EmbOffs have shared this opinion-see 94 Georgetown 03220 for a particularly vivid description of Rohee's incompetence). While his appointment to Home Affairs was surprising, party stalwarts have traditionally occupied this post, and Jagdeo may be trying to keep the Ministry-which oversees the Guyana Police Force and domestic intelligence activities-under close watch. --Harry Narine Nawbatt, the former Minister of Transport, became Minister of Housing and Water. He is a longtime teacher and civil servant. --Dr. Henry Jeffrey, formerly Minister of Education, was named Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation. Jeffrey, who came in via CIVIC, holds several U.K. academic degrees, including a doctorate in management philosophy. He served as a researcher and director of the Kuru-Kuru Cooperative College under Burnham's People's National Congress (PNC) administration, but was fired for writing a book that criticized PNC policies. A minister since 1992, Jeffrey has not proven terribly effective in any of his assignments. --Shaik Baksh, the former Minister of Housing and Water, is now Minister of Education. He has sat for the PPP in the National Assembly since 1992. Rumors of corruption associated with the allocation of house lots during his tenure as Minister of Housing circulate widely, including among PPP insiders. 4. (C) The remaining ten ministries were doled out primarily to PPP insiders and Jagdeo's confidantes:

--Dr. Ashni Singh, former Director of the Budget Office, was tapped as the new Minister of Finance. Singh was awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to study in the U.K., and holds a Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance. He is widely regarded as competent. However, Jagdeo-a former Finance Minister himself-has previously run financial policy directly out of his own office, and may not allow Singh much autonomy. --Robeson Benn, head of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), was named Minister of Transport and Hydraulics. Benn is a geologist by trade, educated in Germany and Canada. He is a capable administrator with rumored Prime Ministerial ambitions-his appointment to the Transport Ministry puts him in direct, daily contact with Hinds. --Robert Persaud was appointed Minister of Agriculture, taking up the post previously held by the assassinated Satyadeow Sawh. Persaud will also assume responsibility for Fisheries, Crops, and Livestock, formerly a separate portfolio, thus increasing his clout. As the President's Information Liaison and the Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA), Persaud ran the PPP propaganda machine. He is a PPP Executive Committee member and whispers have him tagged as a possible 2011 presidential candidate. He is seen as the President's personal "spin doctor," and took over the editorship of the PPP party newspaper, The Mirror, from Janet Jagan. He is reportedly Jagdeo's newphew-in-law. --Priya Manickchand, an attorney and legal consultant to Jagdeo, was named Minister of Human Services and Social Security, taking over from a discredited Bibi Shadick. Her portfolio is expected to include Trafficking in Persons issues. Manickchand has worked for the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic, a USAID-funded initiative. There are quiet rumors that she is romantically involved with Jagdeo. --Manniram Prashad, a businessman and former presidential advisor on investment matters, will be Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce. Prashad owned a struggling travel and eco-tourism agency and has served as President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC). He advocates foreign direct investment, though as Investment Advisor to the President he was widely suspected of benefiting personally from government contracts and foreign investment concessions. --Dr. Frank Anthony, a PPP fixture and advisor to the president since 1992,was named Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport. With the Cricket World Cup coming up, this will e a crucial portfolio. Anthony, educated in Jeruslem and

Moscow, serves as first secretary of thePPP's youth arm, the Progressive Youth Organizaton (PYO), and is rumored to be a possible 2011 presidential candidate. As Executive Director of the Health Sector Development Unit in the Ministry of Health, he has worked cooperatively with U.S. Embassy and PEPFAR staff on several occasions. Anthony also serves as deputy chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), charged with monitoring and reducing ethnic tensions between Guyana's major racial groups. --Moscow-educated Kellawan Lall, a member of the PPP Executive Committee and political advisor to the President, will serve as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. Lall reportedly began his political career as a yard boy in the PPP's Berbice office, and was brought up the party ladder by Janet Jagan. 5. (C) Jagdeo named three appointees as Minsters within a Ministry, i.e. Junior Ministers: --Jennifer Webster, former permanent secretary in the Office of the President, was named Minister within the Ministry of Finance. She studied economics in Canada and is a professional accountant. --Dr. Bheri Ramsaran will be Minister in the Ministry of Health. Ramsaran, a Russian- educated medical doctor, is a former member of the PPP Executive Committee. He was previously Director of Regional Health, and incoming Minister of Health Ramsammy told EmbOffs that Ramsaran would continue to oversee delivery of health services to outlying areas, while also managing Cuban-Guyanese cooperation in health matters. While Ramsammy is not known for sharing the limelight, he appears to trust Ramsaran. --Dr. Desrey Fox, a museum curator and U.S.-educated linguist, will be Minister in the Ministry of Education. She is thought to be a possible candidate for Prime Minister. -------------------------------TWO FROM OLD GUARD MISS THE CUT -------------------------------6. (C) Two notable absences:

--Moses Nagamootoo, the former Information Minister and PPP stalwart, was not named to the cabinet. He had an acrimonious falling out with the party over its involvement with phantom death squads in 2004, and Jagdeo asked him back into the fold only a few months before elections. Nagamootoo told EmbOffs that he had requested Home Affairs or Foreign Affairs, and that Jagdeo had offered him an advisory position or a foreign posting instead. He declined the overseas assignment and has not decided whether to take an advisory

position. --Gail Teixeira, former Minister of Home Affairs and in the cabinet since 1992, did not retain a ministerial position. She had told several members of the international community before the elections that she did not want a cabinet position and had her eye on High Commissioner to Canada. Jagdeo said that Teixeira, a PPP Executive Committee member, would continue to work in the Office of the President and would chair a committee on governance issues. -------COMMENT -------7. (SBU) Outraged letters to the editor bemoaned Jagdeo's failure to reach out across party lines, but it was unrealistic to expect him to bestow any ministerial positions on his People's National Congress (PNC) archrivals after winning in a landslide. The grumblers never acknowledge that Jagdeo's cabinet-which roughly mirrors Guyana's diverse ethnic makeup-is 30% Afro-Guyanese. Although Jagdeo has committed to a vague "enhanced framework for inter-party cooperation," he has never answered PNC leader Robert Corbin's call for "shared and inclusive" governance. With an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the PPP has no reason to share its victory spoils. 8. (SBU) Guyana's political future will depend on whether Jagdeo demands honesty and real governance reforms from his ministers-or just political fidelity. As the U.S. and the international community push for post-election change, Jagdeo and the PPP government will have little incentive to overhaul the system they so effectively control. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN932.html 06GEORGETOWN932, SIGNIFICANT ELECTORAL REFORM DOUBTFUL Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN932 VZCZCXYZ0006 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0932 2582024 ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY AD247927 MSI3394-695) R 152024Z SEP 06 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4085 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1014 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0402 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0168 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2196 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 4306 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0107 RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000932 SIPDIS SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D WHA - DAS DUDDY WHA/CAR WHA/OAS DS/IP/WHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT ELECTORAL REFORM DOUBTFUL REF: GEORGETOWN 915 Classified By: Ambassador David M. Robinson 1. (SBU) Summary: Broad national and international consensus says Guyana's August 28 elections were a qualified success. The vote itself was free, fair and transparent; even the losing opposition candidates conceded defeat before the last ballot was counted. But smooth voting and the uncharacterisitc peace that followed are unlikely to blunt calls for fundamental electoral reform. Electoral politics here is neither fair nor transparent. Whether the newly returned government will listen remains to be seen, but early C O P Y (Added EC Caricom Collective) Created 2006-09-15 20:24 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

indications are not encouraging.

End summary.

2. (U) Election day and the subsequent vote count went smoothly and produced a clear majority for the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and its standard bearer, President Bharrat Jagdeo. Turnout at around 68 percent was low by Guyanese standards but the list of eligible voters itself was flawed and did not take into account massive foreign emigration and internal dislocation. National and international observers found few glitches at polling stations, and none that swayed the outcome. Even opposition leaders conceded defeat before the elections commission finished its count. The atmosphere remained--and remains--calm, an historical first for the usually turbulent Guyana. 3. (SBU) But electoral politics here is neither fair nor transparent and calls for reform qualify the recent success. The government's PPP/C hierarchy controls the media and public purse strings, and uses both to squeeze the opposition and boost its own candidates. Even with a level field, however, voters don't know the candidates they are choosing: members of parliament are picked behind closed doors from party lists after the ballots are counted. There is no accountable link between members and their constituencies; the majority party simply rules by fiat. 4. (SBU) Opposition leaders and the international donor community are vocal about the need for basic electoral reform that opens the system and encourages accountability, and Jagdeo makes the right noises in public and in private about political inclusion and social outreach. But the current system has been good to the PPP/C, delivering a string of wins since 1992 and gutting its main rival, the largely afro-Guyanese People's National Congress/Reform. After this most recent win, Jagdeo appears positioned to control both the government and his party, effectively consolidating his power in the executive and the legislature. 5. (C) In conversations with the Ambassador and other chiefs of mission from the donor community, Jagdeo attributed his electoral success to a first term record he describes as reformist and inclusive--most observers disagree--and said his new agenda simply would continue the work already started. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of helping PNC/R leader Robert Corbin retain his now badly degraded role as opposition leader and dismissed suggestions that new faces across the aisle might bring energy and innovation to the political arena. A tame cabinet and crippled opposition seem integral parts of Jagdeo's second term game plan. 6. (C) Under the circumstances, the donor community shares the view that Jagdeo will be tough to move toward reform on

any significant level. We have been making the rounds separately and together with our donor colleagues emphasizing the need for greater political space and dialogue and the utility of an active parliament and civil society. In the meantime, good elections probably should not be seen as the start of a brave new Guyana, and we should continue to insist on benchmarks and confidence building measures as we contemplate continued assistance during Jagdeo's new term. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN954.html 06GEORGETOWN954, STRING OF SUSPICIOUS FIRES FUELS GOSSIP Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN954 Created 2006-09-20 19:56 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO5040 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0954 2631956 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 201956Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4108 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0406 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0169 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2197 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0109 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000954 SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: STRING OF SUSPICIOUS FIRES FUELS GOSSIP 1. (SBU) Summary: Unexplained fires have recently damaged a series of buildings in Georgetown and beyond. Arson is suspected, but authorities have not determined if there was foul play. Memories of previous post-election arson and the nature of the burned properties--two regional government headquarters, a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) building, government-affiliated media outlets, and an Indo-Guyanese owned business--have led some to suspect renegade elements within the losing opposition party, the Afro-Guyanese identified People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R). However, other theories abound--including that the fires were set by disgruntled civil servants, or started to collect insurance or cover up government corruption. In the absence of conclusive forensic evidence, all explanations are speculative. End summary. 2. (SBU) In the past four weeks, fires have caused extensive damage to the Region Five and Region Four Administration Buildings, the National Communications Network (NCN) Linden

TV transmission station, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Garden of Eden generating plant, the GECOM National Registration Center, a vacant building last occupied by the state radio station, and a downtown clothing store owned by an Indo-Guyanese businessman. 3. (SBU) Newly installed Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has promised to prosecute the perpetrators under the Terrorism Act, should arson be proven. At present, no official has declared the fires a linked sequence of criminal actions, and the police have few leads. Nobody has been killed by the blazes, most of which have occurred at night, outside of business hours. On the street, almost everybody guesses that the fires are malicious and connected, but nobody agrees who set them. Some point fingers at political troublemakers, perhaps within the PNC/R, but others cite insurance motives, or accuse the government of wanting to cover up wrongdoing. GECOM Chairman Steve Surujbally claims that all of the records destroyed in the flames had been backed up electronically, but gossipers wonder if somebody had good reason to incinerate the paper documents, which included the registration information used to compile the Official List of Electors for the 2006 elections. 4. (SBU) Press coverage has been extensive. Public interest is informed by Guyana's history of post-election fires, including unexplained blazes in several ministries, People's Progressive Party (PPP) affiliated buildings, and Indo-Guyanese owned properties after the 1992, 1997, and 2001 elections. The independent Stabroek News has lambasted the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) for failing to gather forensic evidence to explain the fires, and has called on Rohee to bring in outside investigators if necessary. 5. (SBU) COMMENT: At present the suspicious blazes just stoke the rumor mill. But if mysterious fires continue to flare up, they could spark something more sinister--the specter of the post-election violence, fear, and unrest Guyanese thought they had finally banished. The fires are also an early test of Minister Rohee's ability to improve the lackluster performance of Home Affairs in its core mandate to protect life and property. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN974.html 06GEORGETOWN974, WHO NEEDS A GOVERNMENT? GUYANA NOT BOTHERED BY Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN974 VZCZCXYZ0029 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0974/01 2652037 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 222037Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4131 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1015 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0409 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0170 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2198 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0112 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000974 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: WHO NEEDS A GOVERNMENT? GUYANA NOT BOTHERED BY CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER JOHN E ZAK FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The PNCR and AFC have both filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the delay in convening Parliament and of the swearing-in of government ministers before they were formally elected to Parliament. Also, in an unprecedented move President Jagdeo left the country for two weeks without swearing in an Acting President. Although the two leading opposition parties have independently brought court actions questioning whether a legal government currently exists in Guyana, neither is yet making it a big political issue. Jagdeo, along with senior government and party leaders, seems unconcerned by the constitutional issues, raising questions about his campaign commitment to pursue governmental reform after the election. End Summary. --------------------------------------------- ----LAWSUITS CHALLENGE DELAY IN CALLING NEW PARLIAMENT --------------------------------------------- ----Created 2006-09-22 20:37 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

2. (U) People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader Robert Corbin filed a court action September 20 charging that President Jagdeo violated the Constitution when he proclaimed on September 11 that the new Parliament would commence September 28. The PNCR's suit seeks a declaration that the proclamation violates Article 69(1) of the Constitution which requires that Parliament be held no more than four months after the last Parliament was dissolved. The PNCR suit argues that as a result of the constitutional violation, no session of Parliament can be lawfully called. 3. (U) The Alliance for Change (AFC) filed a similar, but less confrontational lawsuit last week. The AFC action asks the High Court to determine whether the President could lawfully convoke Parliament after the constitutional deadline had passed and asks the court to determine the way forward given the apparent constitutional issues. AFC leaders explained that their suit is meant to avoid court challenges to legislation passed by the new Parliament that could be based on grounds that the Parliament had not been properly constituted. 4. (U) Both legal actions are based on a constitutional provision mandating that Parliament must sit within four months of the dissolution of the previous Parliament. As Parliament was dissolved on May 2, the new session should have commenced by September 2. --------------------------------------------- -----APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS ALSO CHALLENGED --------------------------------------------- -----5. (U) In a separate issue, the PNCR lawsuit also seeks a declaration that the appointment of government ministers, before they were elected Members of Parliament (MP), is unconstitutional. The AFC lawsuit raises similar questions. Under Article 103 of the Constitution, except for four non-voting technocrats, Ministers of Government can only be appointed from duly elected MPs. The election of MPs involves the extraction of names from the party list of candidates and a corresponding declaration by the Chief Elections Officer. In this case, the new Ministers of Government were appointed on September 8 and they took the oath of office the next day, while the declaration of the elected PPP/C MPs was not done until September 13. Some irony is raised by the fact that almost four weeks after the elections, the PNCR still has not extracted its MPs from the PNC/R-1G list of candidates. PNCR Leader Corbin has repeatedly said his party is in no hurry. ---------------WHO,S PRESIDENT? ----------------

6. (C) The question of who has executive authority during Jagdeo,s September 12-25 sojourn to Singapore and New York is also an issue on the cocktail circuit, but has not yet attracted legal or political attention. Normally when he travels out of country, the President swears in the Prime Minister as Acting President, although any Minister can be tapped for this duty. Currently, there is no Prime Minister until Parliament meets and no Minister was sworn in as Acting President when Jadgeo departed September 12. New Minister of Foreign Trade Henry Jeffrey recently volunteered to DCM that Roger Luncheon verbally tasked him with acting as Foreign Minister while Insanally is at the UNGA. When Jeffrey,s secretary asked the Office of the President for the normal SIPDIS instrument empowering one Minister to act for another, the response came back that there could be no formal authorization because there is no one with executive authority to sign it. --------------------------------------------- -JAGDEO/PPP UNCONCERNED BY CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS --------------------------------------------- -7. (C) Although the appointment of the Ministers of Government prior to their formal election to Parliament and the proclamation summoning Parliament a month after the deadline apparently violate Guyana's Constitution, President Jagdeo and the PPP/C appear impervious to the dilemma. In response to earlier questions regarding the impending constitutional deadline for commencing Parliament, Jagdeo casually stated that "we will take our time and do it well... we are in no rush." In private meetings with the Ambassador, both the Attorney General and Chief Justice of the High Court were quick to dismiss the notion that both Parliament and the newly named Ministers of government were unconstitutional. "We have to have a Parliament", the Attorney General reasoned, "I am sure the court will work it out." ------COMMENT ------8. (C) Just as interesting as the constitutional issues is the PNCR's lack of alacrity in bringing the issue to court. More than three weeks after the election results were announced, the PNCR has yet to extract the names of its 22 MPs from its party list. Informed sources say the PNCR is facing difficulties since it put most of its top guns on the national list, but ended up winning more regional and fewer national seats than expected. The PNCR court challenge appears to be more of a reaction to the AFC suit filed last

week than a genuine strike against the government. Indeed, one PPP/C insider claims that Jagdeo and Corbin reached a private agreement to delay Parliament until the end of September specifically to allow the PNCR time to address its internal problems with allocation of seats. Robinson Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN979.html 06GEORGETOWN979, T-MINUS 170 DAYS--STATUS REPORT ON GUYANA'S Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN979 VZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0979/01 2681423 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 251423Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4137 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0063 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0072 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0089 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0172 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0032 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2200 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0013 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0018 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000979 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA/CAR DS/IP/WHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016 TAGS: ECON PGOV CASC ASEC EAID GY SUBJECT: T-MINUS 170 DAYS--STATUS REPORT ON GUYANA'S PREPAREDNESS FOR CRICKET WORLD CUP 2007 REF: GEORGETOWN 562 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(B) 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: With just 170 days left until the scheduled opening of Cricket World Cup 2007, Guyana appears unprepared to host this major sporting event. A CARICOM review of Guyana's security arrangements has concluded that Guyana "has no plan" and appears to be "overwhelmed by the magnitude" of the event. Lack of accommodation, inadequate disaster preparedness and contingency planning, and poor transportation arrangements are also major areas of concern. Amidst speculation that Guyana may lose the games to another Created 2006-09-25 14:23 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

Caribbean venue, the political stakes remain high both in Guyana and within CARICOM. END SUMMARY. -----------------------------Venue and Potential Attendance -----------------------------2. (U) Guyana is currently a venue for the "Super 8" quarterfinal matches from March 27 to April 9, 2007. While the teams that will ultimately play in Guyana are uncertain, the tournament brackets will most likely bring England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies cricket teams. The British consulting firm Sinclair, Knight, Merz has estimated that as many as 37,000 spectators will ultimately come to Guyana for the games, while Local Organizing Committee (LOC) officials are preparing to handle up to 12,000 visitors at any given time. 3. (U) Ticket sales for the matches in Guyana have reportedly been slower than expected, with about 50% of the public tickets sold as of late August. By contrast, the ICC reported in early September that tickets had been sold out for Super 8 matches in Grenada and Barbados. Media reports have quoted the CWC West Indies 2007 Commercial Manager in Jamaica as saying that most ticket sales for the matches in Guyana have gone to members of the Guyanese diaspora in the U.S., UK, and elsewhere in the Caribbean. 4. (U) Matches will occur in the new US$26 million Indian-financed and built Providence Stadium (capacity 15,000), located about 10 miles south of Georgetown. As of early September, the LOC reported that construction was at 93% completion. The LOC has aimed for an October 31 completion date, in time for a final venue inspection by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November. -------SECURITY -------5. (C) A four-man CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) team visited Guyana September 12-15 to meet with senior officials of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, CARICOM officials, and members of the LOC. Their findings are not encouraging. According to their report, "the Guyana Police security committee did not have a draft of any security plan and seemed a bit overwhelmed at all the security planning required for this event. It appeared that they were going to treat this as a common cricket match and had no idea of the magnitude of regional and national planning required for an event of this nature." The report recommends that CARICOM provide funds for security training and suggests that a UK-based firm may provide venue security training. The team

also provided the GPF with a National Security Plan template, and the GPF pledged to return a draft security plan within 7 days. ------------ACCOMMODATION ------------6. (SBU) The IMPACS report also expresses concern about the lack of adequate secure accommodation in Georgetown. Most of Guyana's limited existing capacity has been devoted to housing teams, officials and media (TOMS), leaving little room for spectators. Attention has centered on a hotel being constructed by reputed narco-money launderer Omprakash Shivraj next door to the cricket venue that will reportedly have 274 rooms. Construction appears to be running apace, though rumors swirl regarding financial difficulties that may jeopardize its completion (Reftel). As of late August 2006, Guyanese authorities reported capacity of 1,728 hotel rooms, including 676 still under construction. 7. (SBU) The potential use of cruise ships to provide additional accommodation continues to be bandied about but does not appear to be a serious option. New Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad, a failed travel agent and former Investment Advisor to the President, told the Ambassador in a September 19 courtesy call that the GOG is still considering cruise ships. However, LOC Accommodations and Hospitality Coordinator Nikolas Oudkerk told EconOff the following day that no private investors have embraced the cruise ship idea and that it does not seem viable. Oudkerk said that a Florida-based firm, Hillborne Projects International, has agreed to provide 250 trailers that will house up to 6 people each in the National Park in Georgetown. This is a private initiative to be done on a cost recovery basis. The GOG has also announced a "bed and breakfast" scheme to encourage Guyanese to host visitors in their homes as well as a potential "tent city" to be constructed at a water park near Timehri Airport. As of late September, the "Bed and Breakfast Secretariat" had reportedly identified only 400 rooms against its target of 2,000. -------------TRANSPORTATION -------------8. (U) The venue's location along the road between Georgetown and Timehri Airport has raised concern about congestion on the only road into and out of the capital. The LOC has announced a "park and ride" arrangement whereby buses would transport spectators to the stadium from four parking areas in the Georgetown vicinity. This would allow only vehicles transporting TOMS and security personnel and emergency

vehicles to access the road. Providing access to workers who commute into and out of the capital has apparently not been considered. 9. (U) The IMPACS report found that Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana's sole international airport, has "adequate space" in the arrival/departure lounge. However, the report expresses concern that the security checkpoint has only two lanes. The airlines' capacity to bring people into and out of the country is also a variable. Visitor arrivals for all of 2005 totaled just over 116,000 people, suggesting that CWC will require Guyana to absorb more than a quarter of its yearly visitor capacity in just two weeks. The impending restructuring of British West Indies Airways, one of three airlines to service Guyana, presents an additional variable. ----------LEGISLATION ----------10. (U) Also required for Guyana to host the games is passage of so-called "Sunset Legislation" that prohibits ambush marketing, establishes protections for ICC trademarks, and protects commercial rights for ICC concessionaires. Parliament did not address such legislation prior to its dissolution, making this a priority for the ninth parliament when it sits at the end of September. ------COMMENT ------11. (SBU) The Cricket World Cup will likely be an economic disappointment. President Jagdeo essentially brushed aside IMF and other donors' concerns in signing a US$19 million soft loan payable in 2024 with the Government of India. India supplemented this with a US$6 million grant. The Government Information Agency reports that the GOG will spend as much as US$3.5 million on urban beautification. Meanwhile, while some hoteliers have made modest improvements to their facilities, others seem reluctant to undertake costly upgrades for which the rate of return after the ten days of cricket are over is uncertain. 12. (C) Privately, several government and business contacts have expressed concern at Guyana's ability to manage the event. Regarding the potential influx of spectators, Attorney General Doodnauth Singh told the Ambassador that he hoped people would not come to the games, implying that Guyana was unprepared to accommodate outsiders. This sentiment is a useful commentary on the present situation. If, as preliminary ticket sales suggest, most of the visitors are overseas-based Guyanese who will stay with family and are

accustomed to local conditions, then Guyana's lack of preparedness will not be as acute. However, the net economic benefit will also be reduced, especially if members of the diaspora return next March in lieu of annual or biannual travel during the holidays. 13. (SBU) Post understands that Guyana faces a November 8 deadline for inspection by the ICC. Speculation has been increasing that Guyana will lose the games should the ICC find preparation inadequate in November among various interlocutors. Cricket insiders cite Dominica, Trinidad and Jamaica as potential alternate venues, although the ICC confirmed on that Trinidad's unfinished Brian Lara stadium would no longer be a venue. The ICC's plan to allow visitors to the region to travel among host countries without a visa includes Dominica in the list of countries although it is not currently hosting any matches. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN1011.html 06GEORGETOWN1011, JAGDEO EXPLAINS RATIONALE FOR SUPPORT OF Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1011 Created 2006-09-28 20:12 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3886 RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC DE RUEHGE #1011 2712012 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 282012Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4171 INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0114 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001011 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016 TAGS: PREL EPET KPAO UNSC GY SUBJECT: JAGDEO EXPLAINS RATIONALE FOR SUPPORT OF VENEZUELA'S UNSC BID REF: A. A) GEORGETOWN 651 B. B) GEORGETOWN 672 Classified By: DCM MICHAEL D. THOMAS FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (U) SUMMARY: In a September 27 press conference, President Jagdeo cited national interest and assurances that Venezuela will not advance its claim on the disputed Essequibo border region as justification for Guyana's support of Venezuela's bid for the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). The statement is the first public declaration of the GOG's support for Venezuela's bid. END SUMMARY. 2. (U) Jagdeo announced that Guyana had a "private and a public declaration" from Venezuela that it will not use the Security Council seat to advance its claim on the border issue. Jagdeo also said that regional solidarity with Guyana was strong at the July CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, where Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally represented Guyana in Jagdeo's stead, and that CARICOM pressed for the assurances from Venezuela.

3. (U) Jagdeo also said that Caribbean countries were "making judgments based on national interest considerations" and that "the Caribbean would have to judge which of the two countries--Guatemala or Venezuela--has been more helpful to the region." He added that he "would assume that those countries that are benefiting from Petrocaribe would want to conclude that Venezuela has been a bit more helpful." Jagdeo also cited sovereignty in dismissing the possibility of repercussions for Caribbean countries from the U.S., saying that "I don't make decisions here based on what is good for the United States of America or what is good for Venezuela or some other countries." 4. (C) COMMENT: Jagdeo's revelation that the decision to support Venezuela was made at the CARICOM Heads of State meeting in July exposes an apparent disconnect with statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following the July 5 meeting, Insanally said that the issue was discussed but no decision had been made (Refs A and B). Insanally also notably did not confirm Guyana's support for Venezuela when the matter was raised in a September 7 courtesy call with the Ambassador. Neither Post nor local media are aware of any public declaration by Venezuela that it will not use an UNSC seat to advance the border issue. Unfortunately the tame Guyanese media corps neither asked Jagdeo when Venezuela made the public declaration nor mentioned the discrepancy in stories on the issue. END COMMENT. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/09/06GEORGETOWN1019.html 06GEORGETOWN1019, PARLIAMENT OPENS, ABSENT OPPOSITION Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1019 Created 2006-09-29 20:44 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO5333 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1019 2722044 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 292044Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4178 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0411 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0175 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2203 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0115 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001019 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT OPENS, ABSENT OPPOSITION REF: GEORGETOWN 974 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(d) 1. (SBU) Summary: A series of meetings and phone calls between President Jagdeo and opposition party leaders seemed to clear a path for the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) to attend the opening of Parliament on September 28, but walk out before Jagdeo's speech. However, an eleventh hour rebellion by radical elements within the PNCR forced party leader Robert Corbin into a boycott. With almost all of her party absent, PNCR Executive Committee member Clarissa Riehl nonetheless became Deputy Speaker. End Summary. 2. (C) Tuesday saw intense discussions between President Jagdeo and the leaders of the AFC, PNCR, and Guyana Action Party-Rise Organize and Rebuild (GAP-ROAR) about how to get all parties to attend the opening of Parliament on Thursday. AFC leaders Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman told EmbOffs that they planned to go into Parliament, and reported that PNCR leader Robert Corbin also wanted to attend the

opening, but needed a way to save face. On Tuesday the legal community consensus was that the courts would rule in favor of the government in the AFC's court challenge on the constitutionality of Parliament. The legal community was also predicting a sound wrist slap for Jagdeo, giving Corbin a way to attend Parliament without seeming to concede the legal point. 3. (SBU) On Wednesday, Chief Justice Carl Singh ruled, as expected, that despite the unconstitutional delay, the President had the legal authority to convene Parliament and name ministers. The anticipated wrist slap was absent. 4. (SBU) Just before Parliament convened at 2:00pm September 28, Corbin faced a last minute challenge from PNCR hardliners calling for a boycott. Corbin had reportedly planned to go into Parliament with his full delegation, staying just long enough to elect a Deputy Speaker and a Leader of the Opposition, and walking out before Jagdeo's 3:00pm address. But with a handful of his members refusing to go in at all, Corbin had to keep the whole party out in order to avoid advertising his lack of authority. PNCR member Deborah Backer was sent in to nominate Clarissa Riehl for Deputy Speaker before walking out again. Riehl's nomination was seconded by Prime Minister Hinds and confirmed when no other candidates were put forward. 5. (SBU) Comment: Corbin wanted to attend the opening of the National Assembly, and the PPP and the AFC were willing to help him do it in a face-saving manner. That a few hardliners could scuttle Corbin's plans and force a walkout confirms his dwindling power in the party. While political bickering and legal challenges are sure to continue, the extensive discussions between party leaders, who share a cordial social camraderie, and lack of PPP or AFC challenge to Riehl for Deputy Speaker, signal that the AFC and the PPP may be willing to help Corbin keep his party together enough to participate in Parliament.

ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06GEORGETOWN1043.html 06GEORGETOWN1043, GUYANA: OUR POST-ELECTION AGENDA Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1043 Created 2006-10-05 20:01 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO1385 RR RUEHDT RUEHLMC RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB DE RUEHGE #1043/01 2782001 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 052001Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4214 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1017 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0414 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0176 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2204 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 4307 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0118 RUCNMCM/MCC WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 001043 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2016 TAGS: PGOV EAID PHUM KDEM OAS GY SUBJECT: GUYANA: OUR POST-ELECTION AGENDA REF: A. (A) GEORGETOWN 546 B. (B) GEORGETOWN 595 C. (C) GEORGETOWN 915 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID ROBINSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B)(D) 1. (C) Summary: President Bharrat Jagdeo starts his second five-year term with a firm parliamentary majority and apparent control over his own People's Progressive Party (PPP). He aligned his priorities in an October 2 conversation with the Ambassador as breaking Guyana's wave of violent crime and improving the investment climate, but foresees only a slow, ten-year climb out of poverty. Jagdeo wants help from the donor community, includig IDB debt relief, but may sidestep long-term reform. We should continue pushing for local elections, building parliamentary capacity, expanding civil society's role, and opening the media. Jagdeo may not enthusiastically embrace our longer-range agenda, but he is unlikely to oppose it. End

Summary. 2. (C) During a relaxed conversation in his office with the Ambassador on October 2, Jagdeo said combating violent crime is his top priority. He added that the progressive speech he gave at the opening of parliament on September 28 was political rhetoric, necessary but not prescriptive. It outlined a hugely ambitious program to, among other things, furnish 80 percent of houses in Guyana with internet connections within five years. 3. (C) In contrast, Jagdeo told the Ambassador his early focus will be narrowly on increased and better policing, and called chronic insecurity the biggest impediment to investment. Jagdeo went on to note his previous administration's success in drawing down the public debt by about $900 million--and said he will push Mexico and Brazil to endorse IDB debt relief this time around--but suggested that under even idyllic circumstances Guyana faces at least a ten-year uphill slog out of poverty. (Note: Locally, the donor community, and particularly the British, Canadian and EU representatives, view the remaining loan as offering perhaps the only effective pressure on Jagdeo for constitutional reform and political inclusion. A former finance minister, Jagdeo continues to play that role in practice (refs A and B). End note). 4. (C) Ref C notes that Jagdeo may not be inclined to tackle extensive constitutional or other structural reforms in his second term, and this conversation seemed to support that view. He is a lame duck, public expectations for his performance are low, and political opposition is for now inconsequential. At the moment, he seems content to answer the daily headlines, a sad catalog of murder and abuse, and ignore a broader mandate. In fact, the British High Commissioner told the Ambassador later on October 2 that Jagdeo balked at a UK security sector reform proposal he had requested early in 2006 because it relied heavily on planning and training rather than providing material support for street patrols. A complementary IDB program also is on hold. 5. (C) Jagdeo's apparent bias for quick results and hardware may lessen his interest in a reform agenda, but it should not fundamentally alter our own action plan. Specifically, but not exclusively, we will continue to advocate for electoral and constitutional reform, including local elections probably in 2008; push for a greater role for civil society and the private sector in political debate and policy making; and encourage passage of the stalled broadcast bill to open the media and dislodge state control over radio. In the meantime, PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) continues to bridge the gap between Jagdeo's demand for immediacy and our focus on capacity building by molding effective partnerships between business, civic and public

institutions that deliver goods and services to both urban and rural communities. 6. (C) Comment: More than a month after his win at the polls, Jagdeo has not crossed the threshold from politics to governance. The President says he is satisfied with progress in his first term, despite declining competitiveness and quality of life indicators, and has set his sights low for the second. In fact, since Jagdeo took office in 1999, growth has nearly flatlined at 0.5 percent. Attaching benchmarks or conditions to debt relief may be the only lever GEORGETOWN 00001043 002 OF 002 End comment.

that gets a useful rise. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06GEORGETOWN1069.html# 06GEORGETOWN1069, SURVEY OF ETHANOL POTENTIAL IN GUYANA Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1069 Created 2006-10-13 19:53 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO9149 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #1069/01 2861953 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 131953Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4244 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 GEORGETOWN 001069 SIPDIS WHA/EPSC - CORNEILLE EB/ESC/IEC - IZZO S/P - MANUEL OES/STC - PAMELA BATES SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ENRG EAGR PREL PGOV GY SUBJECT: SURVEY OF ETHANOL POTENTIAL IN GUYANA REFS: A) STATE 164558, B) 05 GEORGETOWN 906 1. SUMMARY: Though a small-scale sugar producer, Guyana could be a lucrative destination for investment in ethanol production. Guyana's efforts to streamline its sugar industry and lower the cost of production--which will enable it to remain competitive--have limited excess cane capacity and investment in ethanol to date. Nevertheless, Guyana has ample land, relatively favorable investment and regulatory incentives for the energy sector, and duty-free access to the U.S. market through the Caribbean Basin Initiative. Obstacles include government-ownership and control of the sugar industry, poor infrastructure and a shrinking labor force. END SUMMARY. --------------------------STATE OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY --------------------------2. Guyana's sugar industry is struggling to remain profitable and is still surviving despite a 36% reduction in European Union price supports. The EU price reduction is expected to cost the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) around US$40 million in revenue/year. Nevertheless, the firm has embarked on a modernization program that

will improve cane yield and eventually lower the unit cost of production from US 17 cents/pound to about US 12 cents/pound of sugar, enabling it to remain competitive on the world market. Guysuco is also undertaking value-added initiatives such as improving the packaging of sugar, developing a stronger branding strategy, and building a refinery (Guyana currently exports raw cane sugar). 3. The crux of this effort is the Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project (SSMP), which will see the construction of a new 110,000 ton capacity sugar factory. The GOG and the People's Republic of China signed a concessional loan agreement paving the way for the US$110 million project in the eastern region of Berbice. The new factory is expected to begin operations in October 2007. 4. Guysuco is a state-owned company. Since 1990 the GOG has contracted out the management operation of the company to the British firm Booker Tate Limited. Production averages around 3.67 million tons of cane/year with a yield of approximately 80 tons of cane per hectare. The corporation is located along the narrow fertile coastal strip between the Atlantic Ocean and the rain forest and savannah of the interior. This area is low lying and is protected from the ocean by a sea wall, stretching across two counties, namely Demerara and Berbice. These five sugar estates (West Demerara Estates, East Demerara Estates, Blairmont Estate, East Berbice Estates and Skeldon Estate) include eight factories, four in the county of Demerara, with two on each bank of the Demerara River in the area surrounding Georgetown, and four in the county of Berbice in the east of the country, with three on the banks of the Berbice River and one on the bank of the Corentyne River. 5. Guysuco's five sugar estates comprise approximately 60,000 hectares about 41,000 of which are under cultivation. The industry has the potential to increase the amount of land at its disposal. The GOG has identified approximately 1 million acres in the Canje River Basin (Berbice Region) for potential cultivation. However, this will require prepping virgin land, which Guysuco estimates would require an investment of around US$100 million. 6. Guysuco employs around 17,500 people directly plus 5,000 private cane farmers and 4,000 temporary workers. In addition, the industry employs 20,000 people indirectly through the provision of goods and services. Guysuco directly accounts for 10 percent of Guyana's labor force and is the largest single employer in the country. The industry's union, the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union, is a primary support base for the ruling People's Progressive Party. Accordingly, the GOG is loathe to take economically rational steps, such as closing or consolidating less productive estates West of the Demerara River, that would reduce employment in the sector (REF B). 7. In terms of environmental impact, sugar cane harvesting methods in Guyana do include burning the fields prior to harvest. However,

there is no level of local concern among citizens over environmental effects, given that the fields and factory are not in close proximity to citizens. The Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana ensures that Guysuco's environmental controls and mitigation measures keep pace with the introduction of new regulations and policies for the control of emissions from its factories and the burning of its fields. According to Guysuco, sugar cane is a net producer of carbon dioxide, replacing as much as 30 tons/hectare of carbon even when taking burning into account. Traditional fertilizers include sulphate of ammonia (SOP), urea, muriate of potas (MOP), and diammonium phospahate (DAP). Sulphosate and GEORGETOWN 00001069 002 OF 004

fluazifop-butyl are used for chemical ripening. 8. Guysuco uses bagasse (biomass from sugarcane) for power generation. Approximately 67% of the corporation's estimated 62.2 GWH in electrical power generation is produced from bagasse, with the remaining 33% produced from gas-oil (diesel). -----------------INVESTMENT CLIMATE -----------------9. Guyana has seen little investment in the energy sector. A number of international investors have conducted feasibility studies in the areas of hydro-power generation and wind-power generation. The GOG has also been approached by a number of companies seeking to conduct both onshore and offshore oil exploration in Guyana. To date, none of these high-profile, speculative ventures have materialized. As far as ethanol is concerned, Guysuco is presently seeking funding to undertake a feasibility study to consider the capital, operating cost and economic viability of a 130 million liter/year ethanol plant. The company reports receiving inquiries from three potential investors interested in ethanol, but nothing has materialized to date. 10. The GOG does not offer subsidies for private electricity producers in country. However, the GOG has developed a number of investment incentives through the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) encouraging investors (both local and foreign) to invest into the energy sector. These include duty-free waivers on customs tariffs and consumption tax for plant, machinery and equipment as well as unrestricted repatriation of profits and dividends. 11. Presently Guyana does not have any environmental regulations that specifically address bio-refining. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that environmental regulations for a bio-refinery can be addressed under Environmental Management Regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency Act. 12. Infrastructure is a major constraint to investment. A

transportation sector study concluded in 2005 found that only 35% of Guyana's estimated 330 miles of paved roads could be rated in "good condition". Defective maintenance is the primary constraint. In addition, ferry connections are a key feature of Guyana's limited road infrastructure. Sugar outputs in the most productive region of Berbice must travel 130 miles by barge, truck and ferry to port facilities on the Demerara River. 13. The primary port facility is Georgetown Harbor, located on the mouth of the Demerara River. The port has a river frontage of about two nautical miles and is equipped with six main wharves with depths ranging from 4.9 - 6.1 meters. Maximum draft accepted is 8.2 meters (approximately 7500 tons deadweight) on high tide with a maximum length over all of 175 meters. Limited water depth in the face of heavy silting is a major limiting condition. A mudflat with depth of less than 5 meters over it extends 10 miles northeast of the mouth of the Demerara River. A channel, dredged to a depth of 6.90 meters in 1990, leads through the mudflat into the harbor, but no systematic or regular dredging is carried out. There are presently five wharves with capability for liquid storage each owned by petroleum importers. 14. In addition to the political strength of the agricultural workers union noted above, which may place pressure on potential investors to carry excess labor capacity, migration of both skilled and unskilled labor is an additional constraint on productivity. Guyana exports roughly 2% of its population each year, and firms regularly report having to train as many as five workers to fill one position. ------------ENERGY SECTOR ------------15. The government adheres to free market principles in the energy sector. The price of energy is determined by the world market price of oil rather than by local demand and supply of fuel. The GOG does from time to time intervene in the market to keep the domestic market price for fuel from escalating. The government will normally reduce the consumption tax on import fuel when there is an increase in the world market price. Nevertheless, energy costs remain among the highest in the region, with electricity retailing at U.S. 28 cents/KwH and gasoline at US$3.03/gallon. 16. The GOG has generally encouraged private investment into the energy sector over the years. Note that recently the GOG and Florida-based Synergy Holdings signed an agreement for the construction of a hydro-power station worth US$300M. The hydro-power station at Amaila Falls is expected to be completed by December GEORGETOWN 00001069 003 OF 004

2010, though it appears to be little more than a speculative venture

at this stage. The GOG has also agreed to similar projects with private investors to assess and develop Guyana's potential for other renewable energy generation, including wind and biomass. The GOG signed a technology transfer agreement with Brazil for ethanol production in September 2005, but cooperation in the sector has yet to materialize. 17. The regulatory structure of the energy sector includes the following agencies with whom potential investors would have to interact: --Office of the Prime Minister: The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has principal policy-making and regulatory responsibility in the sector, including granting licenses to public utilities and independent power producers and approval of development and expansion plans. --The Public Utilities Commission: The Public Utilities Commission is responsible for monitoring and enforcing operators' compliance with commitments emanating from licenses and standard terms and conditions for operations, including operating standards and performance targets and development of expansion plans. --The Guyana Energy Agency: The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is responsible for developing and implementing national energy policy and for promoting energy efficiency and the development of new and renewable sources of energy. --The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA is responsible for drafting environmental regulations, enforcing compliance of sector operations with environmental laws and regulations and advising OPM and Office of the President of the Republic on the public suppliers' environmental audits and management plans. 18. Presently the sector is dominated by the state-owned entity Guyana Power and Light. An effort at privatization ended in 2003 when the investor, American Caribbean Power, sold its shares back to the GOG. Several private manufacturers, including Guysuco, produce their own electricity to aid their production process. Private sector electricity producers are permitted to sell power back to the national grid. However, the Electricity Sector Reform Act of 1999 prohibits private sector electricity producers to distribute electricity directly to other consumers. On the fuel side, the government-owned Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) competes with Esso, Shell, and Texaco. 19. Guyana currently spends roughly a third of GDP on oil imports. The following table, based on data provided by the Guyana Energy Agency, breaks down average annual petroleum use by sector from 2000 to 2005 ('000s of BBLs): Commercial/Services 36.0 Residential 231.4 Industry including sugar 425.6

Marine & Road Transportation 856.0 Air Transportation 53.8 Agriculture/Mining 449.4 Fishing 180.3 Electricity Generation 1657.2 ------------------------------------Total 38732.4 20. Guyana has no government mandated ethanol blending requirement. The GOG has no plans in the near future nor has there been any attempt to legislate a mandatory ethanol blending requirement. Detailed information on Guyana's vehicle fleet is unavailable. However, high tariffs on vehicle imports have led to a prevalence of older model Japanese automobiles. Flex fuel vehicles are nonexistent. Guysuco's technical assessment of ethanol potential suggests that an output of 11 million liters/year would satisfy a 10% substitution requirement for domestic consumption. ------COMMENT ------21. At present, all available land, capital and labor at the sugar industry's disposal is geared toward sugar production. Several of the inputs necessary for ethanol to be viable--land, water, knowledge of cane cultivation, political will--are present. Access to capital is lacking. Guyana's relatively small production capacity, especially vis a vis Brazil, make it easy to overlook and limits interest among foreign investors. The Chinese-financed sugar modernization program, while ultimately keeping the sugar industry competitive, has also weakened Guyana's debt posture. Guyana's history as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country and commitments to the IMF limit state-owned Guysuco's ability to finance expansion into GEORGETOWN 00001069 004 OF 004

ethanol. However, this also raises an opportunity for strategic USG involvement, perhaps through funding of a thorough feasibility study of ethanol potential. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06GEORGETOWN1138.html# 06GEORGETOWN1138, PNCR-1G COMES TO PARLIAMENT ) DEBATE PRESIDENT,S Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1138 Created 2006-10-31 20:50 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO5565 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1138 3042050 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 312050Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4330 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0432 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0181 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2211 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0129 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001138 SIPDIS SIPDIS, SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: PNCR-1G COMES TO PARLIAMENT ) DEBATE PRESIDENT,S SPEECH Classified By: Ambassador David M. Robinson. Reason 1.4(d) 1.(U) After boycotting the ceremonial opening of the Ninth Parliament on September 28, all 22 members of the main opposition party, the People,s National Congress Reform-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) attended Parliament yesterday and were finally sworn in as Members. Despite his poor showing in the recent national elections, PNCR-1G party leader Robert Corbin returned, unopposed, as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. 2.(U) Once sworn in, the PNCR-1G members participated in a debate on a Motion to accept the President,s speech delivered at the ceremonial opening of the Parliament. The ruling People,s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) supported the speech, stating that the President,s "comprehensive work plan" for the administration - highlighted by the strengthening of security and public safety - should be supported by all in the House. Noting that the opposition,s

scrutiny of the government is integral in the promotion a vibrant democracy, Corbin warned that "the willingness of the present administration to accept constructive criticism will be placed on immediate test." According to Corbin, the opposition supports the plan laid out by the President, but fears that it will be just another broken promise made by the current administration. 3.(C) Comment: The PNCR-1G,s arrival in Parliament this week, after boycotting the September 28 opening, is yet another sign of the party,s lack of direction. Their flip-flop approach to decisions - first they were boycotting the elections (then they weren,t), next they were boycotting Parliament (then they weren,t) - coupled with their poor election results, show a party in decline. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/11/06GEORGETOWN1148.html 06GEORGETOWN1148, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS OUT OF LOOP ON KERIK ISSUE Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1148 Created 2006-11-02 19:05 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO7924 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1148 3061905 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 021905Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4340 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0436 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0182 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2212 RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0130 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001148 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2016 TAGS: PGOV GY SUBJECT: MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS OUT OF LOOP ON KERIK ISSUE Classified By: DCM MICHAEL THOMAS FOR REASON 1.4(d) 1. (C) On November 1, Legal Attach Kevin Currier, Assistant Legal Attach Marvin Freeman, and DCM paid a friendly and productive introductory courtesy call on newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee. The FBI thanked Rohee for assistance in several cases, to include the 2005 Thomson murder at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel. The FBI offered general police assistance to the Minister as well as police training for the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The FBI advised that they would provide the Ministry with a list of training courses available but added that they could gear training for the specific needs of the country. The FBI advised that the courses were usually from one to two weeks for about 35 officers, depending on the course. The FBI also offered to send GPF candidates to the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. 2. (C) Rohee advised that he was new to the position and was

still learning about the job. He stated that he considered training in the area of police corruption and ethics to be of importance since there is a general perception of corruption within the population. Rohee provided a few examples of ethics questions and asked the opinion of the FBI in these cases. He advised that he was reading several books on policing and ethics. 3. (C) When asked about the government's plans to hire former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to help implement security sector reforms, Rohee replied that this is the president's personal initiative and until he sees a press release to the contrary, he will assume that the policy is the same. In the context of the conversation it was clear that rather than emphasizing his solidarity with the president's intentions, Rohee was admitting that he was out of the loop on the issue. 4. (C) Comment: During his last administration, Jagdeo earned a reputation as a micromanager who responds to citizen complaints by publicly berating the incompetence of government officials he himself appointed. It does not bode well for the government's capacity to implement reform that the new Minister of Home Affairs, six weeks into his job, freely admits to being out of the loop on his ministry's highest-profile issue. End Comment. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/11/06GEORGETOWN1162.html 06GEORGETOWN1162, AFC ALLEGES MISCOUNT, CLAIMS PRIME MINISTER'S SEAT Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1162 Created 2006-11-06 15:06 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO0732 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1162 3101506 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 061506Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4354 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0438 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0184 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2214 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0132 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001162 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: AFC ALLEGES MISCOUNT, CLAIMS PRIME MINISTER'S SEAT Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (SBU) Summary: The Alliance for Change (AFC) alleges that several ballot boxes were left off of the total tally in Region Ten, costing the party a seat in parliament. In a press conference, AFC leaders called on the ruling People's Progressive Party/CIVIC (PPP/C) to voluntarily relinquish the seat, which is currently held by Prime Minister (PM) Samuel Hinds. Although the AFC pointed out this alleged error to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in September, they waited until now--two months after results were announced--to make their claim public. GECOM and the government have not responded and may be hoping that the claim will blow over, but the AFC has promised to pursue the extra seat and scrutinize results from other regions for similar errors. End Summary. 2. (SBU) The international community was copied on the AFC's October 25 letter to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Goocool Boodhoo, officially lodging the AFC's claim and laying out a

chronology of the AFC's conversations with GECOM over the issue. The AFC claims that vote totals from six polling stations in Region Ten were documented with Statements of Poll, but not tallied in the official declaration of results. The AFC's recalculations award the Region Ten seat held by PPP/C PM Hinds to the AFC, bringing the AFC's parliamentary contingent up to six seats and reducing the PPP/C's allotment from 36 seats to 35 seats. Former People's National Congress Reform GECOM Commissioner Haslyn Parris privately scrutinized the AFC's data and concurred with the end result. 3. (U) In a press conference on November 1, AFC leaders Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, and Sheila Holder detailed their claim and called on the PPP/C to do the "right thing" and voluntarily give up the seat. Ramjattan added that legal action to force a seat reassignment could take two or three years--about half of this parliament's term. He warned that failure to reallocate the seat would erode the public's confidence that the 2006 elections were free and fair. The party referred to the alleged miscount as an "error," but carefully reserved the right to allege "fraud" later if necessary. The AFC also promised to scour the remaining results for similar problems, saying, "this is the first chink in the armor, and if we keep digging, we are sure to find more." 4. (SBU) While the AFC began raising questions with GECOM about the Region Ten totals as early as September 1, they waited two months to air their claim publicly. In press reports, Sheila Holder implied that the AFC had not wanted to ignite a potentially combustive post-election atmosphere with an immediate miscount claim. In taking their claim public now, the AFC cited frustration with private attempts to engage GECOM, urging from Region Ten supporters, and a desire to set the record straight. 5. (C) Neither GECOM nor the government has officially responded to the AFC's claim. The government-owned daily reported that GECOM discussed the issue and asked the CEO to prepare a report to guide their response. GECOM Chairman Steve Surujbally told PolOff privately that he considered the AFC's claims baseless and that GECOM was holding off on a response to avoid "embarrassing" the AFC. The government seems to be taking a hands-off approach, perhaps hoping that the issue will go away. 6. (C) The current dispute, however, may give the government the opening it needs to replace PM Hinds, whose time in government is widely understood to be limited. The PM's personal assistant Roopchand Bissessar told EmbOff that Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn was a likely candidate to replace Hinds. The Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics shares a building with the PM's offices, and Bissessar suggested that Benn had been named to that

portfolio so that Hinds could groom him as his successor. 7. (C) Comment: Coming after election fever has largely died down, the AFC's claim has not made much of a splash. The AFC has made it a point of honor to pursue their claim, but after declaring the elections fair, correct, and complete, GECOM and the government will likely try to keep the record closed. For an already skeptical Guyanese populace, this incident may just reinforce the belief that truly clean elections are still a long way off for Guyana. End Comment. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/11/06GEORGETOWN1172.html 06GEORGETOWN1172, POLICE COMMISSIONER GREENE: GIVE US BARABBAS Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1172 Created 2006-11-07 15:43 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO2203 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1172 3111543 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 071543Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4366 INFO RUEHBE/AMEMBASSY BELIZE 0837 RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 1206 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0440 RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU 2566 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 0934 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 3954 RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 1038 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001172 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM GY SUBJECT: POLICE COMMISSIONER GREENE: REF: A. (A) GEORGETOWN 00725 B. GEORGETOWN 00708 C. (C) STATE 118421 Classified By: Ambassador David M. Robinson, Reason 1.5(b) 1. (C) Summary: President Bharrat Jagdeo appears set to make Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene the permanent head of the Guyana Police Force. Elevating Greene makes political sense--his aggressive response to out of control street crime is a hit--but the president fears it may cause problems with the donor community. We will continue to raise our concerns about Greene's links to criminal enterprises (ref A), but do not expect Jagdeo to abandon his popular crime chief. End summary. 2. (C) Henry Greene's tenure as acting police commissioner will end statutorily in the next few days. He temporarily replaced retiring Winston Felix in July and quickly gained

GIVE US BARABBAS

credibility among politicians and the public for delivering violence-free elections on August 28 and for hunting down known criminals, always with fatal results, ever since. Jagdeo and Private Sector Commission head Michael Correia separately told the Ambassador that Greene's aggressive style is effective, making him the obvious permanent successor to Felix. Media reports universally echo that view. The Ambassador and his British and Canadian counterparts have repeatedly reminded the president and other officals that Greene has unsavory ties and that shooting criminals does not substitute for solid police work. In this wild west atmosphere, however, the only good criminal is a dead criminal. 3. (C) The GoG's unofficial newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle, ran editorials on November 5 extolling Greene's three-month performance as interim chief and called his violent crackdown welcome and overdue. Each dead suspect is subsequently linked to a number of previously unsolved attacks, with or without supporting evidence, boosting the perception of police effectiveness. The Chronicle also reported the same day Jagdeo's complaint about "rumors" being used to smear Greene and other public officials. The remark likely refers to Greene's US visa revocation the same day he was announced as acting commissioner (refs B and C). Jagdeo and his closest advisor, Roger Luncheon, frequently complain that the Embassy has failed to substantiate its allegation that Greene benefits from criminal enterprises. We have briefed the president in general (ref A), but will not share sensitive law enforcement information that surely will be compromised. 4. (C) Despite Greene's popularity, expected negative donor reaction gives Jagdeo second thoughts about simply making the commissioner's appointment permanent. The president wants UK and IDB security sector reform proposals implemented on his terms--more equipment, less training--and he wants DEA assets in Guyana. Rather than risking direct confrontation over Greene, Jagdeo likely is using the press to cast the decision as a response to public demand rather than as a reflection of his own preference. Wanting it both ways is a hallmark of this administration. The Ambassador and his counterparts from the British and Canadian High Commissions will continue to voice concern about Greene's suitability, but their appeals are unlikely at this point to sway Jagdeo from taking the popular course. 5. (C) Comment: Henry Greene is corrupt but he is more effective than his predecessor in controlling the streets. The president is happy in the role of Pontius Pilate and is betting that the donors ultimately will work out some accommodation with the commissioner. He is probably right. We will not rehabilitate Greene, but we will have to cooperate with his police force if he becomes permanent.

ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/11/06GEORGETOWN1180.html 06GEORGETOWN1180, EMBATTLED PCNR TO DISCUSS LEADERSHIP ISSUES Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1180 Created 2006-11-08 18:33 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3698 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1180 3121833 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 081833Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4374 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0441 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0185 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2215 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0133 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 001180 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: EMBATTLED PCNR TO DISCUSS LEADERSHIP ISSUES Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (SBU) Summary: Persistent rumors that leader Robert Corbin is on his way out, as well as a public airing of complaints by some members of the party's youth arm, have recently dogged the opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNCR). After its dismal election showing, the PNCR appears to have passed out its meager winnings to the usual party bigwigs, losing the chance to launch the party's next generation of leaders. As the PNCR flounders in the public eye, Corbin has said that leadership will be an important theme at the party's General Council Meeting on November 18. End Summary. 2. (SBU) A recent spate of letters to the editor by members of the PNCR's youth wing, the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), reveal simmering discontent among some of the PNCR's younger members. The GYSM's main grievance is that after trumpeting the party's Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) and focusing on youth issues during the campaign, the

PNCR failed to name any GYSM members to the National Assembly. Faced with a reduced allotment of seats, the PNCR's backward-looking need to dole out rewards to longtime party faithful seems to have trumped its forward-looking need to cultivate the party's future leaders. Highlighting the opacity of the selection process for National Assembly members, Corbin refused to reveal the PNCR's "methodology" for naming its representatives, telling GYSM members that they were free to "ask questions in the right forum." 3. (SBU) Both the ruling People's Progressive Party/CIVIC (PPP/C) and the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) have been more successful in reaching out to youth. While the PPP/C certainly took care of its longtime stalwarts, the relatively youthful Jagdeo also appointed younger party members to ministerial positions. Frank Anthony, the head of the PPP's youth arm, the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport. With its upstart image, young leaders, and advocacy of fundamental change to Guyana's ethnically polarized political and social fabric, the AFC appealed directly to younger voters interested in bucking the status quo. 4. (SBU) Corbin has been unable to shake rumors that he is on the way out. The Stabroek News carried a story on October 24 reporting that Corbin did not intend to run for party leadership at the PNCR's Biennial Congress next year, and did not want to be the party's presidential candidate in 2011. Although the PNCR vigorously refuted the story, the newspaper's sources stuck to their claim. 5. (SBU) Corbin has said that party leadership issues will be up for discussion at the upcoming General Council meeting on November 18. In press reports, Central Executive Committee (CEC) members deflected attention from Corbin himself toward broader issues of party governance and strategy. CEC member Jerome Khan said that the party's defeat had "nothing to do with Corbin's baggage." According to CEC member Aubrey Norton, "if the party as an institution is functioning properly with all the mechanisms in place, it matters little who is, and who isn't the leader." 6. (C) Comment: Corbin may not be helping his party's cause, but the PNCR's problems certainly extend beyond his leadership. The party has yet to articulate a coherent strategy going forward, and seems to have postured itself in survival mode instead of investing in its next generation of leaders. End Comment. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2006/12/06GEORGETOWN1303.html 06GEORGETOWN1303, GUYANA'S TROUBLED FORESTRY SECTOR Reference ID 06GEORGETOWN1303 Created 2006-12-15 19:42 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO1803 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #1303/01 3491942 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 151942Z DEC 06 *** ZDS ZDS ZDS ZDS ZDS *** FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4519 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0453 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0191 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2220 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0270 RUEHST/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0204 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1022 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 324 RUEHHK/AMCONSOL HONG KONG 122 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GEORGETOWN 001303 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y BEIJING, HONG KONG SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID PGOV KCOR KFRD XB CH GY SUBJECT: GUYANA'S TROUBLED FORESTRY SECTOR REF: A. GEORGETOWN 00294 B. GEORGETOWN 00947 GEORGETOWN 00001303 001.2 OF 003 -ADDED SAN JOSE, BRASILIA,

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (C) Summary: Amid recent public outcry over unscrupulous business practices in Guyana's poorly monitored forestry sector, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has announced an investigation into allegations of transfer pricing. Despite some companies' official agreements with the GOG on providing

employment and economic growth via value-added exports, raw logs remain the most popular forest export. Due to special tax breaks for large concessionaires and conspicuous under-valuation of exports by some companies, Guyana earns less than US $5 for each exported raw log. While the transfer pricing probe and a soon-to-be-announced carbon trading scheme may allow Guyana to benefit from its forest resources in a more equitable and sustainable way, it remains to be seen whether upcoming forestry legislation revisions will address other pressing concerns in the forestry community, including corruption, use of timber companies as fronts for illegal activities, and exploitation of hinterland Amerindian communities. End Summary. ----------------------------------------RAW LOGS FAIL TO CREATE JOBS, TAX REVENUE ----------------------------------------2. (U) A recent public controversy has brought to light that two large transnational companies--the Malaysian/South Korean Barama Company Ltd and the Canadian/Hong Kong Jaling Forest Industries--may have failed to honor their agreements to export value-added products and hire Guyanese workers, and may have engaged in transfer pricing. Janette Bulkan, a Yale University Forestry PhD student and community and environmental activist, has calculated that most logs are valued for customs in Guyana at US $90 per cubic meter, while Asian importing countries report a value closer to US $380 per square meter. Bulkan estimates that this type of transfer pricing costs Guyana approximately US $3 million a month. 3. (C) Hamley Case, a member of the Guyana Forestry Commission Board who is also an opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament and PNCR Executive Committee member, advocates for gradual implementation of a total ban on raw log exports, and believes that companies should only be allowed to export species that cannot be turned into value-added products in Guyana. Case said that although there was some support in the Forestry Commission for such a ban, several Board members currently profiting from raw log exports were opposed. According to David Singh--the Director General of the Iwokrama International Center, an important national forest preserve--Ecuador is the only other country in South America besides Guyana which still allows raw log exports. 4. (C) On December 8, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and Commissioner of Forests James Singh held a press conference to announce an investigation into allegations of transfer pricing. A report on the investigation is expected in January. Persaud told EmbOffs that the probe was not a response to public pressure--his office and the GFC had suspected transfer pricing for some time, but had not had any

evidence. Persaud also said he had made it clear to Barama that they needed to pay normal tax rates for timber harvested outside their duty-free concession. Persaud said that the draft Forestry Bill he had just received will establish a system for controlling log exports. He considers a complete ban on log exports financially unfeasible, but supports a ban on the export of species that can be converted into value-added products in Guyana. --------------------------------------------- ----------SOME CHINESE "TIMBER WORKERS" HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHAINSAW --------------------------------------------- ----------5. (C) Bulkan and John Palmer--the former director of the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DFID) Forestry Research Program in Guyana--claim that several Chinese companies in Guyana are using their timber operations as a front to facilitate the onward travel of illegal Chinese immigrants. Companies have allegedly brought in Chinese workers for their timber operations who raised local eyebrows with their obvious lack of expertise in chainsaw operation or GEORGETOWN 00001303 002.2 OF 003

other relevant trades. Former Minister of Home Affairs Gail Teixeira previously told ConOff that she had received several applications for large groups of Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis allegedly coming to work in Guyana's timber industry. Suspecting that these third-country nationals were really attempting to travel further north, Teixeira began reviewing all such applications personally. 6. (C) According to Persaud, companies are required to prove that foreign staff provide expertise which is not available locally. He admitted, however, that enforcement was difficult on the ground--nobody checks if somebody brought in as an expert machinist ends up driving a truck. Companies are allowed 15% foreign staff, with a higher allowance for the first three years of operation. According to Persaud, Jaling is the only company not currently adhering to the 15% limit. Jaling officials told Persaud that their foreign staff currently represented 16-17% of the workforce, and promised to meet the 15% requirement by next year. --------------------------------------------- -----------AMERINDIAN COMMUNITIES VULNERABLE TO BRIBES, EXPLOITATION --------------------------------------------- -----------7. (C) Bulkan, Palmer, and Singh all agreed that Amerindians living in the remote interior in a non-cash-based subsistence economy are extremely vulnerable to bribery, and can be persuaded to sign away their rights to community lands for a low price. A former Commonwealth forester working in the

interior told PolOff that a group of Amerindians had approached him for advice on contracts proposed to them by smaller Chinese logging companies. The forester advised the Amerindian communities not to sign the contracts, which were extremely one-sided. Bulkan and Palmer have recommended that the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs provide a legal advisor and require that any Amerindian community wishing to sign a contract involving use of their titled lands have the contract vetted before signing. Persaud said that while Amerindian communities were allowed to sign contracts regarding their titled lands with anybody they chose, every company was subject to the same forestry guidelines, and in practice many of the companies contracting with Amerindian communities had already been vetted by the government due to their operations in other areas of Guyana. 8. (C) According to Singh, there is great commercial timber interest in the North Rupununi Wetlands, a large forested area directly south of the Iwokrama preserve. Although the local North Rupununi District Development Board is interested in partnering with Iwokrama to harness the forest's potential in a sustainable manner, there are many other suitors, including several Chinese companies. Logs harvested in this area could potentially be shipped to Brazil rather than to Guyana's coastland, bypassing a difficult river crossing at the other side of the Iwokrama territory. Portions of the North Rupununi Wetlands are titled to Amerindian communities, and Singh noted that even the provision of free meals could potentially earn the loyalty of local Village Councils. Singh had seen a blank contract offered to a local Amerindian community by a subsidiary of Jaling. --------------------------------------------- --USAID ENCOURAGES EXPANSION OF VALUE-ADDED SECTOR --------------------------------------------- --9. (U) USAID's Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project is administering a program of market linkage activities in the wood products sector. GTIS facilitated International Wood Products Association (IWPA) membership for Guyana's Forest Product Marketing Council (FPMC), and accompanied FPMC representatives at IWPA's annual Fair in Arizona in April. GTIS estimates that contracts generated at this event have already created over US $4 million in new wood product exports, and are likely to reach US $15 annually. The GTIS project focuses on developing non-traditional, value-added exports and providing technology and employment boosts for local companies through linkages with international partners. Iwokrama is also attempting to launch a sustainable-use timber program focusing on value-added products, but has not yet been able to find a business partner willing to come up with the required US $2.5 million initial investment.

-------------------------CARBON CREDITS COMING SOON GEORGETOWN 00001303 003.2 OF 003

-------------------------10. (C) Minister of Agriculture Persaud told EmbOffs that Guyana had already signed an MOU with the UK-based Chatham House to launch Guyana on international carbon-trading markets. A reserve of 1.7 million hectares near the border with Suriname has been set aside for carbon trading purposes. Persaud said that he was expecting revenues of $100 million annually via trading on the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and possibly the Chicago Stock Exchange. Persaud said that the deal was still being finalized, but he expected to make it public in the near future. ------COMMENT ------11. (C) Comment: Carbon credits and expansion of value-added exports could help Guyana maximize sustainable benefits from its enormous forest resources. Yet without political will to create and enforce a comprehensive system of controls in the forestry sector, an unregulated industry is likely to continue taking a toll on Guyana's environment, security, indigenous citizens, and public coffers. End Comment. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/01/07GEORGETOWN59.html 07GEORGETOWN59, VAT AND CASINO GAMBLING CAUSE PUBLIC DISCORD AND Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN59 Created 2007-01-16 19:39 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO9133 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0059/01 0161939 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 161939Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4654 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000059 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 TAGS: EFIN KCOR SNAR PGOV GY SUBJECT: VAT AND CASINO GAMBLING CAUSE PUBLIC DISCORD AND POLITICAL DISSENT REF: GEORGETOWN 27 Classified By: DCM Michael D. Thomas, Reason 1.4(D) 1. (SBU) Summary: The PPP/C government,s sloppy implementation of VAT and heavy-handed efforts to legalize casino gambling are giving rise to public discontent and fueling internal dissent within the party. End Summary. 2. (U) The difficult introduction of VAT in Guyana was reported reftel. Adding to its January woes, last week the PPP/C government tabled in Parliament the Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Bill, the effect of which would be to legalize casino gambling. The pending gambling legislation has been a matter of public debate--almost all negative--for several months. The Government,s public and private reaction has been that it will push the gambling bill through Parliament regardless. (Note: The government,s public musings on possible criteria for casino licenses suggest that only one hotel would be eligible: "Buddy's Hotel" currently under construction next to the new cricket stadium. The owner, Omprakash &Buddy8 Shivraj, is a suspected money-launderer and business partner of indicted narcotrafficker Roger Khan. In late 2005 Shivraj was charged with two counts of fuel smuggling. The irony of the apparent GoG intention to hand a casino license to a businessman who has already been arrested

for financial crimes has not been lost on civil society.) 3. (SBU) At an early-January dinner party Opposition Leader Robert Corbin told opposition politicians that the PNCR would not agitate against the VAT because VAT implementation issues would work themselves out. However, a week later on January 12 the PNCR issued a Public Statement saying that "It is time to shut the country down for a day or two" as a protest of the Government's "uncaring implementation" of the VAT and introduction of a bill in Parliament that would legalize casino gambling. The PNRR statement did not name a date for the action. However, high and increasing levels of public discontent over the VAT and widespread opposition to legalized gambling that crosses religious (Christian/Hindu/Muslim) and ethnic (Indo/Afro) line puts the PNCR in the fairly unique position of having traction on issues at the top of public consciousness. 4. (C) The gambling and VAT issues are also causing schisms within the ruling party. PPP Executive Committee Member Reepu Damon Persaud, who is also leader of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, joined leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities in December in speaking out publicly against the proposed gambling legalization. Earlier this week at a Chinese Embassy function, PPP Executive Committee member Komal Chand (General Secretary of Guyana,s largest union) joined a conversation between DCM, the leader of the Afro-Guyanese dominated and PNC-alligned Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), and the Indo-Guyanese Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce. The businessman was detailing his trials and tribulations with the government and the VAT. At one point, Chand said &That is the sort of thing we agitated against for decades; I am not going to condone it now.8 5. (C) In conversation about VAT and gambling at the same party mentioned in para 3, Joey Jagan related that his mother, PPP founder Janet Jagan, complains that President Jagdeo no longer listens to her. Another source with good access reports that the January 5 meeting of the PPP Executive Committee was marked by great discord over Jagdeo,s apparant anointment of Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud as the presumed PPP candidate for president in the next elections. 6. (C) Comment: After their slaughter in the August polls, the PNCR has been searching for issues that can give it traction. The PPP/C government,s sloppy implementation of VAT and ham-fisted pushing of casino-gambling has handed the PNCR two. The PNCR statement is more of a feeler than an immediate call for action, but does show that the PNCR has begun to explore taking a more active opposition role. The questions now are how hard the GoG will push casino gambling in the face of widespread public discontent, how effectively

the GoG can make up for its misleading VAT public relations campaign, and whether the PNCR can formulate an alternative plan of action for VAT that will resonate with the furious Indo-Guyanese business community as well as the angry public. 7. (C) Comment continued: That Janet Jagan has lost her grip on Jagdeo is not really news, nor is Joey Jagan,s propensity to air family business in public. On the other hand, both Persaud and Chand are decades-long members of the PPP Executive Committee from the Cheddi Jagan wing of the party. For them to speak out against party policy in such a manner GEORGETOWN 00000059 002 OF 002

is an almost unprecedented violation of party discipline. For years the PPP was riven into two factions: the Cheddi wing and the Janet wing. The complaints from both sides suggest to us that lame-duck Jagdeo has solidified his independence from the old guard. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/01/07GEORGETOWN110.html 07GEORGETOWN110, GOVERNMENT PULLS ADS FROM INDEPENDENT DAILY Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN110 VZCZCXYZ0038 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0110 0262015 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 262015Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4717 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000110 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PULLS ADS FROM INDEPENDENT DAILY REF: GEORGETOWN 915 1. (SBU) Summary: Citing the paper's supposedly falling circulation figures, GOG recently stopped placing state advertisements in the independent Stabroek News. During the 2006 election campaign, President Jagdeo and ruling party officials repeatedly accused Stabroek News of criticizing the government and favoring the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC). Although GOG continues to maintain that the ad withdrawal was a purely commercial decision, the move has drawn sharp criticism both locally and abroad. End Summary. 2. (U) In a January 15 press release, Stabroek News reported that the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, had ordered the Government Information Agency (GINA) to stop booking new advertising with the paper. According to Editor-in-Chief David deCaires, GINA had already begun reducing the number of bookings starting in November 2006. DeCaires called GINA's decision "an apparent reversal of its policy of respect for freedom of expression" and "an attack on the free press." 3. (SBU) GINA's immediate counter-press-release defended the decision to withdraw government advertising from Stabroek News, arguing that Kaieteur News is now the largest private newspaper in Guyana, and emphasizing the government's need to Created 2007-01-26 20:15 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

maximize its advertising dollar. (Note: Kaieteur News does not audit its circulation figures. End Note.) GINA said that the government now intends to advertise in only one private paper alongside its advertising in the government-owned Guyana Chronicle, although the government also continues to advertise in the People's Progressive Party/CIVIC (PPP/C)-owned Mirror. In a subsequent press release, GINA denied Gopaul's involvement in the ad withdrawal. Speaking with the press, President Jagdeo insisted that the policy change was "purely a business decision" and was not handled at the presidential level. He also promised that Gopaul would bring legal action against "some of these people who have tainted him." 4. (SBU) Jagdeo, Prime Minister Sam Hinds, and PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar repeatedly and publicly criticized SIPDIS Stabroek News during the 2006 election campaign, accusing the paper of anti-government bias. Jagdeo accused deCaires of creating the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) as a front party to get into government "through the back door without facing the polls." 5. (U) GINA's ad withdrawal has been condemned by the AFC, the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), the Guyana Press Association (GPA), the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association. Regionally and internationally, Reporters without Borders, the International Press Institute, and the Association of Caribbean Media have criticized the government's action. 6. (SBU) Comment: At best, the GOG's withdrawal of advertising from Stabroek News represents a ham-fisted public relations fiasco. At worst, it constitutes a misguided attack on press freedom from a government with a history (reftel) of monopolizing media resources. End Comment. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/02/07GEORGETOWN141.html# 07GEORGETOWN141, GUYANA PREPARES FOR FIRST PETROCARIBE OIL DELIVERY Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN141 Created 2007-02-07 20:16 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO1090 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0141/01 0382016 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 072016Z FEB 07 *** ZDS ZDS ZDS *** FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4751 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0473 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GEORGETOWN 000141 SIPDIS **** C O R R E C T E D SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2017 TAGS: EPET PREL ENRG PBTS XL VE GY SUBJECT: GUYANA PREPARES FOR FIRST PETROCARIBE OIL DELIVERY GEORGETOWN 00000141 001.2 OF 003 Reason: 1.4 b C O P Y ****

Classified by Ambassador David M. Robinson. and d. -------Summary: --------

1. (U) Petrocaribe is making its formal debut in Guyana in May amid unrealistic expectations. Optimistic Guyanese government leaders are prepared to reap its promised benefits but unprepared for the logistics and ramifications of doing business under the untested program. GoG officials also expect Venezuela to write off the 40 percent concessional financing. Meanwhile, Venezuela,s President Chavez may be paying a visit to Guyana in the near future and has invited Guyana,s President Jagdeo to take part in an Energy Conference in Caracas in April.

------------------------------------------A Deal Hard to Match and Too Good to Be True ------------------------------------------2. (U) Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) CEO Joseph O,Lall signed the Petrocaribe bilateral contract January 23 in Caracas and is preparing for Guyana,s first delivery of PetroCaribe products in May. If it happens, the oil will come almost two years after Prime Minister Samuel Hinds signed the Petrocaribe energy cooperation agreement in September 2005. ------------Hedging Bets ------------3. (C) Guyana plans to purchase 5,200 barrels of refined oil a day from Petrocaribe, roughly 50 percent of its requirements. The range of refined products will include diesel, gas, kerosene and fuel oil. O,Lall said he favored importing all of Guyana,s fuel needs under the plan, but Jagdeo and Prime Minister Hinds balked at the idea of putting "all of their eggs in one basket." The prime minister told the DCM that the government provided no advance notice to Trinidad and Tobago before signing the pact, but noted that Trinidad and Tobago is concerned about the new Petrocaribe dynamic. In addition to diversifying Guyana,s oil sources, O,Lall said that they wanted to maintain the country,s business relationship with Trinidad and Tobago, and, therefore, will split the country,s oil requirements between the two. Rodney Gun-Munro, ESSO,s lead country manager for Guyana and Suriname, underscored O,Lall,s concern, saying that Trinidad and Tobago made it clear that if Guyana sources 100 percent of its oil needs via Petrocaribe, Trinidad and Tobago may not come to the rescue if Guyana encounters fuel sourcing issues in the future. ----------------------------------------Reliable Delivery -- Only Time Will Tell ----------------------------------------4. (SBU) The delivery mechanism under Petrocaribe raises concerns for oil vendors: Under the plan, vendors in Guyana -- Texaco, Sol, Esso and parastatal Guyoil -- will send requirements and GEORGETOWN 00000141 002.2 OF 003

dates for pick up to GEA. GEA sends the order to PDVSA on the 10th of the month. April 10 is the date first Petrocaribe orders are due. The local companies will provide a three-day window for pickup at PDVSA Curacao refinery. The Guyana-based oil companies will pay GEA in local currency 30 days after the bill of lading is received.

5. (SBU) According to Gun-Munro, GEA did not solicit input from local oil companies before embarking on the Petrocaribe plan but companies were notified a week before press reports on the signing of the bilateral contract. He says the arrangement appears to be similar to how Guyana purchased oil from 1984 - 2002. Overall, ESSO is concerned about several issues: quality, delivery logistics and reliability. At present, Gun-Munro says ESSO has a very reliable supply contract in place with its affiliate Exxon-Mobil Trading, which now delivers the oil to Guyana. It appears that Venezuela will allow GEA to send a ship owned by a third party to retrieve and deliver the oil for ESSO orders. ESSO expects Exxon-Mobil Trading to continue to handle cargo transmission for its oil. At present, title will transfer to ESSO upon loading onto the vessel, but ESSO would like title to remain with its affiliate until it receives the oil at its facility. (Note: Usually Venezuela ships manage Petrocaribe oil delivery, but its tankers are too large to enter the shallow Demerara River where the oil companies, storage facilities are situated.) --------------------------------------------- Complicating Factors -- International Financing Institutions --------------------------------------------- 6. (C) Although uncertain of the specifics, both O,Lall and the prime minister said Petrocaribe financing calls for a 60 percent cash payment with the remainder being secured with a long-term, low-interest loan (2 percent interest or less depending upon the price of oil). O,Lall says he fully anticipates that Venezuela will write off the loan payment at some point. Guyana is part of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and, according to O,Lall, under International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionality rules, any loan agreement that Guyana takes out must have a grant component that cannot be less than 35 percent. There is also a ceiling stipulating how much Guyana can borrow, and Guyana is close to that ceiling. If Guyana should lose IMF conditionality, the country would essentially lose all Western loan sources, including the World Bank, IMF and the Interamerican Development Bank. (IMF ended its program in Guyana in September 2006 but is considering starting a new program.) According to the prime minister, before O,Lall signed the agreement, Minister of Finance Ashni Singh traveled to Venezuela separately to work out the financial formula that would ensure IMF conditions were preserved. --------------Border Disputes --------------7. (SBU) The Guyana-Venezuelan political dynamic, which includes border disputes and a history of broken oil trade

contracts, suggests that easy financing may come with its own consequences. Venezuela has a long-standing border dispute with Guyana, claiming territory up to the Essequibo River. Entering into a highly subsidized oil contract could complicate Guyana,s negotiating position, should the dispute become active again. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds recently told the DCM that there hadn,t been any progress regarding the border dispute and added that when the government previously approached Venezuela about the purchase of oil, top-level Venezuelan leaders averred that exporting oil to Guyana,s Region 1 (a part of the region in dispute that is adjacent to Venezuela) would be inconsistent with Venezuela,s claim. Hinds thinks it will have to be resolved in a world court where he predicted the 1899 Paris Tribunal decision would be validated. On the other hand, O,Lall said he thought the border dispute issue was on the back burner for Venezuela but then suggested that Chavez is ready to sign an agreement stating the border issue has been settled. -------------------------------Affordable Energy Holds the Key -------------------------------GEORGETOWN 00000141 003.2 OF 003

8. (C) O,Lall pointed out that providing affordable energy is the key to addressing Guyana,s status as a poor country, indicating a higher consumption of energy equals a higher standard of living. Guyana has a multitude of renewable energy sources, including wind, hydropower, solar, biomass, and bagasse. O,Lall was frustrated at the lack of commitment from government leaders regarding alternative energy development in general. Specifically, in regard to the Amalia Falls hydropower project, he commented that the politicians "can,t see beyond their noses." He urged U.S. Embassy assistance in encouraging Guyana leaders to push alternative energy development. 9. (SBU) The prime minister told the DCM that costly, but reliable, petroleum is Guyana,s best option for energy. He believes hydropower is not sufficiently attractive at this point, but conceded that as oil prices continue to rise, it does become more feasible. There are other factors to consider: With hydropower, for instance, there is the added responsibility of ensuring that communities in the region where hydropower is being developed -- primarily Amerindian villages -- are not flooded. The prime minister also noted that wind power is unpredictable at best. --------------------------------------------- ------Comment: Short-sighted Solutions or Path to Further

Collaboration? --------------------------------------------- ------10. (C) In the last 30 years, Guyana has bounced back and forth between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago as its primary source for oil imports. Since 2002, Trinidad and Tobago has been supplying the majority of Guyana,s oil needs. With oil prices skyrocketing in the last several years, the Petrocaribe offer proved too good to pass up, and so after watching and waiting as bilateral agreements with Jamaica, Belize and Suriname fell into place, Guyana finalized its own deal. But the end game may be to never pay back the 40 percent oil loan at all, as O,Lall revealed. In fact, the GoG prides itself on getting others to relinquish its debt obligations. 11. (C) (Comment continued): Meanwhile, according to press reports, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there could be as much as 15 billion barrels of oil resources in Guyana,s offshore waters -- a resource that could transform Guyana in unimaginable ways if its border dispute with Venezuela is resolved. The Petrocaribe deal positions Venezuela to collaborate with Guyana further in the exploration and refining of those resources. President Chavez has invited President Jagdeo to an Energy Conference scheduled to take place in Venezuela in April. The two may have a lot to discuss. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/02/07GEORGETOWN152.html 07GEORGETOWN152, JAGDEO HITTING CRITICS WHERE IT HURTS Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN152 Created 2007-02-08 18:32 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO2276 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0152 0391832 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 081832Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4763 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000152 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: JAGDEO HITTING CRITICS WHERE IT HURTS REF: GEORGETOWN 110 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(D) 1. (C) Summary: An escalating conflict between the GOG and the independent Stabroek News over a recent withdrawal of government advertisements (reported reftel) illustrates President Jagdeo's mounting willingness to lash out at critics with more than verbal attacks. As more groups condemn the ad withdrawal and Jagdeo sharpens his rebuttals, local and international observers are increasingly uneasy over the President's autocratic tendencies. End Summary. 2. (U) Stabroek News continues to complain bitterly about the government's advertising withdrawal. The paper has promised to publish a daily protest banner on its front page until the government recants, and carries a new story of support from an international press organization almost every day. The most recent backers of Stabroek News%cause include the Commonwealth Press Union and the Inter-American Press Association. Both characterized the government's action as an attack against freedom of the press. Meanwhile, Stabroek News has announced that the state corporations Guyana Power and Light and Guysuco also have stopped booking advertisements.

3. (SBU) Jagdeo has gone public with his criticism of Stabroek News' campaign, calling it "sad and pathetic." He continues to insist that the decision to withdraw advertising was purely commercial, and has accused Stabroek News of painting a false picture of events to win sympathy abroad. In fact, Jagdeo's explanation narrowly conforms with the letter of the law, which demands only that the GoG place its ads in at least one private sector newpaper in addition to government-controlled media outlets. But almost all observers recognize that pulling the ads from the only articulate critic of the administration is a punitive slap, not a financial move, and it may be working. The other two major dailies' coverage of the story generally is more sympathetic to the President than to their angry competitor. 4. (C) Well-respected businessman and former Private Sector Commission Head Yesu Persaud told the Ambassador and the Canadian High Commissioner that he and others were deeply concerned by Jagdeo's recent behavior. Persaud was particularly troubled by Jagdeo's apparent willingness to hit his critics in the pocketbook, rather than merely lambasting them in public as he has done in the past. Similarly, major donor chiefs of mission--including the British, Canadians, IMF, World Bank, IDB, UNDP and us--agreed at a recent donors' lunch that the ad controversy is just the latest in a growing list of moves by Jagdeo to consolidate power in himself. Even the old guard in the People's Progressive Party, Jagdeo's own platform, is privately critical of the President's dismissive attitude toward it and other political and governmental institutions. 5. (C) Comment: Our collective concern about an increasingly arrogant chief executive is unlikely to cause Jagdeo much heartburn. He faces a neutered opposition, a docile parliament, and a tame press - with Stabroek News the lone vocal exception. The major donors chiefs of mission, including the Ambassador, are coordinating talking points for public and private use encouraging the president and his inner circle to keep their campaign pledge for greater democratic inclusion in a robust reform program. The real opportunity to make that point will come when Jagdeo asks for help, as we expect he will, in holding local elections either later this year or early in 2008. We should insist that specific electoral and constitutional reforms are in place before taking out our wallet. In the meantime, some conditionality associated with (IDB) debt relief is a lever we should only reluctantly drop. End Comment. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/03/07GEORGETOWN267.html 07GEORGETOWN267, SEVENTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN267 Created 2007-03-12 20:47 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3044 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0267/01 0712047 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 122047Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4899 INFO RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 4322 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0486 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1040 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 3997 RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 1233 RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 GEORGETOWN 000267 SIPDIS G/TIP G INL DRL PRM IWI WHA/PPC - MICHAEL PUCCETTI SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF ELAB KCRM KWMN KFRD GY SUBJECT: SEVENTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ASSESSMENT - GUYANA REF: (A)STATE 202745 1. (SBU) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of information requested in reftel for the 2007 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report. --------------------------------------------- -Begin Report: Overview of country's activities

to eliminate trafficking in persons: --------------------------------------------- -A. Most trafficking in persons (TIP) in Guyana occurs internally although post has received reports of limited trans-border trafficking of victims destined for Suriname, Barbados, Trinidad, Venezuela, Brazil and the United States. Within Guyana, trafficking reportedly occurs in the interior of the country, where government oversight is light and law enforcement is lacking. Statistical data is limited, but an International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey of 58 informants in June 2005 cited 12 examples of trafficking for forced labor, 24 examples of trafficking for prostitution, and 8 cases of trafficking for purposes of domestic servitude. A typical trafficking profile involves young women from the rural interior, primarily of Amerindian (indigenous) descent, who receive promises to work in rum shops and restaurants on the coast and are then forced to work without compensation or to provide sexual services. The IOM's assessment also found instances of trafficking for purposes of forced labor that involved sawmill operators or land-grant owners taking Amerindian men and boys from their communities and forcing them to engage in debt bondage. For instance, according to a representative of the Amerindian People's Association, in the Demerara area, three or four Amerindian men employed in the logging business reported that they were not being paid at all for three months. According to a newspaper article, the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues conveyed her concern about the issue and was considering publishing the names of the timber companies or looking into the possibility of pulling concession licenses from the timber companies in question. Sources of information used to compile this report include the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security (M0LHSSS), the Guyana Police Force, Help and Shelter, the Amerindian People's Association, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), Red Thread, the IOM, and members of Parliament representing both the government and the opposition. (Note: The Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security appointed a new Minister of Human Services and Social Security in Septmeber 2006, who now has the lead for TIP activities.) B. Guyana has made progress in moving beyond acknowledging TIP as a problem and identifying cases to actively prosecuting traffickers and assisting victims. The government has charged several persons under the Combating Trafficking in Persons Act of 2005. As mentioned in previous years, there is political will to address trafficking in persons issues. Significant efforts in the reporting period included continued training for volunteers - teachers, nurses, police and other community development social workers who help identify trafficking crimes at the community level. Since last year's report, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security carried out 2 training sessions at various sites across the country that reached an additional 55 participants. (From 2005 to June 2006, the ministry

organized 12 workshops for a total of 416 volunteer participants.) The ministry also continued outreach and sensitization campaigns to Amerindian communities. (Since the awareness program began in July 2004, 4,400 people have participated in the program in 30 vulnerable communities. There were 27 TIP reports filed by these communities since the campaign began with five of those reports being filed in 2007.) However, despite overt political will, Guyana's capacity to secure convictions remains limited. The GOG's designated TIP coordinator reports that rural magistrates are unfamiliar with trafficking in persons law, and cases tried in Georgetown move at an GEORGETOWN 00000267 002 OF 007

excruciatingly slow pace amidst Guyana's heavily-backlogged judicial system. In addition, contacts in the interior report little active law enforcement activity. TIP enforcement in Guyana is still very much reactive. Post has observed little change in the general modus operandi of traffickers. Destinations for trafficked persons tend to center around transportation and commercial centers, notably in the interior logging and mining communities and also in the Corentyne River region. Young, impoverished Amerindian women from rural areas remained the major target, and they are recruited into jobs as waitresses at restaurants or rum shops, as domestic workers, or as salesclerks that ultimately involved sexual exploitation and uncompensated labor. In some instances, victims are forcibly abducted. According to Amerindian representatives, they have received reports from communities in Region One, a mining area, that indicate that school children as young as 13 were being used for prostitution with parental consent. The traffickers tend to be small business owners. Persons trafficked to the United States use false documents or travel as impostors, however, most trans-border trafficking involved movement without any documents. Guyanese men and women are also trafficked to the United States for prostitution and forced or coerced labor. Young Guyanese women who use the services of alien smugglers while trying to enter the United States are exposing themselves to rape or assault by the smugglers. C. An inability to access rural communities in which the majority of TIP activity occurs, and the costs required to do so in a timely manner, are major limitations. In addition, the government's capacity to prosecute cases is limited. At the close of 2006, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand called for speedy trials in TIP cases and urged police to do more to create the right atmosphere to make people feel more confident in reporting TIP crimes. She also said that the ministry is preparing a report on how various agencies can improve their response to TIP cases. Post does not have substantiated information on corruption as it specifically relates to trafficking in persons. Last year, the GOG provided approximately US$30,000 to fund Help and Shelter, a

victim services provider. USAID and UNICEF have also contributed resources for victim assistance. D. The MOLHSSS, the designated lead agency in the GOG's anti-TIP efforts, issued a "Review of Counter Trafficking in Persons Activities 2004-2005" in January 2006 that included information on legislation, law enforcement activities, public awareness and sensitization programs, and victim protection efforts. The report also included an assessment of challenges and emerging needs that mainly focused on policing the vast hinterland and reaching out to Amerindian communities. In addition, the ministry periodically released activity reports for its Counter Trafficking in Persons Unit , which included dates, locations, and number of participants for its public awareness and training efforts. ----------PREVENTION: ----------A. The GOG continued to recognize trafficking in persons as a problem and worked with the USG, the IOM, UNICEF and other stakeholders to combat it. TIP is regularly referenced in newspapers, and the 2007 budget committed additional funds for upgrading police programs including the force's ability to address TIP issues. B. The Ministry of Labor, Human Services, and Social Security (MOLHSSS)is the designated lead agency for the GOG's anti-trafficking efforts. A three-person Counter-TIP Unit within the MOLHSSS coordinates the GOG's efforts under the supervision of Minister Priya Devi Manickchand. In addition, the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Home GEORGETOWN 00000267 003 OF 007

Affairs, the Forestry Commission, and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) actively participate in GOG's anti-TIP efforts. Together with local non-government organizations, these government ministries formed a coalition in 2004 that meets to address trafficking in persons issues. C. The MOLHSSS has held a series of seminars since July 2004 to sensitize the public about trafficking in persons. In 2005 the ministry launched a public awareness campaign that included an estimated 56 articles in various publications, radio programs, and meetings with prominent stakeholders in the religious, mining, business, and local government communities. Most of these activities have focused on potential victims and victim identification. In the past year, there have been TIP education television and radio programs as well. A call-in radio program addressing TIP issues directed to residents in the Essequibo region in January resulted in three TIP reports from the region within two days. Moreover, in anticipation of growing trafficking

vulnerabilities during the Cricket World Cup games scheduled to take place in Guyana from March 27, 2007, to April 9, 2007, the ministry's Counter-TIP Unit coordinated a campaign aimed at businesses located along the main corridor road stretching from the international airport to Georgetown. (The New Providence Stadium where the CWC games will be played is located on the same road.) The Counter-TIP Unit staff handed out brochures and flyers, provided information on Guyana labor laws and warned business owners that the ministry would be back to follow-up. D. In January 2006, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Partners of the Americas launched a U.S. Department of Labor-funded US$2 million program to combat child labor through education. The program focuses on re-entry of truant children into the school system, an awareness campaign to sensitize parents, educators, and other stakeholders of the worst forms of child labor and the importance of education. The Government of Guyana has also provided seed money to families to assist with school expenses, trained social workers in trafficking awareness, and promoted vocational education programs to potential trafficking targets. It also sponsors a domestic violence sensitization and victim assistance program through Help and Shelter. The domestic violence public awareness program includes a TIP component. The NGO Red Thread works with women to improve economic decision-making: efforts that are generally lauded by the GOG. The GPF works with the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) to provide human rights training to officers outside of Georgetown and to new police officers during their orientation training. GHRA provides the training free of charge. The government also sponsors microenterprise and sewing and craft programs to provide income for vulnerable groups. E. As reported in previous submissions, some NGO relationships with the GOG are strained, while others are getting stronger. Help and Shelter enjoys a positive relationship with the MOLHSSS. The ministry's Counter-TIP Unit referred four victims of trafficking to Help and Shelter for counseling in 2006. The GHRA collaborates with the GOG on training and identification, and in April 2006, the GHRA gave the GPF a new Human Rights Training manual. The GHRA argues that the GOG should be more proactive in TIP enforcement. Contacts who represent Amerindian communities have echoed this claim and report less satisfaction with government responses to the issue, stating that there are no new visible efforts in the last year regarding the issue. F. The GOG's immigration record-keeping system is antiquated, and the GOG does not make a concerted effort to cull travel patterns for evidence of trafficking. To Post's knowledge, most of the trans-border human trafficking activity occurs across the country's porous borders with Suriname and Brazil, making efforts to screen for potential trafficking victims along borders extremely difficult. The Counter-Tip Unit provided training for the Ministry of Home Affairs to familiarize immigration officers with ways to identify trafficking victims.

GEORGETOWN 00000267

004 OF 007

G. The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit within the MOLHSSS is the designated government office for TIP concerns, with Technical Officer, Javed Shadick as the point of contact and Minister Priya Manickchand as the lead government official in charge. The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit works together with a coalition that coordinated an education and awareness campaign throughout 2006. In addition, according to the Counter-TIP Unit Technical Officer, the office is setting up a network that will put troubled communities in communication via telephone to stay informed on trafficking issues. All trafficking cases are referred to the GPF's Criminal Investigative Division. The GPF works closely with the Mininstry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security to provide care to victims of trafficking. Guyana does not have a public corruption task force. H. As reported in previous years, the GOG has a national plan of action to address TIP. The GOG, under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, consulted the GPF, the GGMC, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Women's Affairs Bureau, Red Thread, the GHRA, Help and Shelter, Ribbons of Life, a variety of local women's rights groups, and the International Organization for Migration to develop the plan. The National Plan of Action included a nationwide public awareness campaign. MOLHSSS estimates that roughly 4,400 participants have attended the town-hall type meetings in each of Guyana's 10 regions. The MOLHSSS worked with the IOM to train 416 trainers from all of the regions to return to their communities and raise awareness. The National Assembly passed the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill on December 13, 2004, as part of the plan. According to the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit, the office is looking to create an updated plan that will incorporate the latest community telephone networking proposal. --------------------------------------------INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: --------------------------------------------A. The Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act became law in 2005. In addition, perpetrators who kidnap or lure victims for purposes of sexual exploitation may be charged under Guyanese Criminal Law Chapter 8.01, Section 87 (forced detention-sex) and sections 72 and 73 (procurement). There is no new legislation to report this year. B. Those traffickers convicted on summary judgment(lesser offenses) are subject to prison terms of 3-5 years. Traffickers convicted on indictment (more serious offenses) are subject to prison terms of 5 years to life imprisonment. All convicted traffickers are subject to confiscation of property used or gained during the course of the crime and would be ordered to pay restitution to victims. In addition, convicted traffickers face:

-two additional years imprisonment if the person used, threatened to use, or caused another to use or threaten to use a dangerous weapon; -five additional years imprisonment if the victims suffers a serious bodily injury or if the crime involves sexual assault; -five additional years imprisonment if the trafficking victim was exposed to life threatening illness or was forced into any addiction to drugs and/or medication; -ten additional years imprisonment if the victim suffers a permanent or life-threatening injury; -three additional years imprisonment if the crime was organized by an organized criminal contingent; -four additional years imprisonment if the crime resulted from abuse of power or a position of authority. C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses carries the same penalties as trafficking for sexual exploitation. D. Guyanese criminal law calls for life imprisonment for rape, five years for sexual assault, and ten years for forced detention for purposes of sexual exploitation. However, judges have discretion in GEORGETOWN 00000267 005 OF 007

sentencing with 5 to 10 years imprisonment being the trend. This compares to a possible sentence of 5 years to life under the TIP Act. E. Prostitution, including the activities of the prostitute and the brothel owner/operator, clients, and pimps, are illegal in Guyana, but these laws are rarely enforced. In a case of sporadic enforcement, in September 2006, five Brazilian dancers were charged with performing indecent acts at a local nightclub. Some of the dancers were not able to present passports showing they were in Guyana legally. Later in the month, the owner of the club was charged with not having the requisite music and dancing licenses. According to the Office of Public Prosecution, the charges were dismissed against the women for want of prosecution. The National Assembly passed the Age of Consent Bill in October 2005, raising the age of consent from thirteen to sixteen years of age. F. To date, the government has secured no convictions under the Trafficking in Persons Act. Based on information provided by the MOLHSSS and the GPF, Post is aware of 12 people who have been charged under the act. Two cases were dismissed for want of prosecution, and the other cases are still pending before the excruciatingly slow Guyanese judicial system. Note: Often a dismissal for "want of prosecution" indicates that the victim did not attend the court hearing or the police failed to show. There were 27 TIP investigation reports filed since the government began tracking the issue in 2005.

G. Reports suggest traffickers are independent business people who typically lure victims into employment at their enterprises. Several recent arrests have involved cases where a business person collaborated with residents of rural areas who trafficked women from their community. Post has no reliable information on the direct involvement of government officials. H. According to the GPF, the police are not using electronic surveillance techniques. The main problem affecting investigations is the difficulty of gathering evidence in interior regions and the expense of those investigations. Also the ability of victims to keep court appointments also hinders prosecution. I. Police officers have attended the MOLHSSS's training sessions on TIP identification. In June 2006, six police officers and two employees from the Counter-TIP Unit within the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security participated in a two-week trafficking in persons training program in the Bahamas organized by the International Organization for Migration. However, contacts in the rural Rupununi region report that the police have little familiarity with recognizing or prosecuting TIP cases. In addition, rural magistrates are unfamiliar with the intricacies of TIP investigations. The Minister Manickchand is pursuing a proposal with the Chief Justice that would allow a magistrate in Georgetown to be the designated judicial official for TIP prosecutions. J. In previous years, the ministry has worked cooperatively with Barbados authorities to foil trafficking. The ministry also works closely with the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown to obtain information on potential Brazilian TIP victims. The previous year's submission referenced links with Suriname officials established in the wake of the discovery of women being trafficked into that country from Guyana. According to the point of contact with the MOLHSSS Counter-TIP Unit, in 2006, a young Guyanese woman answered an ad for domestic help in Trinidad. In Trinidad, the employer took her documents, did not compensate her and the job differed from what was advertised. When she complained, the employer sent her to Barbados (instead of Guyana) where she was deported back to Guyana at the point of entry. The Counter-Tip Unit of MOLHSSS is working with the Guyana Police Force and the case is ongoing. K. Guyana does not have a legal restriction on the extradition of its nationals. To date, Post is unaware of any requests to Guyana from other countries for extradition of suspects to face trafficking GEORGETOWN 00000267 in persons charges. L. There is no reliable evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level. The IOM's study does include one interview where an informant alleged that people are afraid to report trafficking to the police because 006 OF 007

the police in turn inform the proprietors where they received the information (See below). On a broader level, weak institutions and corruption have traditionally aided and abetted migrant smuggling in Guyana. M. The quality of the police force is at question: The director of public prosecution noted that in 2006 an Amerindian woman notified the police that her daughter was missing and that she had heard the daughter was working at a restaurant. The police officer went to the shop, found the girl, but instead of taking action, accepted a bribe from the owner of the restaurant and did nothing. The police officer was charged with corruption and the shopowner was also charged as the girl was not receiving money for her work. N. Guyana is not known to be a destination for child sex tourism. O. Guyana ratified ILO Convention 182 on January 15, 2001. Guyana ratified ILO Convention 29 and 105 on June 8, 1966. Guyana has not signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography or the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. ------------------------------------PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: ------------------------------------A. The MOLHSSS provided funding to renovate Help & Shelter's victim shelter, which reopened in late 2005. In addition, the MOLHSSS's Counter-TIP unit refers cases to probation officers who can make referrals for additional services. Help and Shelter also has a directory of relief services. According to the IOM, there is no legislation offering alternative treatment for illegal migrants where abuse is suspected. B. The MOLHSSS provided GY$6 million (US$30,000) to Help and Shelter to renovate its shelter in 2005. The 2007 budget included GY$1 million(US$5,000) for Help and Shelter. C. The MOLHSSS refers cases to Help and Shelter or Amerindian hostels. In 2006, the ministry referred four victims to Help and Shelter for counseling. Post notes that the intake forms at the shelter do not specifically inquire whether the client is a TIP victim, but the shelter's coordinator says that such information is usually indicated in the case notes. Children are typically returned to their parents. D. Much of the training for police officers has addressed treating victims with respect. Post reported in its 2005 submission that some trafficking victims from Suriname were detained for immigration violations. Post has not received additional reports of such incidents. E. There are no known restrictions on material witnesses' freedom of

movement. The GOG does not have a victim restitution program, and, while victims have the legal right to file a civil suit against a perpetrator, this has not been tested. Most cases take so long to prosecute that they die out before a judgment is rendered. F. Help and Shelter has a secret location where victims can be sheltered while their case is prosecuted. In addition to housing, the shelter provides counseling and medical services. G. Government officials have attended the MOLHSSS's workshops on TIP prevention as well as those held by IOM. In addition, two ministry representatives and representatives from two NGOs have attended GEORGETOWN 00000267 007 OF 007

overseas seminars hosted by IOM. The GOG has not engaged its handful of overseas missions and consulates in TIP matters. H. When the MOLHSSS encounters such cases, it refers the victims to Help and Shelter as well as to the social workers in the ministry's Counter-TIP Unit. The GOG also provides medical attention, housing, and repatriation allowances to victims. In the past, repatriated victims have been provided with housing at the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown before receiving funds to return to their communities. I. Help and Shelter opened its shelter in late 2005. In addition, Red Thread and GHRA work with victims of domestic abuse, HIV/AIDS, the sex trade, and trafficking victims. They provide HIV/AIDS testing, counseling, and shelter. While most NGOs have not as yet worked directly with trafficking victims, all have expressed their willingness to do so. USAID, UNICEF and the IOM have assisted these efforts. 2. Embassy Georgetown's point of contact is Nancy E. Long, Economic/Commercial Officer, telephone (592)226-4309, IVG 747-0220, fax (592) 227-0240. This report was drafted in 8 hours and related investigation and meetings involved 24 hours. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/03/07GEORGETOWN283.html 07GEORGETOWN283, JAGDEO ON HUMAN RIGHTS, DRUGS AND VENEZUELA Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN283 Created 2007-03-16 20:35 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO8145 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0283/01 0752035 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 162035Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4921 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1047 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0496 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0194 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000283 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON PBTS KCRM VE GY SUBJECT: JAGDEO ON HUMAN RIGHTS, DRUGS AND VENEZUELA Classified By: Ambassador David M. Robinson for reasons 1.5(d) 1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with President Bharrat Jagdeo in his office and at his request on March 15 to discuss the INCSR and Human Rights Report. Jagdeo objected to the methodology and tone of both documents, describing them as on-going irritants, and said he hoped to discuss their objectivity and impact at the June Conference on the Caribbean in Washington. The Ambassador described how the reports were compiled and said they accurately reflected source information. On Venezuela, Jagdeo said he questioned the regime's long-term stability and admitted he was relieved that Hugo Chavez was a no-show and unable to hijack the microphone at the June 3 Rio Group Summit in Georgetown. The President also said he will prod Chavez on the border dispute. That is unlikely. End Summary. 2. (C) President Bharrat Jagdeo called the Ambassador and asked for an immediate meeting to talk about the INCSR and Human Rights Report during the early afternoon on March 15. The President already had launched a public tirade at the media saturated opening of the Guyana Defense Forces officers conference about US hypocrisy when the documents were

released on March 8. Jagdeo described that earlier outburst as more show than substance but reasserted his conviction that both reports reflect rumor and guesswork more than hard information, particularly regarding money laundering related to drug trafficking. Jagdeo suggested that tax evasion and smuggling accounted for most of the underground economy and undocumented wealth in Guyana, including in the mildly booming construction industry. He also noted that many of the watchdog NGOs and other organizations contributing information to the report consist of one-or-two people with little background, no resources and sometimes questionable motives. 3. (C) The Ambassador acknowledged that reliable data was difficult to get in Guyana but noted that most of our information came from the GOG's own ministries, branches of the security services, and widely corroborated media reports. He said the information was as accurate as the sources and suggested that more transparency, especially in financial transactions, might improve quality. He also reminded the President that the challenges cited generally coincided with the GOG's own laundry list of "to do" items. Jagdeo said he would not quibble with reliable facts but still questioned our methodology and would like to discuss report card-type documents in general at the Conference on the Caribbean in June. 4. (C) Turning to Venezuela, Jagdeo said he thought Hugo Chavez's focus on the poor was admirable but that his hostile attitude toward private investors was reckless and not sustainable. Jagdeo added that he pared Guyana's PetroCaribe deal to half his cabinet's original proposal because he worried about long-term stability in Venezuela, especially if professional managers and other highly qualified people leave the country in frustration. Contrasting his own attitude as investor friendly, Jagdeo said he is encouraging foreign oil companies to begin exploring along both of Guyana's contested borders -- with Suriname and Venezuela. In response to the Ambassador's remark that this initiative seemed to be a shift in policy, Jagdeo said he would encourage a Bolivarian change of heart in Chavez by reminding him of his own public statement that the border dispute was the result of "imperialism." The President added that he was relieved when Chavez failed to show at the Rio Group Summit, saving the forum from becoming a prolonged harangue. In the same breath, Jagdeo lamented that high-level US officials do not come to Guyana and said he would welcome an Assistant Secretary level visit. The Ambassador agreed that a visit SIPDIS would be useful but likely was not on the immediate horizon. The discussion ended with a broad review of our PEPFAR and investment support programs.

5. (C) Comment: Jagdeo has a valid point about the quality of information on drug trafficking and money laundering. Nobody is looking very hard at Guyana and most of the local sources available to us are amateurish, including in the GOG. The President stops short of denying the problems exist, however, and credibly says he would welcome more resources and constructive engagement. It may be useful as a demonstration of good faith and partnership to let Jagdeo make his points at an appropriate level in Washington during the Caribbean Conference, but we should avoid holding out hope of more help. It would be wasted, at least until significant portions of the British-led, multi-million dollar GEORGETOWN 00000283 002 OF 002

security sector reform program are implemented and produce reliable counterparts. At the moment, there are none. 6. (C) Comment continued: On Venezuela, it seems unlikely Jagdeo will nudge Chavez about the border dispute and instead wants the oil companies to test Venezuela's sensitivity. While Jagdeo wants investment and sees the Rio Group Summit, the Cricket World Cup and the upcoming Commonwealth Finance Ministers Conference as his showcases, he does not want a confrontation from which he will be forced to back down. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/03/07GEORGETOWN288.html 07GEORGETOWN288, Civil Document Vulnerability Compromises Visa Security Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN288 Created 2007-03-20 21:01 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO0661 PP RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0288/01 0792101 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 202101Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4928 RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC INFO RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0025 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0726 RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000288 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE CA/VO FOR JUNE KUNSMAN CA/FPP FOR LARA HARRIS GUATEMALA FOR JOLEEN SCHWEITZER BOGOTA FOR RMO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS SMIG KCRM KFRD GY SUBJECT: Civil Document Vulnerability Compromises Visa Security Action request Ref: Nesbitt/Tuller and Kunsman/Tuller Conversations 6 Mar 2007 This cable contains an action request. ------Summary ------1. (U) Georgetown continues to wrestle with excessive fraud in all aspects of consular services. Longstanding issues such as sham marriages and engagements, corruption in the issuance of passports and civil documents, as well as more recent concerns involving fraud in HIV testing, complicate adjudication of visa and passport applications. New revelations about civil document issuance in Guyana and possible vulnerabilities in U.S.-based DNA testing give Post further cause for concern that petitions may inadvertently be approved and visas issued to persons who do not have the claimed qualifying relationship to the petitioner. Post is now requiring See paras 9 and 10.

chain of custody documents for DNA testing and is increasing the evidence of relationship required to prove a blood relationship. Post requests CA declare Guyanese civil documents unreliable and consult with the AABB on accreditation standards for parentage testing facilities. ------------------------Civil Documents in Guyana ------------------------2. (U) Guyana still uses a paper-based civil registry system, recording births, deaths and marriages in large ledgers that are stored haphazardly at the main office in the capital city. The process has many vulnerabilities: clerks are paid about US$100 per month, making them highly susceptible to bribes; the paper stock for civil documents has no security features and the paper, color, and format vary dramatically as the GOG bids out the contract each time more paper is required; access is not controlled to the dry seal. 3. (SBU) In mid-2004, the GOG changed the design of the dry seal die. At that time, due to concerns that the former version of the die had been competently forged by document vendors, Post began requesting newly-issued birth certificates as ConOffs believed the new seal had not yet been comprised. In the first year and a half that the new seal was in use, Post was detecting 5-10 fraudulent civil documents per week. However, for the past eight months or so, Post has only detected a handful of fraudulent documents. Post recently learned that the new 2004 die was made locally by a trophy store in Georgetown. Copies of the 2004 dry seal die are likely in the hands of the several well-established alien smuggling rings headquartered here that move Guyanese as well as Chinese and South Asia migrants to the United States and Canada. This would account for the greatly reduced numbers of fraudulent Guyanese civil documents Post is detecting. -----------------------------Vulnerabilities in DNA testing -----------------------------4. (U) Although Post recommends DNA testing in many immigrant visa applications, ConOffs are concerned about the integrity of the DNA process. Specifically, some AABB-accredited labs mail the petitioner's test kit to their residence and/or allow the petitioner to get their sample drawn at any facility of their choosing. A number of AABB-accredited labs do not send the chain of custody documents with the DNA results, making it impossible to verify where the sample was drawn and what identity documents were presented. 5. (U) Post recently surveyed the 43 AABB-accreditated parentage testing facilities listed on the AABB website. Consular staff were unable to contact 15 of the clinics, which appear to be out of business. Another facility no longer provides parentage testing services. A consular associate contacted the remaining 27 facilities, identifying herself as an employee of the US Embassy in

Georgetown, and aked about the facility's procedures for collecting samples. Of the 27 facilities that Consular staf were able to contact, only one requires the pettioner to go the facility to have the sample drawn. Several other facilities have contracts with lab that cover most of the US and petitioners must o to one of these labs for the sample draw. The ajority of facilities, however, stated that theywould send the sample collection kit to any physician, doctor, or "neutral" third-party lab to have he samples taken. Several facilities stated thatthey tried to kep this option as a last resort.When asked what that meant, several labs stated hat if the client lived more than thirty minutes frm the facility GEORGETOWN 00000288 002 OF 002

or if they preferred to have their family doctor take the samples, they would send the kit there. Several facilities also stated that they would send the kit to the client who could then have the samples taken by any physician. Post got the impression that while the facilities understand the chain of custody requirement, most do not realize that clients undergoing parentage testing for immigration purposes may have personal reasons to manipulate the results. 6. (U) The majority of the US-based Guyanese population resides in New York and NJ. The only AABB-accredited parentage testing facility in the NY/NJ area requires petitioners to come to their facility for the sample draw. Post has begun to see an increasing amount of NY and NJ-based petitioners using other facilities, however, in Washington, Ohio, Texas and elsewhere that do not have this requirement and do not forward chain of custody documents. While petitioners can, of course, select any AABB-accredited facility, the fact that an increasing number of petitioners are choosing facilities that are not near their place of residence and that have questionable chain of custody requirements is a concern. ------------Post response ------------7. (U) Consular chief worked with USAID to get a needs assessment conducted at the GRO by a USAID contractor. The Consular Chief is now working with USAID to obtain a new dry seal machine and die for the GRO. However, even with a new dry seal, forgers will retain the ability to create perfect birth/marriage certificates backdated to 2004-2007. 8. (U) Post has completely reconfigured the panel physician program and will be working with the panel physicians to ensure that DNA samples continue to be secure. ConOffs have also begun requiring chain of custody documents to be included with DNA results. Post receives many cases in which DHS required DNA testing prior to approval of the petition; Post will review chain of custody documents in these cases as well. Post has also begun requesting

additional evidence of relationship in visa categories founded on a blood relationship. Post already requires significant evidence of relationship in marital cases, but a legitimate marital relationship does not necessarily mean it is a legal one. ----------------------------Recommendations for CA Action ----------------------------9. (SBU) Given the vulnerability of Guyanese civil documents and the extreme level of fraud in Guyana, Post recommends CA alter the Guyana entry in the Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents schedule to note that Birth and Marriage Certificates are "Available, but unreliable. Guyanese birth and marriage certificates must be submitted with an immigrant visa petition/application, but will not be accepted as primary evidence of relationship." Petitioners needing to establish evidence of blood relationship should be required to provide substitute documentation and/or additional secondary evidence of relationship which may include results of DNA testing along with chain of custody documentation. 10. (SBU) Given concerns about the DNA testing process, Post recommends CA consult with the AABB regarding standards for accreditation of DNA testing laboratories. Those requirements should include sufficient safeguards to ensure the identity of persons having samples taken in the U.S. for purposes of supporting a visa petition or application. If AABB standards are not sufficient, and cannot be made sufficient, Post recommends that CA and DHS work with the AABB to create separate standards for DNA testing for immigration purposes and/or allow high-fraud posts to limit acceptable DNA testing facilities to those that require the petitioner to have the sample drawn on-sight. 11. (U) These recommendations have full Front Office support. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/04/07GEORGETOWN386.html 07GEORGETOWN386, HAPPILY NEVER AFTER: PRESIDENT TO DIVORCE Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN386 VZCZCXYZ0022 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0386 1072038 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 172038Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5089 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000386 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017 TAGS: PGOV GY SUBJECT: HAPPILY NEVER AFTER: PRESIDENT TO DIVORCE Classified By: CHARGE MICHAEL THOMAS FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 1. (C) SUMMARY: Ending public speculation regarding the status of their relationship, President Bharrat Jagdeo and First Lady Varshnie Jagdeo yesterday announced the end of their nine year marriage. The announcement came as a shock to no one-rumors of adultery, separation, and domestic violence have been rife for some time. END SUMMARY -----------------------------"ALL OUT" AT THE CRICKET MATCH -----------------------------2. (C) The tumultuous relationship of President Jagdeo and his wife came to a boil at the Cricket World Cup in Guyana last week. Apparently, the First Lady and her father showed up, uninvited, to the one of the cricket matches and were seated in the Presidential Box. An angry Jagdeo ordered his chief protocol officer to have her removed from the premises. The officer refused, and he was subsequently relieved of his duties and sent home. After the media got a hold of the story and began to ask questions, Jagdeo told them that he would "deal with that within two weeks time." A week later, the Jagdeos announced their pending divorce. ------------------------Created 2007-04-17 20:38 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ------------------------3. (C) Despite their gala wedding ceremony in 1998, many speculated that the marriage between Jagdeo and Varshnie was one of convenience. At the time, Jagdeo was an up-and-coming politician, rising through the ranks of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), and sitting on the doorstep of the presidency. It is rumored that Janet Jagan, then President of Guyana, persuaded Jagdeo to marry in order to project a more stable, family-oriented image. In fact, Varshnie, who was born and raised in the U.K., immediately went back to school in England following their wedding -- they lived apart for two years before she finally returned to Guyana. There have been all sorts of salacious rumors surrounding the Jagdeos' marriage. From the very beginning, it was common knowledge that Jagdeo continued to have girlfriends or other liaisons on the side. Varshnie is also believed to have been living with a boyfriend the last few years. The political opposition has also pushed the unlikely rumor that Jagdeo prefers men - in the last election, the leader of the opposition party, Robert Corbin, often insinuated in his campaign speeches that Jagdeo was gay. ----------------ME, MYSELF, AND I ----------------4. (C) COMMENT: Jagdeo's divorce announcement comes at a time when he has become increasingly insular in his actions. Long-time PPP members have commented that the President no longer seeks outside counsell from his advisors or his party-- he prefers that any government decisions come through him personally. Now, in the ultimate sign of going it alone, Jagdeo has even jettisoned his wife. END COMMENT Thomas

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/04/07GEORGETOWN388.html 07GEORGETOWN388, GUYANA GOVERNANCE REFORMS: SLOW AND NOT TOO STEADY Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN388 Created 2007-04-19 16:59 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO0942 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0388/01 1091659 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 191659Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5091 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0197 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000388 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: GUYANA GOVERNANCE REFORMS: SLOW AND NOT TOO STEADY Classified By: Charg d,Affaires Michael D. Thomas for Reason 1.4(d) 1. (C) Summary: The President's Advisor on Governance recently reported some limited progress on constitutional and judicial reform, local government elections, and the appointment of parliamentary committees, but she was skeptical about the GOG's ability to follow through in a timely manner. Given that the GOG has thus far devoted minimal attention and resources to these numerous, complex, and sorely needed reforms, Post agrees with her bleak appraisal. End Summary. 2. (C) DCM and British High Commissioner Fraser Wheeler recently met with Gail Teixeira, the President's Advisor on Governance. Teixeira is a longtime former Cabinet member and former Minister of Home Affairs. ---------------------------------PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES APPOINTED ---------------------------------3. (C) All of the parliamentary committees recommended in the 2005 Davies Report have been set up, and some have started work. Teixeira said that the new Appointments Committee, which she chairs, is working with "greater maturity" than

previously. The Appointments Committee is charged with staffing the numerous constitutionally mandated commissions, all of which are operating under expired appointments. -------------------------------------LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: LATE 2007? -------------------------------------4. (C) Teixeira reported that the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform, comprised of representatives from the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) and the main opposition Peoples' National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), has agreed on a hybrid system for local elections, with a 50/50 split between party proportional representation and "first past the post" representation. Creating constituencies for a "first past the post" system will be a major task, as will deciding how to fill seats that become vacant during non-election years. The boundaries of the existing 64 Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and six municipalities will need to be revised to account for the many new housing schemes that popped up in the thirteen years since the last local elections. Teixeira was concerned that creating or refiguring electoral districts could lead to "ethnic balkanization," for example if a previously ethnically mixed district were split into two ethnically homogenous units. Funding for local government organs will also be a contentious issue; both persuading the national government to give up control over resources and training local government officials on how to manage funds will be a challenge. 5. (C) Teixeira emphasized the large volume of new legislation needed for local elections. She has asked the Attorney General Doodnauth Singh for a dedicated legal draftsman, who is to finish the necessary drafts by the end of April and present them to President Jagdeo and PNC/R leader Robert Corbin for hashing out. 6. (C) Teixeira said that the PPP was "embarrassed" by the long spell without local elections, especially since this was one of their main complaints during the PNC/R's rule. She gave a target range of October-December 2007 for local elections, but admitted that she was doubtful of this time frame. Teixeira maintained that the GOG did not have the funds to support local elections and house-to-house registration in the same year, and that local elections would therefore have to proceed without a house-to-house verification of the voters' list. She questioned whether the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was really proceeding with continuous voter registration as advertised. --------------------------------------------- --CONSTITUTIONAL AND JUDICIAL REFORMS: NOTHING YET --------------------------------------------- ---

7. (C) Teixeira reported zero progress on constitutional reforms. The GOG has not even begun to tackle the constitutional reforms already agreed upon between Corbin and Jagdeo. Teixeira noted that the mandate of the Judicial Services Commission expired in February. While she faulted Singh--the concurrent Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, and one of few technocrat Cabinet members--for poor management ability and failure to deal effectively with the IDB, she said that there was nobody else in Guyana qualified to do his jobs. GEORGETOWN 00000388 ------COMMENT ------8. (C) Comment: The GOG says it wants to hold local government elections as early as October 2007. Given the current pace of progress, this timeline is likely unrealistic. However, the real danger is not that local government elections are delayed for a few months, but that the GOG rushes into them without empowering local government financially, or tackling crucial legislative and electoral reforms. 9. (C) Comment continued: There will be pressure--magnified by the reports of national election observers--to compile a new voters' list based on a new house-to-house registration exercise. There is also a danger that building a new voters' list without resolving outstanding legal issues regarding definitions of residency and who can register will ensure continuation of the electoral discord of the past decade and a half. End Comment. Thomas 002 OF 002

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07GEORGETOWN501.html 07GEORGETOWN501, GUYANA CONCERNED BY THE GROWING IRAN-VENEZUELA Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN501 VZCZCXYZ0011 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0501 1381812 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 181812Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5260 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1054 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0515 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0066 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000501 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA/AND NEA/IRAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017 TAGS: PREL MASS PTER VE IR GY SUBJECT: GUYANA CONCERNED BY THE GROWING IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONSHIP REF: STATE 61378 Classified By: DCM Michael D. Thomas, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 1. (C) DCM delivered demarche on the growing Iran-Venezuela relationship to MFA Director General Elisabeth Harper on May 18. Amb. Harper took particular note of the points on weapons technology cooperation. She said that given the Venezuelan claim on two-thirds of Guyana's territory, Guyana "views with concern" Venezuela's acquisition of offensive military equipment. She said the information on the construction of UAVs for use in Venezuelan border areas is as disturbing to the GoG as was Venezuela's acquistion of Russian military aircraft last year. Robinson Created 2007-05-18 18:12 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07GEORGETOWN514.html# 07GEORGETOWN514, VAT TAX BRINGS IN THE MONEY FOR GUYANA Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN514 Created 2007-05-23 19:08 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO4510 PP RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0514/01 1431908 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 231908Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5281 INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP PRIORITY UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000514 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV ETRD GY SUBJECT: VAT TAX BRINGS IN THE MONEY FOR GUYANA REF: GEORGETOWN 27 1. Summary: The returns are in from Guyana's newly instituted Value-Added Tax (VAT), and the government of Guyana is in the enviable position of adding more dollars to its reserves than initially projected. Leaked news of the positive returns re-ignited issues debated when the tax made its debut in January. The government promoted the tax as revenue neutral and claimed prices would remain stable or fall. Business and consumer voices challenged the government's ability to effectively institute and monitor tax collection, argued that prices would rise dramatically and called for protections for the most price sensitive citizens. With first quarter results in, opposition party, the private sector and consumer advocates are once again calling for a review of the VAT to ease the burden on Guyana's citizens. End Summary. -----------------VAT IS A SUCCESS -----------------2. On January 1, 2007, the Government of Guyana introduced the Value-Added Tax, which was to usher in a broader, more transparent system of revenue collection. Although there have been bumps in the road, overall the tax was instituted successfully. Based on first quarter counts as reported in the Stabroek News, the government collected

more than US$11.5 million above its initial projections. In a telephone conversation with the EconOff, Minister of Finance Ashni Singh expressed disappointment that the results of the revenue collection were leaked to the press as they may not reflect accurately the entire VAT collection picture. "With the benefit of a few months, all signals indicate that VAT has been implemented successfully," he said, adding that no major initiative of similar magnitude is undertaken without certain bumps particularly with the specific challenges and infrastructure limitatations in Guyana. "We have resolved most of the issues with only sector specific issues remaining." Compliance is within acceptable norms, Singh continued, with "75 to 80 percent of businesses having filed VAT returns. "He also said that the ministry will step up activities in regard to compliance by initiating audits. ---------------------------------------HOW MUCH EXTRA MONEY? TOO EARLY TO SAY ---------------------------------------3. Singh said it is too early to reach a conclusion regarding revenue earnings because of several variables. The leaked figures, he noted, reported actual collections, and it is not possible to draw conclusions from those numbers at this time. For example, businesses may be entitled to refunds for VAT paid on inputs but are not yet familiar with the refund policy. He also noted that Cricket World Cup hosted in March - April 2007 may have altered the economic income for businesses over the first quarter and comparisons to the first quarter of 2006 are also distorted because major flooding in agricultural regions in January 2006 depressed business activity. Furthermore, elections in August 2006 also caused business investors to be more conservative last year. According to the minister, given the dynamics of the economy and the unusual traffic, more time is needed before a firm conclusion can be drawn regarding revenue earnings. 4. (SBU) An expat contractor providing technical assistance to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) indicated to EconOff that the tax earnings are not a one-time bonus but will remain steady over the long term. Reviewing GRA's progress to date, the head of the VAT unit at the General Revenue Authority told the EconOff that since the tax was introduced, the office was concerned mainly with registering businesses, but with some 2,200 entities registered is now concentrating on compliance issues, ie, ensuring that businesses have receipt books or other systems in place to account for sales and VAT collection and remittances. ----------------------BUT WHO PAYS THE PRICE? ----------------------5. Meanwhile, inflation rose 10 percent from April 2006

to April 2007, and those who projected that prices would rise are now calling for adjustments to the VAT. Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition Robert Corbin called for a Parliamentary Committee to make recommendations to reduce the rate of the VAT, pay increases for workers most affected by the tax and the formation of a commission to review the entire tax structure. The National Assembly defeated the motion on a party-line vote. Guyana's primary consumer advocate complained that consumers are facing higher prices despite repeated government assurances that prices would stabilize. Adding its perspective, the International *********************** * Missing Section 002 * ***********************

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07GEORGETON514.html# 07GEORGETON514, VAT TX BRINGS IN THE MONEY FOR GUYANA Reference ID 07GEORGETON514 Created 2007-05-23 19:08 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO5377 PP RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0514/02 1431908 ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZDK P 231908Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5282 INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COP PRIORITY UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 GEORGETON 000514 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV ETRD GY SUBJECT: VAT TX BRINGS IN THE MONEY FOR GUYANA *********************** * Missing Section 001 * *********************** GEORGETOWN 05230514 002.2 OF 002

MONETARY FUND ARNED AGAINST LOWERING THE TAX RATE OR ADDING MOE ZERO-RATED ITEMS TO THE EXISTING EXEMPTIONS. 6. COMMENT: AS A CANDIDATE FOR MILLENNIUM CHALENGE ACCOUNT (MCA) FUNDING, GUYANA HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED FISCAL POLICY OBJECTIVES. WITH THE INSTITUTION OF THE VAT, GUYANA HAS WIDENED THE TAX BASE AND INCREASED REVENUES FOR THE GOVERNMENT, PROMOTING A MORE TRANSPARENT SYSTEM OF REVENUE COLLECTION. THIS COULD PUSH GUYANA INTO THE RANKS OF HAVING AN APPROVED MCA THRESHOLD PLAN, OPENING UP SOME $6.7 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING TO ADDRESS FISCAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE VAT. ROBINSON

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/06/07GEORGETOWN556.html 07GEORGETOWN556, GOVERNMENT REACTION: GUYANA AND THE JFK TERROR PLOT Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN556 VZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0556 1552042 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 042042Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5346 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0518 RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000556 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS CARACAS ALSO FOR LEGATT PORT OF SPAIN ALSO FOR LEGATT E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL CVIS GY SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT REACTION: GUYANA AND THE JFK TERROR PLOT Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 1. (C) SUMMARY: With emotions ranging from defensiveness, to apprehension, to contrition, President Bharrat Jagdeo initiated multiple conversations with the Ambassador through the weekend regarding the JFK terror plot, distancing his government from the Guyanese involved and reiterating that Guyana remains a partner in the fight against global terrorism. The GOG released an official statement on June 2, denying that Abdul Kadir, the former Guyana Parliament member arrested for terrorism, was a government official. The Ambassador met with Islamic leaders in Guyana, who said that terrorism is a violation of Islamic principals and condemned the plot. END SUMMARY. 2. (C) Upon learning that Guyanese citizens were directly involved in the terrorist plot to attack JFK Airport, President Jagdeo initiated an on-going dialogue with the Created 2007-06-04 20:42 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

Ambassador, pledging Guyana's support and offering assistance in prosecuting the alleged terrorists. Jagdeo initially welcomed news of the arrests, but later, as he watched the reports on CNN and Fox News unfold, he became concerned that this would be a "big, black eye for Guyana" since Guyanese played a central role in the plot. Jagdeo told the Ambassador that the GOG was committed to assisting the U.S. and he offered to extradite, if necessary, any of the Guyanese involved in the terrorist plot. 3. (C) The GOG released an official statement on June 2nd, distancing itself from the Guyanese involved in the incident, specifically pointing out that former PNCR Parliamentarian Abdul Kadir "is not nor was never (sic) a Government of Guyana official." To emphasize this point, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee held a press conference wherein he pronounced that Guyana is a partner in the fight against global terrorism and that it will cooperate with all countries in pursuance of this objective. Various other political entities, from the Guyana Police Force to the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) party, released statements and pledged their support in the fight against terrorism. 4. (SBU) Ambassador Robinson met with Wazir Baksh, Leader of the Guyana Islamic Trust to convey that the arrest of the JFK plotters was an action to protect the U.S. from terrorism, but in no way represents a USG action against Islam, as had been implied by some local news reports. Baksh said that terrorism is a violation of Islamic principals and condemned the plot. He noted that Kadir was on the fringe of the Guyanese Islamic community and that Kadir's actions in no way represent the mainstream of Guyanese Islam. 4. (C) COMMENT: It is clear from both Jagdeo's response to the Ambassador, and the official GOG statement, that Guyana is concerned about the ramifications of having its citizens so closely involved in a planned U.S. terrorist attack. AFC leader Rapheal Trotman summed it up best, stating that "unfortunately, Guyana has once again achieved notoriety for something on the dark side." In order to counter this taint, the GOG went out of their way to both distance themselves from the alleged terrorists and to pledge support for the fight against terrorism. Although the GOG is often careful not to seem too supportive of the U.S., they closed ranks on this issue. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/06/07GEORGETOWN607.html 07GEORGETOWN607, GOVERNMENT THREATENED BY ANOTHER DRUG SCANDAL; Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN607 Created 2007-06-19 16:36 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification SECRET Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO9716 OO RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0607/01 1701636 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 191636Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5421 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0525 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 4059 RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH J5 PRIORITY RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH J2 PRIORITY RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 GEORGETOWN 000607 SIPDIS SIPDIS PORT OF SPAIN ALSO FOR DEA AND A/LEGATT CARACAS ALSO FOR A/LEGATT AND DATT SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2032 TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL MARR PINR KCRM KCOR GY SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT THREATENED BY ANOTHER DRUG SCANDAL; SAYS IT WANTS USG HELP Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Michael D. Thomas, Reason 1.4 (b ) and (d) Summary ------1. (C) The GoG is threatened with yet another narco-trafficking scandal. An anonymous letter to the Commissioner of Police threatens to release audio and video surveillance recordings that link government and PPP figures to cocaine trafficking unless the Commissioner removes a corrupt senior police officer. The author asserts the officer is assisting one side in the power struggle to take over Roger Khan's narco-terrorist empire. A DVD enclosed with the letter apparently features audio and video surveillance recordings linking the corrupt officer and the son-in-law of the PPP,s co-founder to a 200kg, US$710,000

cocaine deal gone sour. 2. (S) Head of the Presidential Secretariat Roger Luncheon is using the crisis to reassert his personal authority over national security matters and is likely preparing a public relations strategy that once again will blame Guyana,s failure to act against well-known cocaine smugglers on the lack of US and UK assistance. However, Luncheon's level of concern suggests he is worried about more than a scandal implicating the family of a once important politician. Guyana's cognoscenti assume the Roger Khan organization has recordings implicating President Jagdeo and other senior figures in illicit activity and eagerly await their presumed release during Khan,s upcoming trial. The Presidential Secretariat seems to fear that those tapes may be coming SIPDIS public sooner than they feared. End Summary. 3. (U) Roger Luncheon, who is simultaneously Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Secretary of the Defense Board, Cabinet Secretary, and a long-time Executive Committee member of the ruling People's Progressive Party, convoked Charge the morning of June 18 on what he said was a matter of great urgency that he could not discuss on the phone. Government threatened with another drug scandal --------------------------------------------- -4. (C) When Charge arrived at the Office of the President, Luncheon had him read 23 pages of documents including a seven page anonymous letter to acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene containing allegations against Senior Superintendent of Police Steve Merai. (Note: the notoriously corrupt Merai was commander of the Target Special Squad (TSS). Merai and the TSS were involved in extra-judicial killings dating back to the early 1990s. Later the TSS acted as enforcer for corrupt U.S. Vice Consul Thomas Carroll's visa selling ring. After it was disbanded in 2002, many TSS officers ended up in the formal employ of narco-trafficker and "phantom" death squad leader Roger Khan. End Note.) 5. (C) The principal motivation of the letter seems to be displeasure that Merai is assisting Venezuelan-based Guyanese narco-trafficker Maxwell "Lunkie" Melville in his struggle with Mark De Abreu to take control of Roger Khan,s narco-trafficking empire. The letter refers to a DVD audio and video recording (labeled #4 of 11) that purportedly implicates Merai, "Lunkie", and an unnamed businessman in a 200kg, US$710,000 cocaine transaction gone bad. Luncheon volunteered to Charge that the businessman purportedly captured on DVD is the son-in-law of Ashton Chase, revered as co-founder of the PPP along with Cheddi and Janet Jagan.

6. (C) The letter's author seeks the Commissioner's commitment by 12:30 p.m. June 18 that Merai will be dismissed from the police force. The author promises that he will hand over originals and all copies of audio and video recordings with evidence of Merai's corrupt activities after Merai is dismissed and threatens, "Your swift action is necessary to avoid implicating other persons publicly and allowing a potentially explosive situation to escalate.... It can be proven as well from video and audiotape recordings that Merai claims the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs are his protectors." The threat is made more serious by allegations in the letter that three persons arrested in GEORGETOWN 00000607 002 OF 003

May with 106.5 kg cocaine have "strong connections to Freedom House" (PPP Headquarters). The letter also refers to the public release last year of secretly taped phone conversations that caused great scandal and forced the retirement of Police Commissioner Winston Felix. Luncheon Taking Charge ---------------------7. (C) Before discussing the substance of the letter, Luncheon made three points: -- After an admitted hiatus due to his stroke, he is now firmly back in power and is the ONLY person in the Government that the Embassy should deal with on National Security matters, including the one at hand. -- The U.S. and Guyana must "develop an architecture" to end the "asymmetry of information sharing" on national security matters between the two governments. Luncheon understands that the USG has reason to be uncomfortable with some persons in the government. (Note: This is a reference to Luncheon acolyte and acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene who Jagdeo elevated to his current position immediately after the embassy revoked his visa for benefiting from the proceeds of narco-trafficking). Thus, DCM should work directly with Luncheon to develop this "architecture". If the USG is not able to end the asymmetry in information sharing, Guyana may need to reevaluate which countries it will partner with in security matters, with Cuba being a specific possibility. -- After the arrest of Roger Khan in mid-2006, the second tier of narco-traffickers is disorganized. "We" should strike against them now. Luncheon noted that, unlike Surinam and Trinidad which have demonstrated an ability to work closely with U.S. law enforcement, "Guyana's constitutional and legal structures are inconvenient" for acting against narco-traffickers. Luncheon, who has repeatedly stated his conviction that in security matters "the ends justify the

means" said he is not bothered by legalities, but President Jagdeo does not feel the same way. Thus, there needs to be consideration of third countries' involvement in action against Guyanese narco-traffickers. Roger Luncheon, personally and exclusively, should be the focal point for those discussions. The Letter ---------8. (C) Moving to the letter, Luncheon said the GoG is concerned it is about to be enveloped in another tape scandal. Luncheon said the letter had been delivered to Greene late last week by a circuitous route and had been subject of near continuous attention by Luncheon, Home Affairs Minister Rohee, Commissioner Greene, and President Jagdeo since then. Luncheon observed that "everyone" knows he and Greene are close. Thus the author sent the letter to Luncheon knowing that it would be passed to Luncheon and then the President. Luncheon said his government will ask for technical assistance in examining the DVD and if necessary would make public the fact that it had made the request. Luncheon also said that he had called the British to a meeting on the same subject and would make the same request of them. Do They Really Want Our Help? ----------------------------9. (C) After listening to Luncheon's 45-minute soliloquy, Charge responded that DEA Country Attach resident in Trinidad was due in Guyana this week and volunteered to bring him to Luncheon's office. In a reflexive action, Luncheon pushed himself away from the table on his wheeled chair, raising his hands in the air as he blurted out "Whoa! I'm not going to talk to DEA!" Charge expressed confusion since Luncheon had only moments before sought USG partnership in fighting the narco-trafficking scourge in Guyana. Luncheon back-pedaled and accepted the offer. Some History -----------10. (C) Before his arrest in Surinam and removal to the U.S., Roger Khan was frequently seen entertaining President Jagdeo GEORGETOWN 00000607 003 OF 003

at social venues around Georgetown. Businessmen tell tales of passing high-level narco-traffickers entering and leaving State House. Luncheon and Greene were deeply involved in liaison with Roger Khan's "Phantom" death squad, which Luncheon privately credits with restoring law and order to Guyana. Most Georgetown cognoscenti believe that Khan has tapes of himself, President Jagdeo, and other senior officials discussing illegal activities. Many believe, and

hope, that Khan will use these supposed tapes in his U.S. trial. 11. (C) In 2005 DEA offered to set up a vetted police unit that would gather actionable intelligence in support of Guyanese counter-narcotics operations. Jagdeo told post he had charged Luncheon with ensuring the initiative moved forward. Luncheon proceeded to kill it, although this did not stop him and Jagdeo from repeatedly publicly announcing the supposed opening of a DEA office in Guyana. More recently, Jagdeo and Luncheon deep-sixed the comprehensive, practical, and funded British proposal for security sector reform that would inter alia strengthen police capacity to act against narco-traffickers. Comment ------12. (C) As President Jagdeo has noted to Ambassador Robinson, almost everybody in Guyana knows who the major drug traffickers are. Despite this knowledge, Guyanese law enforcement almost never investigate or take action against narco-criminals, senior government officials socialize with notorious drug traffickers, and the president participates in ribbon-cutting ceremonies opening businesses built with drug money. The GoG does not need DEA to point the way. In this environment, it is the lack of political will, rather that the lack of foreign assistance that impedes progress against narco-trafficking in Guyana. 13. (C) When this scandal eventually breaks, Luncheon likely will orchestrate a media strategy blaming the GoG's lack of action against narco-traffickers on the failure of the US and UK to share information and provide equipment, the failure of DEA to open a Guyana office, and the failure of the UK to move forward with the Security Sector Reform project. This will be similar to the GoG's normal response to the annual release of the INCSR. What we cannot predict is how the government and party will react if tapes are released implicating Jagdeo in illicit activities. Luncheon's entreaty for DCM to work with him on creating an "architecture for information sharing" is aimed at ensuring Luncheon personally is the recipient of any derogatory information about government or party members so that he can manage damage control efforts. Next Steps ---------14. (C) If the GoG does request assistance analyzing the DVD, post will request DEA and/or FBI as appropriate to assist to the extent possible. We will also arrange for a meeting of Luncheon and DEA Country Attach (resident in Trinidad) in which we will seek Luncheon's specific, practical proposals for steps DEA can take within the context of existing working level relationships to support GoG counter-narcotics efforts. However, the UK has the lead among the donor community on

security sector reform and any major DEA initiatives will depend on progress on the UK proposal. As for the architecture for information sharing, it will be informed by President Jagdeo's comment to Ambassador Robinson last week that his government cannot keep any secrets. Thomas

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/07/07GEORGETOWN690.html 07GEORGETOWN690, SHOWDOWN LOOMS AT UPCOMING PNCR BIENNIAL CONGRESS Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN690 Created 2007-07-18 18:52 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO6366 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0690 1991852 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 181852Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5543 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1058 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0532 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0204 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2228 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000690 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: SHOWDOWN LOOMS AT UPCOMING PNCR BIENNIAL CONGRESS 1. (U) SUMMARY: At next week's People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Biennial Congress, a contest for the leadership of the party looms between incumbent Robert Corbin and long-time party stalwart Vincent Alexander. While Alexander has been very public in his push for a change in leadership, Corbin has calmly stressed the need for cohesion in the party. PNCR membership, almost non-existent following the party's poor showing in the 2006 national elections, has swelled during the last two weeks in anticipation of the leadership showdown. The party's last-minute refusal to engage in a verification of the members list has Alexander fuming. END SUMMARY 2. (U) The contest for the leadership of the PNCR is down to a fight between incumbent Robert Corbin and former Vice-Chairman Vincente Alexander. This two-man contest has been anticipated since Alexander announced his push for leadership of the party earlier this summer. In an interview with Poloff, Alexander said that the PNCR must change its approach, focusing more on the needs of its constituents, in order to regain momentum lost after the 2006 elections. He also said that he will introduce motions at the congress aimed at reforming the role of the party leader -- one such

motion would limit party leadership to a maximum of six consecutive years. In response, Corbin has stated that the upcoming three-day Biennial Congress, scheduled to start July 20, is too important to be reduced to personalities. Corbin has continually attempted to deflect talk of a showdown between himself and Alexander, stating that the focus of the congress should not be about the vote, but "is really for the future cohesion and strengthening of the PNCR over the next 50 years." 3. (SBU) A dramatic surge in party membership over the last three weeks has many PNCR members worried about the authenticity of their membership list. Since the 2006 national elections, active party membership has remained at approximately 3,000. Within the last three weeks, however, it has swelled to more than 23,000. While party membership normally grows prior to the Biennial Congress, it usually tops out at 10,000. This change has many PNCR members worried that the list has been fraudulently padded in order to rig the results of the upcoming leadership vote. To make matters worse, the PNCR Central Executive Committee voted last week to forgo the planned verification of the membership roster. Alexander told Poloff that his backers have investigated a sampling of the incoming membership applications and they have determined that many are fictitious. He further stated that there are strong ties between Corbin's backers and the list of fictitious applications. 4. (SBU) Alexander went public with his call for verification of the list after his private plea to the Central Executive Committee was ignored. He told Poloff that he has three options: (1) take the issue to court; (2) not participate in party elections; or (3) raise the issue to the party members at the congress. Acknowledging that legal action could take years to complete, and option 2 would definitively result in defeat, Alexander seemed resigned to trying option 3. 5. (SBU) In order to get a more unbiased view, Poloff also spoke with Winston Murray, another long-time PNCR executive member. Murray expressed great concern about the possibility of fraudulent membership applications, but was resigned to the fact that there was not enough time left before the congress to adequately verify the list. He also expressed concern about the manner in which Alexander was handling the situation-- he said that this is the first time that internal PNCR party politics had been brought out into the public. "This does not bode well for the future" commented Murray. 6. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the irony appears to be lost on them, the PNCR's refusal to verify its own party membership list, after continuoulsy calling for house-to-house verification of the national voter's list, is yet another sign of the party's state of disarray and decline. One of

the main reasons that the PNCR lost ground in last year's national election is that many younger Guyanese are put off by the party's old guard leadership and its failure to make room for fresh leaders and fresh ideas. As there was no place for them in the party leadership, young voters cast their votes elsewhere. This battle for leadership between two longtime PNCR stalwarts likely will not help change people's perceptions of the party. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/07/07GEORGETOWN713.html 07GEORGETOWN713, PNCR'S RETURN TO POLITICS AS USUAL Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN713 Created 2007-07-23 20:12 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO0244 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0713 2042012 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 232012Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5567 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1059 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0535 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0205 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2229 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000713 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM GY SUBJECT: PNCR'S RETURN TO POLITICS AS USUAL REF: GEORGETOWN 690 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Robert Corbin was returned unopposed as Leader of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) after Vincent Alexander and his team of supporters formally withdrew from the elections for party leader and members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC). Alexander's withdrawal, after the party's refusal to verify its suddenly increased member list, has led many PNCR supporters to question whether this signifies a return to the old days of dirty politics by the PNCR. Newspaper editorials and man on the street" surveys were decidedly criticl of the party's handling of the situation. ENDSUMMARY. -----------------------------NO VEIFICATION, NO OPPOSITION ----------------------------2. (SBU) Robert Corbin was returned unoppsed as Leader of the PNCR after his sole opponen, Vincent Alexander, formally withdrew from the lections for party leader. As reported in refetl, the PNCR entered this weekend's Biennial Congres with many controversial issues, foremost of whih was the

question of whether to proceed withoutverifying the significantly swelled party member list. In what could best be described as a tension-filled meeting Saturday morning, which saw heckling inside the hall and a physical fight between two supporters of Corbin and Alexander outside in the courtyard, the PNCR 15th Biennial Congress voted against the postponement of the elections for the leader of the party following which Alexander and his followers withdrew from the elections. Afterward, Alexander told local newspapers that he was not leaving the party, but was still considering whether to seek a legal opinion to determine the credibility of the elections. ------------------------------CHEATER, CHEATER, PUMPKIN EATER ------------------------------3. (SBU) Numerous editorials, like "Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater" and "The PNC Implodes Today", maligned the PNCR's decision to proceed with the leadership elections without verification. Calling the sudden increase in membership of the PNCR in the last two weeks "a real cock and bull story", one of Guyana's most prominent columnists suggested that democratic members of the PNCR should picket the remainder of the congress and "chase those crazy (manipulators) out of town". Many other editorials questioned whether the PNCR had returned to the bad old days when the party was known for rigging elections. In a local newspaper's "man on the street" survey, the respondents unanimously agreed that the PNCR's internal elections should have been held to the same standard (verification) as that which they had called for in the national elections. ------COMMENT ------4. (SBU) To no one's surprise, the PNCR decided to hold their leadership elections despite the serious questions about the veracity of their membership list. This raises troubling questions. First, it is a sign that the PNCR may be heading back to its "bad old days" of dirty politics and rigged elections. Second, and more troubling, is that their recent congress shows a party that is clearly fractured and in a steady state of decline. For the moment, it appears Guyana only has one viable party, the ruling PPP. Robinson

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/08/07GEORGETOWN795.html# 07GEORGETOWN795, JAGDEO PROMOTES LT. COLONELS TO DEFENSE GENERAL Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN795 Created 2007-08-24 13:44 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO9318 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0795/01 2361344 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 241344Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5693 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0549 RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL 0079 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000795 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS CARACAS ALSO FOR DAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MCAP PGOV PINS PREL GY SUBJECT: JAGDEO PROMOTES LT. COLONELS TO DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that Coast Guard Captain Gary Best, one of four officers promoted to O-6 rank last week, will be appointed the next Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defense Force (GDF). The other three new colonels will take senior positions in the GDF General Staff. Jagdeo's decision to side-step more senior colonels caused some grumblings within the GDF and received mixed reviews in the media. Guyana's main opposition party responded by offering to lend support to Guyanese wishing to topple the government. All four of the newly promoted officers have received extensive U.S. military training and their promotion to senior leadership positions should help strengthen the already cordial U.S./GDF relationship. END SUMMARY. -----------------------THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB -----------------------2. (U) Ending months of speculation, Jagdeo announced that newly promoted Captain Gary Best will be elevated to Commodore and appointed the next Chief of Staff of the Guyana

Defense Force upon the formal retirement of Brigadier Edward Collins on September 26. Captain Best is one of four O-5 grade officers promoted to O-6 last week; also promoted by Jagdeo were Colonel Andrew Pompey, Colonel Bruce Lovell, and Colonel Mark Philips. Colonel Pompey will be the new Deputy Chief of Staff, Lovell will be the Colonel, General Staff, and Philips will be remain in charge of administration and quartering. ---------------------GDF UNHAPPY? MAYBE NOT ---------------------3. (U) Some senior GDF officers have complained to the press and others that Jagdeo's move violated what they claim is a long-standing tradition that the Chief of Staff be appointed strictly based on seniority. These officers forget that two of the seven Chiefs of Staff since independence, both appointed by PNC presidents, came from outside of the GDF entirely. Forbes Burnham elevated a Deputy Commissioner of Police to be GDF Chief of Staff and a few years later President Desmond Hoyte made the Director General of the now defunct Guyana National Service Joseph Singh Chief of Staff of the GDF. The four new O-6 officers are all solid officers and are well respected within the GDF. -------------------------MIXED REVIEWS IN THE MEDIA -------------------------4. (U) The newspapers were filled with letters to the editor questioning the motives behind the move -- many saw it as Jagdeo selecting and promoting only those officers who are loyal to him and the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Interestingly, the independent Stabroek News, an unrelenting critic of President Jagdeo, published an editorial strongly supporting Jagdeo's move, noting that the President's selection was entirely within the law and supported by precedent. The paper praised Jagdeo for selecting the officer he found to be the most qualified person rather than the longest serving. -------------------------------------------OPPOSITION OFFERS TO HELP TOPPLE GOVERNMENT? -------------------------------------------5. (U) Amid the shake-up in the GDF top brass, the main opposition party, the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), offerd to lend support to any Guyanese who seek to topple President Jagdeo's administration. PNCR leader Rober Corbin, speaking at a rally against the shake-up, said "I want to sound a warning to that gentleman... He is touching the wrong people... and now they are tinkering with the Army, and I want to say to you, long time gone, short time left."

PNCR Chairman, Winston Murray, told the rally that the party was willing to offer leadership to those Guyanese who might want to "come out to the streets and demonstrate to the government that they want them out." This "mass rally" attracted only 300 participants, 200 of whom were delegates to the conference of the Guyana Youth Socialist Movement. Only one newspaper covered the potentially seditious remarks. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Roger Luncheon, dismissed the threat noting that its seriousness was proportional to the size of the rally. GEORGETOWN 00000795 ------COMMENT ------6. (SBU) President Jagdeo's selection of a new GDF General Staff appears to be a positive step forward for U.S./GDF relations. All four of the new top officers have received significant training in the U.S. and are familiar with U.S. joint operational methodologies. Colonels Pompey, Lovell, and Philips have all completed the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the premier training environment for operational level leaders and staff officers. (Note: Best declined an offer to attend the Command and General Staff College as it came while he was completing a law degree.) We will now work with officers who share a similar training background and, hopefully, a similar outlook on the U.S./GDF relationship. THOMAS 002 OF 002

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/08/07GEORGETOWN812.html 07GEORGETOWN812, PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN812 Created 2007-08-29 19:41 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3560 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0812/01 2411941 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 291941Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5721 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000812 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM GY SUBJECT: PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP GEORGETOWN 00000812 001.2 OF 002

1. (U) SUMMARY: President Jagdeo paradoned Mark Benschop, the treason accused detainee who has been imprisoned since 2002 for alleged involvement in storming the Office of the President. Benschop, whose first trial resulted in a hung jury in 2004, reluctantly accepted the pardon, but vowed to continue leading protests against the PPP. Benschop's release comes at a time when many prominent politicians felt that prolonging his detention only served to make him a bigger martyr, and, as such, a potentially valuable political weapon to be used against the GOG in the future. END SUMMARY. ----------------------------JAILED FOR TREASON SINCE 2002 ----------------------------2. (U) Benschop was jailed in 2002 after he was charged jointly with PNC Member of Parliament Phillip Bynoe with the capital offense of treason for alleged involvement in the July 3, 2002 storming of the Office of the President. According to the charges, Benschop and Bynoe were the leaders of the mob of protestors who invaded the Presidential Complex on that date -- during the ensuing standoff, two protestors were killed. Benschop has professed his innocence, stating

that he attended the rally as a journalist, not as an instigator. His first trial for treason ended in a deadlocked jury (11 innocent, 1 guilty) in 2004. Despite their failure to convict him at the first trial, the GOG has kept Benschop imprisoned since 2004 awaiting a retrial on the same charges. ------------------------PARDONED BY THE PRESIDENT ------------------------3. (U) On August 27th, President Jagdeo used his presidential powers to pardon Benschop for his role in the 2002 storming of the Office of the President, stating that Benschop has learned his lesson while in jail and that he should recognize what he did was wrong. Speaking at a news conference, Jagdeo said "Benschop has learnt his lesson that you do not seek to overthrow a democratically elected government without facing the consequences." According to Roger Luncheon, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Jagdeo's pardoning of the prisoner "was motivated by a request by Mr. Benschop" and that the President "granted a free pardon in the spirit of magnanimity." --------------------------------------------- --PARDON RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED, BUT FIGHT CONTINUES --------------------------------------------- --4. (U) Although Benschop accepted the pardon, he said that he did so only because of his family and his supporters. Moments after being released, Benschop vowed to continue the fight against oppression, hinting at contesting the next local government polls. Benschop also said that while he commended Jagdeo for granting him a reprieve, he wanted him to extend the same mercy to hundreds of others who are locked away on petty charges in prison. He also said that he sees that President's pardon as an apology to him, one that he has accepted. ---------------------THE MAKING OF A MARTYR ---------------------5. (SBU) Last week, the topic of Mark Benschop's continued detention came up in a meeting between Poloff and Tony Viera, a Member of Parliament and owner of a prominent television station. Viera said that the longer the GOG kept Benschop in prison awaiting re-trial, the more he became a martyr to the Afro-Guyanese community in Guyana. According to Viera, if the GOG did not release Benschop in the near future, he would become a powerful political weapon used against them in the next elections. Although he did not provide any other names, Viera said that many other members of the opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) had also discussed how they

could use Benschop as a political weapon against the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP). ------COMMENT ------6. (SBU) The timing of Jagdeo's pardon of Benschop is very interesting. Post's 2006 Human Rights Report included Benschop's continued imprisonment without trial under the "political prisoners and detainees" section. Two weeks ago, Poloff sent out requests to numerous GOG officials asking for information that will be used for the 2007 Human Rights Report. In addition, Benschop supporters had just succeeded GEORGETOWN 00000812 002.2 OF 002

in gaining the interest of the New York City press because of a tenuous link between Guiliani and Benschop, who briefly served as a minor press aide in the Guiliani administration. Jagdeo's pardon may have been an attempt to avoid an uncomfortable spotlight. THOMAS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/08/07GEORGETOWN818.html# 07GEORGETOWN818, MCC SIGNING CEREMONY'S REVEALING INSIGHTS Reference ID 07GEORGETOWN818 Created 2007-08-31 19:19 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO6180 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0818/01 2431919 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 311919Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5729 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000818 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2017 TAGS: EAID EFIN PGOV PREL GY SUBJECT: MCC SIGNING CEREMONY'S REVEALING INSIGHTS Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL THOMAS FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 23rd, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Deputy Chairman Rodney Bent participated in a signing ceremony for the US$6.7 million two-year Guyana Threshold Program contract. The event was covered by all television and radio news programs and reported in each of the three main newspapers that day and several days following. The Threshold program seeks to help Guyana reduce its fiscal deficit by improving its ability to collect revenue and better manage its budget. Bent reassured chiefs of bi- and multi-lateral donor missions that the MCC understands the prospect of a multi-million dollar MCC Compact agreement is about the only incentive available to the donor community to encourage necessary governance reforms and arrest the slide towards democratically sanctioned autocracy. At events throughout the day, President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed interesting insights into his thinking on economic issues, as well as his personality and leadership style. His themes included: more bureaucracy is better and public (and parliamentary) opinion are irrelevant. A key measure of success for the Threshold Program will be whether Jagdeo's perspective changes over the coming months. Throughout the day, Bent successfully delivered messages on the U.S. perspective on fiscal reform. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) Before the signing ceremony, a seventy minute meeting between Jagdeo, the Charge d'Affaires Michael Thomas and USAID Mission Director Dr. Fenton Sands took place in the Office of the President. After the signing ceremony, a press conference was held where President Jagdeo fielded a few questions, then lunch with MCC representatives and the donor community followed. Wrapping up events were a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, and a three-hour dinner at the State House with President Jagdeo and key cabinet members in attendance. The CDA, USAID Director and Bent attended all events (except CDA was unable to attend the Finance Ministry meeting). 3. (C) During a pre-signing morning meeting in his office, President Jagdeo told Bent and CDA that his number one priority was to rebuild the entrepreneurial class. Jagdeo praised USAID/GTIS's efforts to provide direct assistance to farmers and entrepreneurs who need help rather than simply studying issues and funding elite business associations. He blamed the small remaining entreprenurial class for the negative business climate in Guyana, saying that after 28 years of PNC state socialism, they want government to do everything for them. He went on to say that this small group deliberately chases away potential foreign investors by telling supposedly untrue tales of the difficulties of doing business in Guyana. 4. (C) As Jagdeo, Bent and CDA were reviewing MCC indicators for Guyana, Jagdeo pointed out the "days to start business" indicator and remarked that he could easily reduce the number from 46 days to 5, but that he intentionally kept the bureaucracy in place to protect "the little guy" who could be victimized if a lack of government vetting allowed unscrupulous people to start businesses. Jagdeo also complained about the Control of Corruption indicator noting that it measured perceptions of corruption rather than actual corruption. When Bent suggested that transparency and a reduction in regulation were common methods other developing nations used to combat corruption, Jagdeo countered that more and stronger bureaucracy and regulation were appropriate for Guyana. Jagdeo gave the example of a "deliberate decision" he had made to add layers of bureaucracy to the customs processes in order to increase the cost of bribery, which he believes will reduce corruption. Jagdeo also informed Bent that the GOG has an Auditor General whose function is to investigate and report any corruption that may occur in the GOG. (Note: Jagdeo neglected to mention that the last Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, had been forced out of office in 2004 when he was investigating a Presidential Advisor who was illegally exporting endangered dolphins. The Auditor General position has been vacant ever since. End Note.) 5. (C) Also during the office meeting, Jagdeo highlighted a

section of the Threshold contract which called for "public opinion polls on the fairness to society as a whole of the GOG's public investment and procurement actions." Jagdeo acknowledged the language, but said "I hope you are not really going to do that," explaining that since the public does not understand fiscal policy and government budget processes, with such a poll "you will only get opinions" rather than facts. He volunteered that even polling members of Parliament would be futile, in his opinion, as most MPs also do not understand fiscal policy and government budget processes. Jagdeo also volunteered to the group that his GEORGETOWN 00000818 002 OF 002

management style is that of "micromanaging and firefighting, because that is the only way to get things done." 6. (U) The official signing ceremony, during which the USAID Mission Director and the Minister of Finance signed the Threshold contract with Bent and Jagdeo officiating, and the subsequent press conference dominated the press that day and the following day. The press clearly understood the purpose of the MCC funds, with headlines such as "... funds to help strengthen tax administration, improve VAT implementation and create Intelligence Unit within GRA" (Guyana Revenue Authority) and "... programme to overhaul fiscal polices (sic) and create a more business-friendly environment." 7. (C) At the MCC-hosted lunch, the Chiefs of Guyana's traditional bilateral and multilateral donors gave Bent a significanly different view of Guyana and the difficulties the Threshold Program will have in engendering reforms. Bent reassured all in attendance that the MCC seeks strong partnerships with both donors and Guyanese civil society, and that the MCC understands that the potential of a multi-million dollar compact is just about the only incentive available to prod Guyana's government to move forward with goverance reforms which it has been resisting. 8. (C) That evening at a State House dinner in Bent's honor, Jagdeo spoke effusively about his experiences in the United States: New York diners open at 3:00 a.m., hitching a ride with a couple of African immigrants in Baltimore when an Amtrak derailment stranded him on the way to an IMF meeting, sittng on the floor in D.C. bookstores looking through their wares, and his dream of taking a week-long driving vacation through the farmlands of the American Midwest. 9. (C) COMMENT: The day's event provided a first-hand view of the President's leadership and personality traits that the business community, government officials, and PPP leaders are complaining about with increasing volume: Jagdeo blames others for all of Guyana's ills, does not value the opinions

of the public, the business community or the political leaders, and believes he personally is the only person with the ability and aptitude to solve Guyana's problems. The single most difficult challenge of the Threshold Program will be to change Jagdeo's thinking, or, failing that, to convince Jagdeo that the potential of an MCC Compact is incentive enough to implement policy reforms he does not believe in. 10. (U) MCC Deputy CEO Rodney Bent did not clear this telegram. THOMAS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/11/07BRASILIA2151.html# 07BRASILIA2151, FORMER PRESIDENT URGES USG TO COUNTER CHAVEZ Reference ID 07BRASILIA2151 Created 2007-11-19 15:49 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Brasilia

VZCZCXRO0150 RR RUEHRG DE RUEHBR #2151/01 3231549 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 191549Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0462 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6407 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5126 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3865 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1364 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7100 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0003 RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7378 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5443 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1180 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002151 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017 TAGS: PREL PBTS MASS MCAP BR GY VE IR RS SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT URGES USG TO COUNTER CHAVEZ REF: A. BRASILIA 2132 B. BRASILIA 313 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CLIFFORD SOBEL, REASONS 1.4 B AND D 1. (C) Summary. Former President and sitting senator Jose Sarney (PMDB, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, governing coalition; of Amapa) urges the USG to do more to counter Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's increasingly destabilizing actions in the region. Sarney said Chavez threatens to create a hotspot of regional conflict like the Balkans, and he reiterated that Chavez will seize Guyana's Essequibo region (ref B), and he hoped Brazil and the U.S. would step in and confront Chavez if he did anything extraterritorial. He expressed concern over an increasing flow of foreign arms into the region and urged the USG to pressure Russia to stop selling arms to Venezuela, emphasizing that this is not a

U.S.-Venezuela problem, but a regional one. The growing link between Venezuela and Iran is part of Chavez's plan to spread his destabilizing influence, Sarney said, but he considers it unlikely that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Brazil (ref A). Sarney predicted the Brazilian Senate would not approve Venezuelan accession to Mercosul, and he recommended the U.S. and Brazil make positive gestures toward Bolivia. Sarney belongs to a growing chorus of elites worried about destabilization from Caracas, but he supports President Lula's conflict-averse approach and, like many, looks to Washington to take the lead in countering Chavez. End summary. Chavez will destabilize a divided South America - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2. (SBU) Jose Sarney, former president of Brazil, now an influential senator, told Ambassador on November 13 that Chavez "is a big danger for us and the U.S.," the USG should be more concerned about Chavez's destabilizing effects in the region, and the U.S. should engage more, and more visibly, throughout the region. South America has changed from a continent of similar countries to a divided continent where Chavez exploits divisions, destabilizes states, and will replace the previous generations' peaceful legacy with a divisive and bellicose legacy, Sarney explained. He believes Brazilian President Lula is aware of the dangers Chavez presents, and understands the concerns and needs of the Brazilian armed forces, but added that the Foreign Ministry is "infiltrated" with Chavez sympathizers. Asked about the effort to revive the moribund Amazonian Parliament ("Parlamaz," ref A), Sarney replied, "Chavez wants what serves him." Chavez will attack Guyana - - - - - - - - - - - - 3. (C) Sarney repeated his firm conviction that "Chavez wants to do what all dictators do, start an external war," and will attack Guyana to seize the Essequibo region, claimed by Venezuela. (Sarney previously expressed this view, ref B.) (In a private conversation with the Ambassador a few days later, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim expressed a personal concern that if Chavez started to have domestic problems, he could decide to focus public attention on unresolved claims on Venezuela's borders.) He hoped Brazil and the U.S. would step in and confront Chavez if he did anything extraterritorial. While Brazil and the U.S. would be drawn into the conflict, Bolivarian Circles in Brazil (ref A) would support Chavez's Essequibo aggression, Sarney said, recalling that Brazil-Nicaragua friendship groups harvested coffee in Nicaragua during Daniel Ortega's first presidency. (Note: Brazilian media reported on November 17 that Guyana accused Venezuela of invading its territory with a military

operation on November 15 against gold mining operations inside Guyana; Venezuela reportedly said the action was inside Venezuela. End note.) Pressure Russia to stop arms sales - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4. (SBU) Sarney said the USG must pressure Russia and others who sell arms in the region, even if it appears to be a futile effort, otherwise South America will have a Balkan BRASILIA 00002151 002 OF 002

or Korean conflict on its soil. Arms sales do not merely involve Venezuela, but will destabilize the whole region, and the USG should view it as such, Sarney said, emphasizing that this is not a U.S.-Venezuela problem, but a regional one. He suggested there ought to be more arms embargoes for the region, and recalled how as president he helped ensure the imposition of an embargo on Chile at a tense time in Chilean-Argentine relations. Iran-Venezuela Ties - - - - - - - - - 5. (SBU) Venezuela's growing relationship with Iran is but "a part of Chavez's plan" that includes fomenting anti-Americanism and replacing Fidel as the regional leftist leader, but Sarney said he did not think Ahmadinejad would come to Brazil, although he was to have come in September and canceled on short notice. (ref A). Venezuelan Mercosul Accession - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6. (SBU) Sarney predicted Venezuelan accession to Mercosul will be defeated in the Brazilian Senate because everyone understands what Chavez is up to. (Note: The accession bill is in the Chamber of Deputies and has two more hurdles to pass before it reaches the Senate. There is a growing chorus in both houses of Congress voicing deep concerns about Venezuelan behavior, and Senate approval is uncertain. End note.) Bolivia - - - 7. (SBU) President Sarney told the Ambassador he has long believed that because of Bolivia's historical baggage over its loss of territory to Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Peru, and now the historical baggage that Evo Morales expresses (the indigenous as oppressed and rightful owners of the land), Brazil and the U.S. would do well to make joint,

positive gestures to Bolivia. Bolivia is barely viable as a country and needs help, even concessions, from Brazil, Sarney said, in order to prevent Chavez from taking over management of Bolivia. 8. (C) Comment. Sarney's urging of more USG involvement in South America indicates he believes Brazil and her neighbors cannot by themselves overcome the problems Chavez is causing in the neighborhood. The chorus of anti-Chavez warnings is growing, but prescriptions vary: while Sarney favors fewer arms in the region, another leading senator favors more arms to create a balance (ref A). Sarney has publicly praised Lula's approach of avoiding interference in Venezuela's internal affairs and maintaining good ties with Chavez, while opposition politicians criticize Lula's approach as weak and fearful of conflict. Although Chavez still has his supporters in Brazil -- Lula himself publicly defended Venezuelan democracy the day after the Ambassador's meeting with Sarney -- the mood is changing, and there is growing agreement among the political and foreign policy elites that Venezuela represents a threat to stability and that something must be done. Despite the growing pride here in Brazil's global and regional role, many nonetheless look to the U.S. to lead in countering Chavez; few seem to be considering the possibility that Brazil might take more public leadership on the issue. Sobel

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/12/07BRUSSELS3497.html# 07BRUSSELS3497, ANTWERP DIAMOND OFFICIAL ALLEGES CHAVEZ EXPORTING Reference ID 07BRUSSELS3497 VZCZCXYZ0005 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBS #3497 3471325 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 131325Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6807 INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA PRIORITY 0129 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0294 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0405 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003497 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2022 TAGS: ETRD CF GY VE BE SUBJECT: ANTWERP DIAMOND OFFICIAL ALLEGES CHAVEZ EXPORTING DIAMONDS TO FUND MILITARY Classified By: DCM Wayne Bush, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Created 2007-12-13 13:25 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Brussels

1. (C) A senior official in the Antwerp Diamond Center alleged on December 10 to DCM and ECOUNS that Venezuela may be exporting diamonds illegally through third countries, including Ghana and Congo-Brazzaville. The official explained that diamonds from Venezuela and British Guyana are geologically similar, since they date to the period when the continents of South America and Africa were once joined. The official believed that the funds from the sale of those diamonds were used by Hugo Chavez to buy the loyalty of his military. 2. (C) The official said that although Venezuela has a significant capacity to produce diamonds, there have been no official exports from the country. However, the similarity of the diamonds geologically could make it possible for Venezuela to send them to Ghana or Guyana, claiming they are diamonds from those countries and having them certified under the Kimberley Process (KP).

3. (C) The diamond official recalled a case involving diamonds which Congo-Brazzaville claimed were being mined in its own territory. A Kimberley Process mission was sent and actually overflew the area the Congo-Brazzaville government claimed the diamonds were being mined from, but found no mining activity. The implication was that the Kimberley Process could likewise look into this diamond trade to verify its compliance with KP. 4. (C). (NOTE: Post understands that Venezuela has invited a KP review team to visit in early 2008. END NOTE.). 5. (C) COMMENT: These allegations affect the Antwerp Diamond Center due to its role as the center of the world rough diamond trade. Many of the diamonds involved in this trade will at some point pass through Antwerp. The Antwerp Diamond Council tries zealously to protect its good name and does not want conflict diamonds or similar illegal trade to tarnish its reputation. .

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/01/08BRASILIA6.html# 08BRASILIA6, A/S SHANNON'S MEETING WITH FORMER PRESIDENT SARNEY Reference ID 08BRASILIA6 Created Released Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Brasilia

2008-01-03 11:14 2011-08-30 01:44

VZCZCXRO3802 RR RUEHRG DE RUEHBR #0006/01 0031114 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 031114Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0757 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6476 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4424 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5199 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3918 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1394 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 5846 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7152 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2377 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0064 RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7547 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5628 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1399 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000006 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2017 TAGS: PREL ETRD KDEM BR VE GY BL EC CO XM XR FARC SUBJECT: A/S SHANNON'S MEETING WITH FORMER PRESIDENT SARNEY REF: A. BRASILIA 313 B. BRASILIA 2151 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Phillip Chicola, reasons 1.4 B and D 1. (C) Summary: Former President and sitting Senator Jose Sarney (PMDB, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, governing coalition; of Amapa) told WHA A/S Thomas Shannon on December 14 that President Lula is doing a good job and has maintained the social calm necessary for growth and development. Sarney recommended that U.S. avoid being drawn into provocative situations in the region that would turn out to be "traps." He reiterated his view that Hugo Chavez is bent on provoking a war with Guyana over the disputed Essequibo territory (refs A and B). Sarney asked Shannon for any information we could

provide about Venezuelan arms acquisitions. Sarney said Brazil must help Bolivia, but called the new Bolivian constitution "illegitimate." He said President Lula's December 13 trip to Venezuela was mainly of commercial significance, and implied Lula's defeat in Congress over the renewal of the tax on financial transactions (CPMF) will not be the fiscal disaster some fear. End summary. Lula is Doing Well - - - - - - - - - 2. (C) Former president and sitting Senator Jose Sarney told visiting A/S Shannon, accompanied by EEB A/S Daniel Sullivan, Ambassador, and poloff (notetaker), that President Lula is doing a good job, and his policies are providing Brazil the social calm that foster good growth and development. He added that "Lula has a lot of style in his personal diplomacy." Speaking just 14 hours after President Lula suffered a historic defeat at the hands of opposition senators who rejected his proposal to renew the tax on financial transactions, Sarney was sanguine and said the government would find the money (i.e., some 40 billion reais, about USD 22 billion, in lost annual revenues) one way or another. He did not express any concern about political damage to the Lula presidency or financial harm to the national budget over the prospect of losing the funds next year. Bolivia's New Constitution is Illegitimate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3. (C) Sarney reviewed some of the historical "episodes" and reasons for which he believes Brazil must help Bolivia (ref b), including territorial losses to Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Brazil, persistent poverty, and deep ethnic divisions. Sarney described Bolivia as a "barely viable state." Asked his views of the new Bolivian constitution, he replied that one cannot speak of a constitution as such, since the new constitution is "illegitimate, and just another episode in Bolivian history." Venezuela - - - - 4. (C) Sarney said President Lula's December 13 trip to Venezuela was chiefly of commercial significance, since Lula is trying to increase trade with Venezuela to strengthen the overall relationship. Otherwise, there was no greater political significance to the trip. He said Lula is simply trying to be practical, and like capitalists, Lula "goes where there is money." He added that, with regard to possible Venezuelan accession to Mercosul, the Democracy Clause was "an important vaccine." Sarney remains convinced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is trying to provoke a

war with Guyana over the disputed Essequibo region (ref b), which would be "bad for Brazil because Brazil had accepted the treaty settling the matter, and it reopens the issue." He said Brazil had built a road from Manaus to the Guyanese border that he hopes might continue to Georgetown, but if Chavez acts aggressively toward Guyana it "will create a problem for all of us." He said Itamaraty, the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, is "calm, but we should always be concerned about the matter." Obviously concerned BRASILIA 00000006 002 OF 002

about Venezuela's capacity to destabilize the region, Sarney asked A/S Shannon for any information the USG could provide on Venezuelan arms acquisitions. Sarney also recommended that the U.S. would do well to avoid being provoked into policies and actions that could be counterproductive and could benefit antagonists, saying "the U.S. must be careful to avoid falling into traps." No Brazilian Role with the FARC - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5. (C) Asked about a possible role for Brazil in negotiations with the FARC, Sarney replied that Brazil does not have enough experience in this area to do much more than offer good will, and could not "improvise from one day to the next." CHICOLA

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/03/08GEORGETOWN148.html 08GEORGETOWN148, EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN148 Created 2008-03-17 12:25 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO6779 PP RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0148/01 0771225 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 171225Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6266 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFIUU/DEPT OFHOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF REASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WAHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 00148 SIPDIS G/TIP G INL DRL PRM WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF ELAB KCRM KWMN KFRD GY SUBJECT: EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ASSESSMENT - GUYANA REF: STATE 2731 1. (SBU) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of information requested in reftel for the 2008 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report. After a full review of the available information, Post has found that Guyana is not/not a country of origin, transit, or destination for a "significant" number of victims of severe forms of trafficking, as spelled out in reftel and in the TVPA of 2000. Post accordingly responds in this cable only to the relevant questions in reftel, as identified in reftel paragraph #8. 2. (SBU) Begin text:

------------------------------------------Overview of country's activities to eliminate trafficking in persons ------------------------------------------A. All available information shows that Guyana is not/not a country with a significant number of victims of severe forms of trafficking. Sound statistical data is virtually nonexistent, other than cases specifically reported, either through a police complaint or self-identification to human service providers. No surveys that are thorough, unbiased, and based on current information are known to exist. The local NGO Help and Shelter, which principally assists victims of domestic and sexual abuse but also provides assistance to trafficking victims, reported that for all of 2007, only two individuals who approached the shelter were potential victims of trafficking. Sources of information used to compile this report include the Guyanese media, the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security (M0LHSSS), the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Guyana Police Force, the victim's assistance NGO Help and Shelter, the US-based NGO Catholic Relief Services, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), Red Thread, IOM, and members of Parliament representing both the government and the opposition. B. After visiting more than fifty communities in all ten administrative regions of the country, and conducting awareness-raising programs that have reached more than 5,000 Guyanese citizens, the Minister for Human Services could find no discernable degree of TIP in Guyana. Almost all exploitation observed or described both to the Ministry and to other embassy sources involves the voluntary performance of labor. C. The Ministry of Labor, Human Services, and Social Security (MOLHSSS) is the designated lead agency for the GOG's anti-TIP efforts. A Counter-TIP Unit within the MOLHSSS coordinates the GOG's efforts under the supervision of Minister Priya Manickchand. In addition, the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Forestry Commission, and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) actively participate in GOG's anti-TIP efforts. Together with local non-government organizations, these government ministries form a coalition that meets to address TIP issues. D. Government officials acknowledge that TIP cases do occur in Guyana, and in addition to awareness-raising campaigns the government continues efforts to prosecute traffickers and assist victims. Guyana is a country the size of Idaho, mostly covered in dense forest, and hosts an approximate population of a mere 750,000 - 90 percent of which lives along the coast. The government's recently released annual budget was its largest ever - a paltry $600 million. Combined with the absence of a serious TIP problem, the government's attention and modest resources will by necessity be

directed towards a host of other security-related challenges. E. The government has been fully transparent both with the embassy and with other external sources in providing data and discussing TIP policy, and is fully willing to address TIP cases that come to its attention. In addition, the ministry periodically releases activity reports for its Counter Trafficking in Persons Unit, which include dates, locations, and number of participants for its public awareness and training efforts. However, evaluating progress in attacking a problem that does not meaningfully exist is, of course, impossible. -------------------------------------------GEORGETOWN 00000148 002 OF 002

Investigation and prosecution of traffickers -------------------------------------------F. The Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act became law in 2005. In addition, perpetrators who kidnap or lure victims for purposes of sexual exploitation may be charged under Guyanese Criminal Law Chapter 8.01, Section 87 (forced detention-sex) and sections 72 and 73 (procurement). There is no new legislation to report this year. G. Traffickers convicted on summary judgment (lesser offenses) are subject to prison terms of 3-5 years. Traffickers convicted on indictment (more serious offenses) are subject to prison terms of 5 years to life imprisonment. All convicted traffickers are subject to confiscation of property used or gained during the course of the crime and could be ordered to pay restitution to victims. In addition, convicted traffickers face: -two additional years imprisonment if the person used, threatened to use, or caused another to use or threaten to use a dangerous weapon; -five additional years imprisonment if the victims suffers a serious bodily injury or if the crime involves sexual assault; -five additional years imprisonment if the trafficking victim was exposed to life threatening illness or was forced into any addiction to drugs and/or medication; -ten additional years imprisonment if the victim suffers a permanent or life-threatening injury; -three additional years imprisonment if the crime was organized by an organized criminal contingent; -four additional years imprisonment if the crime resulted from abuse of power or a position of authority. H. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses carries the same penalties as trafficking for sexual exploitation. I. Guyanese criminal law calls for life imprisonment for rape, five years for sexual assault, and ten years for forced detention for

purposes of sexual exploitation. However, judges have discretion in sentencing with 5 to 10 years imprisonment being the trend. This compares to a possible sentence of 5 years to life under the TIP Act. J. Prostitution, including the activities of the prostitute and the brothel owner/operator, clients, and pimps, are illegal in Guyana, but these laws are rarely enforced. The National Assembly passed the Age of Consent Bill in 2005, raising the age of consent from thirteen to sixteen years of age. -----------------------------------Protection and assistance to victims -----------------------------------K. The government's 2008 national budget includes GY$5 million (US$25,000) for the Help & Shelter's victim assistance shelter, which serves trafficking victims. Only two such victims came to Help and Shelter in 2007. L. The government does encourage victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, but victims often refuse to testify, presumably for fear of eventual reprisal. The GOG does not have a victim restitution program, and, while victims have the legal right to file a civil suit against a perpetrator, this has not been tested. Most cases take so long to prosecute that they die out before a judgment is rendered. There are no known restrictions on material witnesses' freedom of movement. End text. 3. (SBU) Embassy Georgetown's point of contact is Rolf Olson, Political/Economic Officer, FS-03, telephone (592)225-4900, ext. 4214, IVG 747-4214 , fax (592) 227-0240. This report was drafted in 6 hours and related investigations and meetings involved 20 hours. WILLIAMS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/06/08GEORGETOWN364.html# 08GEORGETOWN364, DIP NOTE REQUEST FOR USG FORENSIC ASSISTANCE IN Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN364 VZCZCXYZ0005 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0364 1762028 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 242028Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6526 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0590 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 4349 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 4133 RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY 0124 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000364 SENSITIVE SIPDIS CARACAS FOR LEGATT KEVIN CURRIER, PORT OF SPAIN FOR A/LEGATT MARVIN FREEMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: GY PREL PGOV PINS PHUM MOPS SUBJECT: DIP NOTE REQUEST FOR USG FORENSIC ASSISTANCE IN KILLING OF MINERS REF: GEORGETOWN 361 1. (SBU) This is communication of a formal diplomatic request from the Government of Guyana (GoG) to the USG for provision of a forensic pathology team to assist in a criminal investigation. 2. (SBU) Begin text of cover Diplomatic Note: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guyana presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honor to forward herewith a communication from the Hon. Clement Rohee, Minister of Home Affairs of Guyana to Mr. Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice and hereby requests the kind assistance of the Embassy in transmitting this communication to its high destination. Created 2008-06-24 20:28 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guyana avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration. End text. 3. (SBU) Begin text of letter from Minister Rohee: Mr. Michael B. Mukasey Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Washington, DC United States of America Dear Mr. Mukasey: I am writing to request the urgent assistance of the Government of the United States of America in the provision of a forensic pathology team to conduct investigations into a crime scene in the Berbice River area. Eight bodies were discovered burnt practically beyond recognition. I thank you for your attention to this matter. Yours sincerely, Clement J. Rohee Minister End text. Campbell

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/06/08GEORGETOWN365.html# 08GEORGETOWN365, FORMAL GOG REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN365 VZCZCXYZ0006 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0365 1762119 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 242119Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6527 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0591 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 4134 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY 0125 UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000365 SENSITIVE SIPDIS CARACAS FOR LEGATT KEVIN CURRIER, PORT OF SPAIN FOR A/LEGATT MARVIN FREEMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: GY PREL PGOV PINS ETTC SUBJECT: FORMAL GOG REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING EXPORT LICENSE APPLICATIONS 1. (SBU) This is communication of a formal request by the Government of Guyana (GoG) for information relating to applications for export licenses. 2. (SBU) Begin text of letter: Ms. Karen Williams Charge d'Affaires Embassy of the United States of America Duke Street Kingston Dear Ms. Williams, Please see attached Press Release by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Created 2008-06-24 21:19 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

In this regard, I would like to formally request the US Authorities to provide me with a record of all applications made by the Government of Guyana for export licenses for restricted items during the period 2000-2006. Yours sincerely, Clement J. Rohee Minister End text of letter. 3. (SBU) Begin text of attached Press Release: The Ministry of Home Affairs rejects outright the claim being repeated in the Media that the Government of Guyana authorized the importation by the Roger Khan outfit of the sensitive piece of electronic equipment seized by the Joint Services. The U.S.A., like most developed countries, has strict export controls on the sale/export of such items. In Guyana, such sensitive electronic items could only be procured and imported for the exclusive use of Law Enforcement Agencies. Such a request by the Law Enforcement Agencies of Guyana would have to be approved by the relevant authorities before an application is made by the Government of Guyana to the relevant American Authorities for approval for the item to be exported to Guyana. The Ministry of Home Affairs asserts that it did not authorize the importation of the electronic equipment under question nor did it seek any approval of the U.S. Authorities for an export licence for the item. In the context of the above, the Ministry of Home Affairs has since requested the American Authorities to provide it with the records of all such applications made by the Government of Guyana during the period of the operations of the Roger Khan outfit. MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS JUNE 9, 2008 End text of press release. Campbell

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/07/08GEORGETOWN441.html# 08GEORGETOWN441, POST ENDORSES SECTION 1206 PROPOSAL, WITH Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN441 VZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0441 2102018 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 282018Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6607 INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY 0131 S E C R E T GEORGETOWN 000441 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2018 TAGS: GY MARR MOPS PREL SUBJECT: POST ENDORSES SECTION 1206 PROPOSAL, WITH EXCEPTIONS Classified By: CDA Karen L. Williams, for reasons 1.4 (a) and (d) 1. (S) Post endorses the FY2008 proposal for Section 1206 funding for Guyana that was submitted by SOUTHCOM, with the following caveats: Post endorses the provision of all non-lethal assistance, i.e., all items identified under the categories COMMUNICATIONS, NIGHT VISION, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, AND CLOTHING/PERSONAL EQUIPMENT, as well as the following non-lethal items listed under the category WEAPONS: M24 Binoculars, Oakley Ballistic Shooting Glasses Array, and Aviator Nomex Gloves. 2. (S) Post does not/not endorse the provision of any of the other items listed under the category WEAPONS. 3. (S) Post is confident that the provision of this Section 1206 non-lethal assistance addresses priority needs of the Guyana Defense Force (GDF), and enhances its capability to conduct counterterrorism operations. This assistance also reinforces other ongoing security collaboration efforts. Williams Created 2008-07-28 20:18 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification SECRET Origin Embassy Georgetown

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/08/08GEORGETOWN453.html 08GEORGETOWN453, GUYANA'S RULING PARTY DETERMINES POWERFUL Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN453 VZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0453 2172136 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 042136Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6622 C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000453 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV GY EAID EAGR SUBJECT: GUYANA'S RULING PARTY DETERMINES POWERFUL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Classified By: CDA WILLIAMS for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 1. (SBU) Summary: A low-ranking minister finished a surprisingly high third in party elections as the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) held its final congress before the 2011 presidential election. Party delegates selected the 35-person Central Committee that will determine the 18-member Executive Committee that in turn decides the party's nominee and defines its agenda. In his address to the PPP, President Jagdeo again criticized the media for perceived unfair coverage and reiterated his call for the international community to compensate Guyana for the contribution its rainforests make in the fight against climate change. End Summary. 2. (U) The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) held its final Congress before the 2011 presidential elections August 2-3. The 1020 delegates in attendance voted 35 party members onto the new Central Committee, whose primary task is to elect the 18-member Executive Committee in the coming weeks. The Executive Committee will set the party's agenda and ultimately select the PPP's candidate. 3. (SBU) Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Frank Anthony finished an unexpectedly high third in the balloting behind President Jagdeo and former president Janet Jagan, and was one of only five elected to serve for the first time on Created 2008-08-04 21:36 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

the committee. Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, believed to be President Jagdeo's favored successor, finished 9th. Committee elections take place every three years. 4. (U) In his address, President Jagdeo criticized media for highlighting issues that show the government in a negative light without providing context for the GoG's actions. Jagdeo identified the financing of infrastructure projects such as the repairing of Guyana's sea defenses as challenges for the future. He again pushed the idea that any international agreements succeeding the Kyoto protocol should compensate Guyana for the carbon offsetting its rainforests provide and suggested Guyana's forests are worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 5. (C) Comment: The unexpected third place finish of Frank Anthony, who maintains a low-public profile, and the relatively weak finish of Robert Persaud, who is arguably the Minister most visible in the press, may signify that the Agriculture Minister's support in the party is not as deep as previously thought. It remains to be seen if Anthony, who few considered a power player in intra-party politics, leverages his popularity within the party for a more substantive and powerful portfolio. For the moment, Persaud appears to have the inside track on the nomination provided he does not fall out of favor with Jagdeo. Jagdeo's criticism of the media is part of a sustained government effort to battle media criticism by making counter accusations of bias. End comment. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/12/08GEORGETOWN693.html# 08GEORGETOWN693, TIP: GUYANA 2008 INTERIM ASSESSMENT Reference ID 08GEORGETOWN693 Created 2008-12-09 20:12 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO2181 PP RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0693 3442012 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 092012Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6870 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000693 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT, WHA/PPC FOR SMILLER, G/TIP FOR SKRONENBURG AND BFLECK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM SMIG GY SUBJECT: TIP: GUYANA 2008 INTERIM ASSESSMENT REF: STATE 111306 1. (U) This is a response to reftel about progress made by the Government of Guyana (GoG) in addressing Trafficking in Persons issues. 2. (SBU) In 2008, The GoG continued its prosecution of a woman arrested in October 2006 in the town of Bartica, in which two teenage girls were allegedly trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. In a separate case in January, the GoG worked with Trinidadian authorities to repatriate a Guyanese woman who had been held against her will after answering an employment advertisement in Trinidad and Tobago; the woman is now safely back in Guyana, and has been provided government assistance with her reintegration. In October, a local judge dismissed charges filed against a woman for a 2006 case in which she allegedly trafficked a 12 year-old girl; the judge cited a lack of evidence. 3. (U) In order to extend awareness of what constitutes TIP and to augment its sources of information regarding potential TIP cases, the GoG's National Task Force for Combating Trafficking in Persons has continued to conduct sensitization exercises in communities around the country, and has set up

"Community Focal Points" in these areas. The individuals serving as focal points include mayors/municipal officials, school authorities, religious leaders, and other persons who have high visibility and engender local trust, and who also have a breadth of knowledge regarding activities and individuals in their respective communities. These persons, in turn, can play a role in referring possible TIP cases, assisting with TIP investigations, and further raising public awareness in areas where stakeholder ministries do not otherwise have a regular presence. 4. (SBU) As part of its biannual continuing education/professional development seminars for senior and mid-level officers of its Criminal Investigations Division, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has instituted a full-day training session on Trafficking in Persons for all seminar participants. Additionally, the GoG has signaled interest in coordinating with the USG on possible prosecutor and judicial training regarding TIP issues, which could be provided by the Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). 5. (SBU) In 2008, the GPF has conducted raids on various establishments, including brothels and shops thought to potentially harbor trafficking victims. Most workers interviewed confirmed they were working in their job willingly and for compensation, however, several workers did allege they were victims of trafficking. These individuals were subsequently removed from the location and provided shelter. Some departed the shelters of their own volition without providing formal statements to the police, while in other cases further investigation indicated there had been no trafficking violation. 6. (U) The GoG has continued to provide funding to a local NGO to house TIP victims, although few such victims have come forward or been referred for services in the last few years. This NGO and one other also serve on the National Task Force for Combating Trafficking in Persons. Jones

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/01/09GEORGETOWN8.html# 09GEORGETOWN8, GUYANA,S RULING PARTY LEADS MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN8 VZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0008 0091911 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091911Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6927 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHVV/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000008 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019 TAGS: PGOV KISL GY SUBJECT: GUYANA,S RULING PARTY LEADS MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN GAZA PROTEST AT EMBASSY Classified By: DCM Williams for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (U) The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) led some 80 demonstrators in a peaceful event in front of the Embassy on January 9. High profile protesters included PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, and a number of other former Ministers who are not Muslim. 2. (U) The protesters, of whom approximately two-thirds were Muslim, issued a statement declaring that 'attacks would not have been possible without the support, economic and military, that the United States continue to give to the murderous regime in Tel Aviv,' and 'the U.S. has the power to stop Israel's genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people.' The statement also called on 'the U.S., EU, and Russia to immediately get Israel to halt its military barbarism and to seek a political solution to the Palestinian/Israeli problem.' 2. (C) Comment: The fact that local Muslim leaders informed Post in advance that the PPP was organizing a protest -- and apologized for it -- attests to the positive relationship between the U.S. and the mainstream Muslim community in Guyana. Given the senior PPP in attendance, represented by Created 2009-01-09 19:11 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

the party's Moscow-educated old guard, and the low turnout by younger PPP members, it is unclear if President Jagdeo truly backed the protest or if he was just disinclined to control a vocal minority faction in his party. End Comment. Jones

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/03/09GEORGETOWN157.html# 09GEORGETOWN157, JAGDEO UNREPENTANT AFTER LATEST ANTI-US OUTBURST, Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN157 VZCZCXYZ0009 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0157/01 0791916 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 201916Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7108 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHVV/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN IMMEDIATE 4163 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000157 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR GY SUBJECT: JAGDEO UNREPENTANT AFTER LATEST ANTI-US OUTBURST, BUT SEEKS COLLABORATION REF: A. GEORGETOWN 124 B. GEORGETOWN 149 Classified By: Ambassador John M. Jones, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (C) Summary: A day after another set of searing public criticisms of the U.S. Government and its "condescending lectures" on fighting drug trafficking and other issues through its annual reports, an entirely unrepentant President Jagdeo asserted to the Ambassador on March 19 that the tone of these reports should change in the future if the U.S. expected countries to cooperate on such issues. He reiterated privately what he had expressed publicly and vociferously the day before: that he had been asking the U.S. "for years" for greater counternarcotics collaboration, including the opening of a DEA office in Guyana, but had been "met with silence." He nonetheless claimed an interest in developing a framework for law enforcement cooperation -- which would involve enhanced investigations and prosecutions of drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, money laundering, and extraditions to the U.S. He reiterated his intention to write to President Obama regarding the State Department's "unfair and biased" annual Created 2009-03-20 19:16 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

reporting on drugs, human rights, and trafficking in persons. "It's a different world now," Jagdeo declared to the Ambassador. "We're not going to be lectured anymore." End Summary. 2. (SBU) At the annual Police Officers Conference in Georgetown on March 18, President Jagdeo rnewed his scathing public attacks on the U.S. Goernment for what he perceives as its double-talkon fighting drug trafficking. Restating many of he charges he levied during a public presentation on February 27 (reftel A), Jagdeo asserted that hewas "tired of the lectures" contained in the Stae Department's annual reports on narcotics (the NCSR): "If the U.S. is serious about working wit us then this will change." As he has often done in the past, Jagdeo used the opportunity to counterunch on what he perceived to be the United State' own weaknesses, stating that in the fight agaist drugs and crime, "...they have the biggest falure of law enforcement and they are the largest source of money laundering." Jagdeo criticized publc recriminations on the issue, then proceeded toengage in that very act by noting: "We can tradetit for tat and the drug traffickers would be hapy. I am interested in serious collaboration wher there is real assistance, real commitment, and esources to match what we say." 3. (C) At the Abassador's request, Jagdeo met with Ambassador ad PolOff on March 19 to discuss these latest remrks, the government's last-minute cancellation ofparticipation regional drug enforcement confeence, and the President's views about how to mov forward. Ambassador began by asking "How can weput things back together again?" on the counternrcotics front. Jagdeo responded by saying it had o start with "changing the tone of these unfair, iased reports from the State Department," particularly the INCSR. He alleged: "These reports don't reflect the positive steps we have taken," referring specifically to the dismissal of nine Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) Officers last year, including the Head, after they had failed polygraph tests. When PolOff noted that this CANU transition had indeed been described and even praised in this year's INCSR, the President responded that it had received only "one tiny mention" in the report. (Note: not true. It was cited in the summary and again in the narrative. End Note.) Jagdeo also highlighted the passage of several new laws last year that enabled wiretapping, plea bargaining, and other useful law enforcement tools. PolOff replied that this also had been mentioned and lauded in this year's INCSR, in two different sections. 4. (C) Jagdeo expressed particular exasperation at what he perceived as a complete lack of progress on establishing a permanent DEA office in Guyana. "This is not a recent thing; I've been asking for this for years!" he exclaimed. Referring to the March 2008 visit of WHA A/S Tom Shannon, Jagdeo

in

averred: "There's a long history to this: we've written, we've asked, we even mentioned it when Mr. Shannon was here, and nothing has happened." Ambassador inquired what exactly the President sought regarding law enforcement collaboration; Jagdeo replied that he was interested in a "framework by which we can define our exact cooperation. How are we going to collaborate, in broad terms? That is what we must establish." Taking care to delineate the difference between broader policy issues and the operational details of actual investigations, Jagdeo claimed he was only interested in the former: he wanted to clarify the framework, and then let the actual enforcement work happen. In response to the Ambassador's inquiry about who would be the principal POCs for the GoG on such discussions, Jagdeo identified four: Cabinet and Defense Board Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon; Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee; Guyana Defense Force Chief of Staff Gary Best; and Guyana Police Force Commissioner Henry Greene. He affirmed: "These are the people I trust on this issue." 5. (C) PolOff raised the question of the GoG's own counternarcotics commitment after a debacle the previous weekend regarding a U.S. invitation for CANU Director James Singh to attend the regional Drug Commanders Conference in St. Kitts the week of March 16-20, with all expenses covered. (Note: After belatedly accepting the invite on March 13, Minister Rohee rescinded permission for Mr. Singh to travel on March 14, with no explanation. End Note.) PolOff asked what message the President thought this action sent in the context of his pleas for assistance and collaboration. Jagdeo evaded that question, and in fact expressed frustration with Rohee for having granted the initial permission without the Cabinet's consent. (Note: official travel by all GoG employees -- at any level of the bureaucracy and even if a sponsor is covering all costs -- must be approved by the Cabinet in advance before permission to travel is granted. End Note.) 6. (C) Jagdeo circled back at several points during the 30-minute meeting to the annual reports that grate on him "and many other countries around the world, who feel the same way I do." Referring at various points to the Human Rights Report and the Trafficking in Persons Report, in addition to the INCSR, Jagdeo complained that they were "unbalanced" and did not include the government's point of view. PolOff noted that he was the principal author of each, and clarified that the government's perspective had very much been part of the information-gathering process, although numerous GoG agencies had failed to respond to multiple requests for even basic, non-controversial statistics. (Note: in response to the latter point, Jagdeo nearly apologized, asserting that he had ordered his ministers to comply with all such requests in order to help establish an accurate picture. Jagdeo then

offered: "If that happens again in the future, drop me a line about it." End Note.) PolOff asked if the President understood that each of the cited reports were required by -and written for -- the U.S. Congress, and by their very nature and structure would not necessarily reflect any particular government's perspective. Jagdeo contradicted himself impressively within the same response: "I understand that. I don't have any problem with you identifying deficiencies that exist." Moments later he avowed: "If you're going to say bad things about us, we have the right to say things about you. The only difference between what I have said publicly about you and what you have written about us is simply that I did not take the time to put my remarks in a report." 7. (C) Ambassador noted that post would relay the President's interest in a framework for cooperation to Washington, and would work to get something together. Jagdeo expressed hope that something could be arranged, and looked forward to future discussions after his return in early April from an 18-day trip to the Middle East (reftel B). 8. (C) Comment: In President Jagdeo's world, Guyana has met the full measure of external expectations regarding its commitment to fighting drug trafficking and other crimes, and demonstrated its competence and diligence as a partner in these areas. This could hardly be further from the truth. The individuals he identified to work with on this "framework" -Luncheon, Rohee, Best, and Greene -- are the Four Horsemen of Inertia. All have been in their positions for at least 18 months, and none have shown a proclivity for meaningful actions that would truly address Guyana's numerous law enforcement shortcomings. Luncheon in particular, as the source of virtually all government power outside of the President, has repeatedly sought to disembowel the most critical reform components of the British-funded Security Sector Reform Program. End Comment. Jones

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09GEORGETOWN418.html# 09GEORGETOWN418, BLAZE AT MINISTRY OF HEALTH IS OUT, BUT NEW Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN418 VZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0418/01 2122051 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 312051Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7376 INFO RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000418 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2030 TAGS: GY PHUM PREL SNAR SUBJECT: BLAZE AT MINISTRY OF HEALTH IS OUT, BUT NEW ALLEGATIONS KEEP FIRES BURNING Classified By: CDA Williams for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Testimony in the U.S. trial of a Guyanese drug kingpin,s lawyer alleged that the Minister of Health (and AMCIT) Leslie Ramsammy gave narco-trafficker and death squad leader Shaheed 'Roger' Khan the necessary permission from the GoG to purchase sensitive eavesdropping equipment in Florida. In response to the revelation, opposition members organized a walkout in Parliament and protested the GoG,s continued refusal to investigate allegations related to Khan. This latest accusation against Ramsammy comes two weeks after the Ministry of Health burned down in an arson attack amid rumors of an impending accounting investigation. Both of these events attest to the depth of corruption in the GoG and its inability or unwillingness to address it. END SUMMARY. TESTIMONY EXPOSES GOG 2. (U) Revelation in U.S. court that Guyanese drug kingpin and death squad leader Shaheed Roger, Khan purchased high-tech spy equipment from a Florida firm using a letter signed by Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy shook the Guyanese political scene July 30 and 31. The director of Smith Myers, the British manufacturer of the cellular Created 2009-07-31 20:51 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

intercept equipment in question, made the accusation during the trial of Khan,s attorney, Robert Simels. Simels is on trial for plotting to kill a witness against Khan. The Smith Myers director stated that while the equipment does not require a U.S. export license as maintained by the GoG, it could only be sold to governments for law enforcement purposes, not individuals. A separate witness also made public Khan,s role in the plot to kidnap the wife of the former DCM at Embassy Georgetown, which led to his curtailment in September 2007. 3. (U) The testimony comes as an embarrassment to the GoG, which has maintained it never authorized the purchase of such an apparatus. Guyana Police Force (GPF) in fact seized the equipment in a December 2002 run-in with Khan and several cohorts. As recently as June 2008 President Jagdeo and the Chief of Police maintained the equipment remained safely in GPF custody despite the fact that U.S. authorities found it in Simel,s possession. Since then the GoG has continued to erroneously argue it could not have authorized the purchase because the equipment fell under strict U.S. export controls. SMOLDERING ISSUES 4. (C) Links between Khan, who is suspected in masterminding more than 200 murders in Guyana, and Ramsammy are strong. A close associate of Khan worked with Ramsammy in the Ministry of Health, and the former death squad leader himself is widely rumored to have had regular Saturday meetings with the Minister. While being pursued by U.S. law enforcement in 2006, Khan put Ramsammy,s name forward as a potential mediator between him and the USG. Ramsammy, who is a U.S. citizen, emphatically denies that he provided a letter giving Khan the GoG,s permission to purchase the equipment, and postulated to Embassy officials that his signature was forged on Ministry of Health letterhead. 5. (U) The current revelation about the Minister of Health follows the channa-bombing,--a Guyanese version of the Molotov cocktail using chick-peas and gasoline--of the Ministry of Health,s main building in the early hours of July 17. The GoG claims it was a politically motivated attack and arrested a number of suspects, some of whom have emerged from police custody with signs of severe mistreatment. However, rumors in Georgetown link the attack to the Khan case, or an accounting investigation at the Ministry. 6. (U) Ramsammy and other high-level GoG officials, connection to Khan have been widely known for years, and the government is believed to have sanctioned Khan,s Phantom, death squad and drug trafficking because it was unable to restore order following a 2002 prison break. The GoG has

resisted calls to investigate any allegations related to Khan--though it did ask the Embassy for any information the USG had in the case. Most recently, the Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran disallowed a motion enabling the body to investigate the link between Ramsammy and Khan. In protest the opposition leader hurled a set of law books off his desk and stormed out of Parliament followed by the rest of the opposition. The majority People,s Progressive Party (PPP) responded by using the walkout as an opportunity to pass its version of a local government reform bill without opposition. COMMENT 7. (C) While opposition parties are making noise about the government,s most recent troubles and will likely use the incident to make its case in the run-up to the 2011 presidential elections, some Guyanese greet the disclosures with a frustrated shrug. Jagdeo and the PPP won re-election in 2006 with the Khan issue in the public domain, and the 2011 election will largely hinge on the opposition,s ability to establish credibility with the public. Sentiment is running high against the government, but the lack of an alternative (the leading opposition party is widely seen as just a different version of the same corrupt governance) leave people no place to turn. 8. (C) The more troubling aspect of the continuing fallout of the Khan trials is that it demonstrates the depth of corruption in the current government and its unwillingness or inability to address it. The GoG has made no indication it plans to remove Ramsammy and has resisted every attempt to investigate the depth of Khan,s influence in Guyana. It will likely continue to distance itself from the Khan controversy and focus attention on finding the perpetrators of (or scapegoats for) the Ministry of Health arson attack. 9. (SBU) The Ministry of Health is the largest partner of the Embassy in Guyana and has been key to the PEPFAR program,s success in country to date. Nevertheless, Post is reviewing its relationship with the Ministry in light of the recent allegations and the catastrophic fire. As Jagdeo continues to push for international funding for his Low Carbon Development Strategy and a full Millennium Challenge Account, donor countries should consider the government,s high tolerance for official corruption and Jagdeo,s repeated demonstration that he will not take a stand against it. END COMMENT. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/09/09GEORGETOWN450.html 09GEORGETOWN450, MORMON MISSIONARIES IN GUYANA DETAINED, ORDERED TO Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN450 VZCZCXYZ0004 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0450/01 2462004 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 032004Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7424 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHVV/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000450 SIPDIS DS/IP; CA/OCS; WHA/CAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2039 TAGS: GY PGOV PHUM SUBJECT: MORMON MISSIONARIES IN GUYANA DETAINED, ORDERED TO LEAVE REF: A. A) GEORGETOWN 192 B. B) GEORGETOWN 418 Classified By: CDA WILLIAMS FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GoG detained 41 missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) for 11 hours on September 2, claiming they were in the country without valid work permits. Despite a court order for their immediate release, the Ministry of Home Affairs only freed the missionaries following a direct appeal to President Jagdeo from the Charge, and promises from the missionaries that they would leave the country within 30 days. It was unclear whether other LDS missionaries with proper authorization would have to leave as well, or if work permits would be approved for LDS missionaries in the future. The GoG,s motivation for the action is unclear, though the decision appeared to rest with the Minister of Home Affairs. END SUMMARY. DETAINED ON A WHIM? 2. (U) Guyana,s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detained 41 LDS missionaries (39 of them AMCITs, all of whom Created 2009-09-03 20:04 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

signed Privacy Act Waivers) on September 2 from 0800 hrs until 1900 hrs and held one elderly missionary couple from 2000 hrs the previous night. Despite never formally charging the group with any offense, the Ministry of Home Affairs detained the missionaries in the CID,s lobby, confiscated their passports, and failed to provide them with basic necessities such as water, food, and toilet paper. 3. (U) The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed the LDS were in the country illegally since denying the work permits of 50 missionaries on July 24. The group had filed an appeal on the permit decision, and under Guyanese law they were allowed to remain in the country until the matter was settled. A separate, second court order for the group,s immediate release issued September 2 had no effect on the Ministry,s decision to hold the LDS, who were let go several hours after President Jagdeo ordered their release. 4. (SBU) The Mormon Church has supported missionaries in Guyana for more than 20 years and currently has more than 60 missionaries working in the country--the vast majority AMCITs rotating in at six-month intervals. The Church claims 4000 Guyanese members in a country of 750,000 people and spends 1 million USD annually in Guyana supporting its activities. 5. (C) The Charge raised the issue of the detention in a previously scheduled meeting with President Jagdeo. The President, who was visibly surprised by the news that the Ministry decided to expel the missionaries--and acutely aware of the negative media attention it would bring--immediately tried to reach the Minister of Home Affairs, who was unavailable, for an explanation. An hour later missionary leaders met with the President who agreed to release them provided they left the country within 30 days. It was not clear if the Ministry of Home Affairs would issue work permits for LDS missionaries in the future. &THE MINISTER WANTS THEM OUT8 6. (C) Though the impetus for the denial of work permits for LDS missionaries and subsequent decision to remove them remains unclear, the acting head of the CID unit was blunt about the GoG,s intent: The Minister wants them out., The missionaries told the Embassy that the police initially said they were detained for gathering information on behalf of the U.S., though the GoG denied it and stated the rumor originated with the U.S. Embassy. The missionary leaders who met with the president said he noted the GoG had received an increase in missionary applications from Muslim groups and implied there was a limit on how many missionaries any one group may have in Guyana, though he could not, or would not, name that number or produce any statutory information on category limitations.

7. (SBU) On September 3 the Embassy sent two dipnotes to the MFA, one protesting the fact the Embassy had not been notified of the detention of AMCITs and the conditions in which they were held. A second note sought clarification on the procedures for filing of work permits and extensions/renewals, as well as any numerical caps on categories or groups. 8. (C) COMMENT: The expulsion comes as a surprise given the Church,s uneventful history in Guyana and the country,s long tradition of free religious expression. Aside from the poor treatment and unjust detention of AMCITs, this episode is deeply disturbing on several levels. The fact that president was clearly caught off-guard at the news that the Ministry planned to expel a large group from a major religious organization and then was unable to reach the Minister of Home Affairs immediately suggests that Jagdeo,s position in the party has indeed weakened. The March 2009 death of Guyana,s former President and staunch supporter (see ref A) has provided an opening for the old-guard communist element in the ruling party to assert itself prior to the 2011 elections. Jagdeo, who became president in 1999 at age 35, appears not to have the support within the PPP to reshuffle the cabinet or remove incompetent or corrupt officials (see ref B). That the Ministry of Home Affairs did not even acknowledge that a court order existed for the release of the missionaries and it took an intervention from President Jagdeo himself for them to be released brings into serious question the GoG,s commitment to, or ability to enforce, the rule of law. END COMMENT. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/09/09GEORGETOWN454.html 09GEORGETOWN454, RULE OF LAW IN GUYANA: MORE LIKE A GUIDELINE Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN454 VZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0454/01 2542056 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 112056Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7429 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMCSUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000454 SIPDIS WHA/CAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2019 TAGS: PREL GY SUBJECT: RULE OF LAW IN GUYANA: REF: A. A) GEORGETOWN 450 B. B) GEORGETOWN 418 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Karen L. Williams for reasons 1.4(b) a nd (d) 1. (C) SUMMARY: Recent actions by the Government of Guyana, illustrated by the case of detained missionaries (REFTEL A) and the pursuit of suspects in the Ministry of Health fire (REFTEL B), paint a picture of a state where opposition is marginalized and rule of law is selectively applied. Diplomatic and local observers comment that the rhetoric and tightening of political power is at its highest since the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections. END SUMMARY. 2. (C) The recent case of U.S. missionaries detained in preparation for immediate deportation despite court orders to the contrary, brought to stark light the flimsiness of rule of law in Guyana. Both Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and Commissioner of Police Henry Greene (who are known associates and accomplices of drug traffickers and human smugglers) ignored court orders to release the missionaries while their deportation case was pending before the court. President Bharrat Jagdeo had the missionaries released not as Created 2009-09-11 20:56 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

MORE LIKE A GUIDELINE

the court ordered it, but only as a 30-day extension of their deportation. Jagdeo and key advisors, such as Roger Persaud, have publicly defended the detention and deportation orders, and only gave apologies for the manner in which the missionaries were "rounded up." 3. (C) The pursuit, harrassment, and alleged beating of suspects in the Ministry of Health fire further illustrate the selective application of laws -- there has been no investigation of the allegations of abuse by police or defense forces. Likewise, although a great deal of information has emerged alleging government involvement with confessed narco-trafficker Roger Khan (REF B) and his "death squad", the government refuses to open its own investigation, stating instead that it is waiting for the U.S. to provide its evidence in the case, even though nearly all of the sources for information are here in Guyana. 4. (C) Two prominent journalists, who, while critics of the government, are not active opposition members, spoke with the Charge and PolOff at length this week about the limited rule of law and respect for democratic and transparent systems. They detailed the sidelining of non-Indo-Guyanese higher ranking police officials, the shifting of judiciary to the benefit of the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) and thought that the case of the missionaries was perhaps an attempt to expel a group that had been cooperating and working well with the opposition in some humanitarian endeavors. The two journalists went into detail on Minister Rohee and Commissioner Greene's criminal ties as well as those of the chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Gerry Gouveia. (NOTE: All three men have either had their U.S. visas revoked or would not be eligible because of these ties.) The bottom line from the journalists -- the government has consolidated its power to the point that internal opposition is effectively hamstrung. The government allows them to be vocal but has cut off all democratic avenues for recourse. 5. (C) The journalists' observations are echoed by long-time observers in the diplomatic and donor community who have seen democracy and governance programs (aside from automation and some trainings) stagnate or meet with blunt disapproval. An upcoming Canadian program for media was bluntly rejected by the government and a planned joint U.S./GoG symposium with the civil sector on national security strategy never got out of the starting blocks as the Chief of Staff of the President stalled its planning until the point was moot. 6. COMMENT: The consensus among international donor community observers is that democracy and rule of law is at its lowest ebb since the 2006 elections. The 2011 elections, although nearly two years away, already seem to loom large on the horizon. Serious policy reform projects, such as in the

security sector, have fallen to the way side. Token gestures of cooperation on democracy and governance reform are made -such as eagerness to sign an agreement on some programs with USAID -- but are used as a way to push for a major public signing ceremony for the agreement -- well out of proportion with the agreement itself. President Jagdeo, while saying that he is just allowing his Ministers to do their jobs, is personally involved in every detail of government. His attitude toward the donor community has been in stark contrast to many of the officials he directs -- he has been jovial, upbeat and visible at even some of the more minor donor community events. The overall picture is of a government tightening its control and misusing the rule of law, while saying the "right" words and smiling nicely for the cameras. END COMMENT. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/10/09BRASILIA1234.html# 09BRASILIA1234, BRAZIL HELPING GUYANA WITH ENERGY IN VENEZUELA BORDER Reference ID 09BRASILIA1234 Created 2009-10-09 14:23 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Brasilia

VZCZCXRO6849 RR RUEHRG DE RUEHBR #1234 2821423 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 091423Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5204 INFO RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1704 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 4428 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1831 RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 0010 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 8271 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 4637 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001234 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2019 TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL BR GY VZ SUBJECT: BRAZIL HELPING GUYANA WITH ENERGY IN VENEZUELA BORDER DISPUTE AREA Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lisa Kubiske, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 1. (C) SUMMARY: Brazil is in talks with Guyana to build a hydroelectric plant on the border region of the two countries, in the territory disputed between Venezuela and Guyana. International Advisor to Brazil's Minister for Mines and Energy Edison Lobao, Ambassador Rubem Barbosa told Econoff on October 5 that in addition to augmenting the energy capacity for both countries, and bringing Guyana closer politically to its South American neighbors, the project would have the effect of allowing Guyana to establish government infrastructure in the disputed territory. END SUMMARY. 2. (C) The idea to build a binational hydro plant in Guyana's border region, near the Brazilian state of Roraima, stems from a meeting between Brazil's President Lula and Guyanese President Jagdeo on September 14 when the two inaugurated a new bridge that will be part of the highway linking Brazil to the sea through Guyana. At that time, Jagdeo, apparently aware of similar Brazilian projects, including the Itaipu Dam with Paraguay and plans for five new dams being constructed with Peru, asked Lula for assistance in meeting

Guyana's energy needs. Two weeks later, Lula sent a delegation to meet with Jagdeo, led by Energy Minister Lobao who was accompanied by Barbosa. The group included representatives of Brazilian National Development Bank and likely project financier BNDES, and the Brazilian state-owned electricity company, Eletrobras, which has been charged by Lula to pursue foreign operations with a goal of increasing energy integration throughout the continent. Barbosa cautioned that talks are still in the initial stages, with Electrobras undertaking an assessment of the area to determine the potential for such a project. 3. (C) As currently envisioned, the hydro powerplant would generate 800 megawatts (MWs) of electricity, with 200MWs going to Guyana and the rest returned to Brazil. Brazil would build additional transmission lines to channel the excess electricity to the Amazonian region of Manaus. Despite some press reports that the project could be completed by 2015, Barbosa felt that not only were such projections likely inaccurate, but also premature given the very early stage of discussions. He felt a ten year timeframe was more realistic. 4. (C) While helping to meet the pressing energy needs of Guyana and the undersupplied areas of Brazil would be the primary reason for undertaking such a project, Barbosa confided that the political reasons for doing so were also compelling. Given that the proposed hydroplant would be built in the section of Guyanese territory that is disputed with Venezuela, Jagdeo, according to Barbosa, sees this as an important effort to consolidate Guyana's claim to the area. Asked if this wasn't a problematic element of the plan from the Brazilian perspective, Barbosa responded that Jagdeo had observed that Venezuelan President Chavez had not involved himself in the question of the disputed land. This fact, combined with the ruling by a third party arbiteur that the area in question was Guyanese land, in Barbosa's estimation provided sufficient comfort for Lula to proceed. 5. (C) According to Barbosa, Jadgeo said he is also interested in the project as a means of integrating Guyana more into the South American community, noting that Guyana's future lies with the region, rather than with European allies that Guyana has traditionally relied on. Barbosa said that Lula shares this interest and would like to see Guyana and Surinam involved in the South American organization UNASUL. 6. (C) COMMENT: This type of binational energy project is of growing interest to the GOB, despite recent troubles with the Paraguayan insistence on receiving higher rates from Brazil for energy from the Itaipu dam, to which Brazil ultimately agreed. (Note: According to Barbosa, the Itaipu matter is nearing its conclusion but the resolution is currently awaiting approval from the Finance Ministry which Barbosa said could take a while. Once obtained, the agreement will require Congressional approval, which Barbosa judged to be a foregone conclusion. End note.) Not only is Brazil looking to expand its energy generation capacity, the political efforts are also

in keeping with Lula's philosophy of building bonds with neighboring countries through interdependence for energy security and building a South American political bloc, through which Brazil can conduct harmonious regional relations while building a base of support for its larger international ambitions. END COMMENT. KUBISKE

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/10/09GEORGETOWN508.html# 09GEORGETOWN508, CONCURRENCE TO TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COMBATING Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN508 VZCZCXYZ0007 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0508 2881956 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 151956Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7481 RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE S E C R E T GEORGETOWN 000508 SIPDIS SOUTHCOM PASS TO SOCSOUTH; STATE FOR WHA/CAR - WHALEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019 TAGS: GY MARR MASS MCAP PREL PTER SUBJECT: CONCURRENCE TO TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COMBATING TERRORISM/SOF TRAINING WITH PARTNER NATION FORCES REF: COMSOCSOUTH MSG 082046Z OCT 09 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Karen L. Williams, for reasons 1.4 (a) and (d) 1. (U) Summary: Post concurs with the Terms of Reference (TOR) to conduct Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) mission SGY2010JCET618W in Guyana from January 10 to March 31, 2010. Post further confirms that the leadership of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) concur with this deployment. End Summary. 2. (U) Information required by reftel follows: Created 2009-10-15 19:56 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification SECRET Origin Embassy Georgetown

A. (U) Human Rights Verification: Guyanese Defense Force (GDF) personnel who will participate in this training have been previously vetted this year as requested in Georgetown 73 (DTG 031902Z FEB 09), 113 (DTG 241747Z FEB 09), and 433 (DTG 131310Z AUG 09); and approved in SECSTATE 12631 (DTG 111749Z FEB 09), 20341 (DTG 042126Z MAR 09), and 87940 (DTG 241607Z AUG 09) respectively. Vetting requests will be sent forward if any additional individuals are identified for training. NOTE: Training MUST start before Febuary 11, 2010 in order to avoid re-vetting a significant portion of the

group. B. (U) Karen Lynn Williams, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Georgetown concurs. C. (U) LTC Melba L. Hernandez, CDR, USMLO-GY concurs. D. (U) COL Bruce Lovell, General Staff, GDF concurs. E. (S) USMLO-GY will conduct on-going force protection assessments. General description of the threat: The terrorist and Foreign Intelligence Security Service threat to U.S. interests in Guyana is LOW. The criminal threat is CRITICAL and the political violence threat is MEDIUM. Guyana is a HIGH-RISK area for infectious disease. Assessments of GDF security posture and capability will be provided to SOCSOUTH per reftel instructions. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/10/09GEORGETOWN518.html# 09GEORGETOWN518, CONCURRENCE FOR TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR NSW Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN518 VZCZCXYZ0011 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHGE #0518 2992039 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 262039Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE INFO RHMCSUU/HQ USSOCOM FP MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7490 S E C R E T GEORGETOWN 000518 SIPDIS SOUTHCOM PASS TO SOCSOUTH; STATE FOR WHA/CAR - WHALEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2019 TAGS: GY MARR MASS MCAP PREL PTER SUBJECT: CONCURRENCE FOR TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR NSW DEPLOYMENT TO GUYANA FOR MISSION SGY 2010JCET208N REF: COMSOCSOUTH MSG 151701Z OCT 09 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Karen L. Williams, for reasons 1.4 (a) and (d) 1. (U) Summary: Post concurs with the Terms of Reference (TOR) to conduct Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) mission SGY2010JCET618W in Guyana from January 10 to March 31, 2010. Post further confirms that the leadership of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) concur with this deployment. End Summary. 2. (U) Information required by reftel follows: Created 2009-10-26 20:39 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification SECRET Origin Embassy Georgetown

A. (U) Post confirms concurrence for this mission. B. (U) Human Rights Verification: TOR message was received with insufficient notice to provide this information before the October 26 deadline. The msg to State requesting vetting and the response from State will be forwarded to SOCSOUTH immediately upon sending and receipt, respectively. C. (U) Chief of Mission, USMLO-GY Chief, and PN official concur with TOR and deployment.

D. (U) Karen Lynn Williams, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Georgetown concurs. E. (U) COL Bruce Lovell, General Staff, GDF concurs. F. (U) All dates approved.

G. (U) Training location approved. PN Unit is the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard Raiders -- 25 PAX. H. (U) GDF and Post concur with POI. I. (U) Training requested is as stated in paragraph 13 A in reftel. J. (S) USMLO-GY will conduct on-going force protection assessments. General description of the threat: The terrorist and Foreign Intelligence Security Service threat to U.S. interests in Guyana is LOW. The criminal threat is CRITICAL and the political violence threat is MEDIUM. Guyana is a HIGH-RISK area for infectious disease. Assessments of GDF security posture and capability will be provided to SOCSOUTH per reftel instructions. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/10/09GEORGETOWN522.html# 09GEORGETOWN522, GEORGETOWN POL/ECON ROUND-UP, OCTOBER 14-28, 2009 Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN522 Created 2009-10-28 19:06 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO2760 PP RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0522/01 3011906 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 281906Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7494 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMCSUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000522 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019 TAGS: ECON PREL GY SUBJECT: GEORGETOWN POL/ECON ROUND-UP, OCTOBER 14-28, 2009 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Karen L. Williams for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (U) This cable inaugurates a new practice of bi-weekly "round-up" reporting cables highlighting developments in Guyana's politics and economy. This first installment covers October 14-28, 2009. CANCELLATION OF UK SECURITY SECTOR REFORM GOES PUBLIC 2. (C) Responding to a BBC Caribbean report on October 27, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon expressed regret but defended the GoG's loss of a nearly USD 8 million security sector reform project, citing concerns about sovereignty and "ownership" of the project's management, but attributed cancellation to U.K. displeasure with the GoG denying permission for a British military livefire exercise. (Note: In reality, the live fire exercise was approved and already took place). According to the U.K. High Commission, the GoG resisted meaningful financial and managerial oversight of the project as well as the policy and structural reform aspects of the project throughout two years of negotiations and were unwilling to compromise. The U.S., Canadian and EU missions have agreed not to "fill the gap" left by the cancellation of the reform project unless the GoG agrees to the policy and structural reforms. The IDB, however, has initiated a substantial police training program that largely gives the GoG what they wanted, but without the

instiutional reforms. COMMENT: This episode reinforces the GoG's image as an unnecessarily difficult assistance partner prone to erratic rhetorical outbursts and rash judgments when firm and effective (and difficult to evade) conditionalities are attached. END COMMENT. POLICE PROBE INTO EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS/KHAN CASE LAUNCHED 3. (SBU) On October 15 Shaheed &Roger8 Khan was sentenced in U.S. District Court to two, concurrent,15-year sentences for narcotics trafficking. Terms of his sentencing stipulate that he will be deported to Guyana after serving his time. Public reaction in Guyana was muted and divided along racial lines. On October 21, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) announced a special investigative team to probe allegations of nearly 200 extra-judicial killings by Khan,s &Phantom Squad.8 Public opinion of the GPF,s capacity to undertake such investigations is generally skeptical and commentators believe people with sensitive knowledge may not trust the GPF and therefore hinder the special investigative team,s effectiveness. Nevertheless, the Guyana Human Rights Association on October 22 submitted a list of nearly 60 people they suspect were murdered by Khan and his &Phantom Squad.8 An alliance of opposition parties including the PNC-R and AFC dismissed the GPF,s special investigative team and reiterated its call for an internationally led inquiry into the Khan-GoG saga. The GoG continues to deny any involvement in Khan,s criminal activities and repeatedly cites lack of information sharing from the U.S. government as a hindrance to investigating. (Note: USDOJ is reviewing investigative files in the case in order to respond to an official request from the GoG for any information the U.S. has in the Khan case.) PROGRESS ON PRESS FREEDOM 4. (SBU) Guyana Court of Appeals ruled on October 14 that the GoG,s de facto monopoly on radio transmissions is illegal. State-owned radio programming dominates the air waves because the National Frequency Management Unit has not processed any of the nearly 60 applications for licenses it has received since the early 1990s. The GoG issued a statement about its commitment to liberalizing broadcast media but maintained first it must adopt new broadcast legislation before the NFMU grants any licenses. Media analysts widely hailed the court,s ruling and expressed hope it would end decades of government monopoly on radio. Released on October 22, Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index for 2009 raises Guyana,s rank to 39 from 88 in 2008, citing a mainly free press and only intermittent tensions between the GoG and media. MINISTRY OF HEALTH ARSON INVESTIGATION 5. (C) On October 21 Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee stated that an &intellectual author8 of the July arson at the Ministry of Health is known and resides in the U.S. How the Minister is certain of this individual,s involvement is not clear, though he indicated the suspect made telephone calls to Guyana around the time of the fire. The Minister

also would not comment on what motivation the &intellectual author8 had in channa-bombing the Ministry. Shortly after the arson, the GPF passed a U.S. telephone number to the non-resident A/LEGATT and requested that the U.S. identify the owner of the number. In his statement on the 21st Rohee publicly referred to this transmission and expressed concern that a &positive response8 had not yet been received from U.S. law enforcement officials. In a meeting with the Charge on October 28, President Jagdeo personally pressed for a response on this item and indicated that they felt it GEORGETOWN 00000522 002 OF 002

belonged to someone within the Mark Benschopf political organization. Benschopf has in the past been convicted of, and later pardoned, on charges of treason and inciting violence. COMMERCIAL DISPUTE WITH VENEZUELAN POLITICAL CONNECTIONS 6. (SBU) In early October Econ Off assisted Sea Rice Caribbean, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Seaboard Corporation, in resolving a rice export contract dispute with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). The GRDB had delayed approval of signed contracts for 24,000 tons of rice between Sea Rice and local millers for over a month. Sea Rice,s agent had negotiated similar contracts during each of the past 30 rice harvests in Guyana and had never experienced such a delay. Inquiries with the GRDB President and the Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, led to a satisfactory resolution for Sea Rice. On October 21, Minister Persaud signed a first-ever rice export deal with Venezuela for 50,000 tons, earning Guyana,s rice industry USD 18.8 million at reportedly premium prices to those in traditional European and North American markets. President Jagdeo initiated the deal with Chavez at UNGA. This new commercial relationship raises concerns that future contracts with millers may be subject to political review at the GRDB and possible reneging to satisfy commitments made to Venezuela. LCDS GARNERS FIRST FINANCIAL COMMITMENTs FROM WORLD BANK AND IDB 7. (SBU) President Jagdeo,s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) ) an ambitious plan to channel hundreds of millions of US dollars from forest conservation payments into carbon-conscious economic development ) received its first two financial commitments during the week of October 19-23: a World Bank USD 200,000 grant for additional consultations between the GoG and Amerindian communities and a USD 1.4 million IDB grant for climate change adaptation and Amerindian consultations. The Norwegian government (GoN) and GoG are negotiating an MOU on Norwegian financial assistance for the LCDS expected to be completed in early November. GoN contacts stress that Norwegian financial participation in LCDS will be results-based, meaning GoG must produce verified emissions reductions through REDD . GoN contacts are not

able to articulate equally clear and quantifiable performance standards for GoG governance, widely viewed among the donor community as the primary stumbling block to the LCDS. SUGAR INDUSTRY CONTINUES DOWNWARD SPIRAL AFTER LOSING EU SUBSIDY 8. (SBU) The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) continues to experience debilitating financial and labor difficulties. The enterprise,s net operating loss this past fiscal year was USD 12.5 million, while incurring nearly USD 25 million in new commercial debts. During the peak harvest season in October, wage negotiations between GUYSUCO and the Guyana Agricultural and Workers Union (GAWU) have stalled, leaving much cane un-harvested. With a gap of 12 percent between GAWU,s wage raise demand and GUYSUCO,s offer, no quick and easy resolution is forthcoming. In late September the European Union cancelled Guyana,s preferential sugar subsidy, forcing GUYSUCO to face far lower market rates. During the past year, the GoG and GUYSUCO have taken extraordinary steps to maximize benefits under the expiring EU program, including forfeiting preferential access to the U.S. market (via tariff rate quotas) and importing sugar from Guatemala to supply domestic demand while channeling domestic production to Europe. REMITTANCES HOLD STEADY DESPITE GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN 9. (SBU) Governor of the Bank of Guyana Lawrence Williams informed Econ Off in early October that remittance flows have remained surprisingly consistent despite the global economic downturn. The Governor was uncertain how to account for this stability as globally remittances have declined significantly in lock-step with deteriorating employment conditions. Guyana is one of the most remittance-dependent countries in the world with remittances accounting for nearly 25 percent of the country's GDP. LDS MISSIONARIES' ARBITRARY TREATMENT CONTINUES 10. (C) As of October 1, all Mormon missionaries temporarily detained in early September and ordered to depart Guyana within 30 days had done so. Some replacement missionaries are beginning to arrive. LDS representatives have met with Ministry of Home Affairs, officials, who presented the Mormons with "guidelines8 to follow so similar incidents do not recurr; these &guidelines8 stipulate that LDS missionaries must obtain work permits prior to entering Guyana and no more than 20 foreign personnel may hold such permits at one time. No statutory bases for the new procedure or the numerical limitation appear to exist in Guyana law. Post's repeated requests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clarification of the work permit procedures have gone unanswered. Williams

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/11/09GEORGETOWN527.html 09GEORGETOWN527, Joint Opposition Political Parties Launch Dossier to Address Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN527 Created 2009-11-19 20:02 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO3300 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0527 3232002 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 192002Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0026 INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000527 NOFORN SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/19 TAGS: PHUM PREL GY SUBJECT: Joint Opposition Political Parties Launch Dossier to Address Human Rights Abuses REF: 09 GEORGETOWN 525 CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d' Affaires, State; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (C) Summary. The Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP), comprising the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), Alliance for Change (AFC), Guyana Action Party (GAP/ROAR), National Front Alliance (NFA) and Working People's Alliance (WPA), held a public meeting November 17 to launch their 2009 Dossier "In Support of an International Inquiry into Grave Human Rights Abuses in Guyana." PNCR Leader Robert Corbin stated that the purpose of the Dossier was to garner support for an international inquiry into on-going human rights abuses. End Summary.

2. (C) PNCR Party Leader Robert Corbin stated the purpose of the dossier was to inform the international community and the Guyanese public of the need to establish an independent body with legal authority to address human rights abuses including the October 31 case (see reftel) of a 14-year-old boy tortured by two Guyana Police Force detectives. Corbin stated that although reports of state-sponsored death squads led by Roger Khan and unlawful

killings of citizens by security forces were reported in 2002, the dossier was meant to reiterate the human rights abuses that have occurred and are on-going in Guyana and create an international inquiry. Publishing the Dossier is the first step, but "we need public support for an international inquiry," Corbin emphasized.

3. (C) Corbin stated that the Guyana Police Force "cannot be trusted" to conduct a fair and impartial investigation of human rights abuses because they themselves are involved in committing many of the crimes. Corbin said that he had approached the Parliament of Guyana to revisit cases of human rights abuses and that he broached the subject with the Secretary General of CARICOM on April 21, 2008. During his meeting with Secretary General Carrington, Corbin stressed the following criticisms of the current administration including: presidential abuse of power, disregard for the rule of law, unwarranted use of brutal force by security agents and unlawful killings of citizens by security forces.

4. (U) The 157-page Dossier lists names of individuals targeted and killed by the Black Clothes Squad dating back since 1993. Appendixes 1-3 include lists of extra-judicial and other killings between 1993 and 2009. Attendees included: PNCR Party Leader Robert Corbin, AFC Member of Parliament Raphael Trotman, Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green, GAP Member of Parliament Everall Franklin, and PNCR Member of Parliament Keith W.H. Scott. An electronic version of the Dossier is available with Ken Reiman at reimanko@state.gov.

5. (C) COMMENT: Corbin appeared genuinely interested in using the launch of the Dossier to gain media coverage to highlight the October 31 torture case and past human rights abuses. The extent to which the Dossier, however, can meet its intended purpose depends on how effectively the opposition can sustain an effective campaign. END COMMENT. WILLIAMS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/12/09GEORGETOWN539.html# 09GEORGETOWN539, President Jagdeo Discusses Human Trafficking in Guyana Reference ID 09GEORGETOWN539 Created 2009-12-02 18:18 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO5626 OO RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0539/01 3361818 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 021818Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0055 INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE USAID MISSIONS IN LATIN AMERICA COLLECTIVE RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000539 SIPDIS NOFORN G/TIP - AMY ROFMAN G INL DRL PRM WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/02 TAGS: PHUM SMIG PREF ELAB KTIP KCRM KWMN KFRD GY SUBJECT: President Jagdeo Discusses Human Trafficking in Guyana CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (C) Summary. In an unexpected meeting with a visiting G/TIP Officer on November 24, President Bharatt Jagdeo said he views trafficking in persons as a serious matter and would like to see Guyana ranked higher than Tier 2 Watch list. He said there are three on-going cases to prosecute traffickers, but that he cannot "guarantee" a conviction to occur anytime soon. He cautioned against placing too much credence on anecdotal evidence and encouraged future visits by G/TIP to visit mining camp areas. End Summary. 2. (C) Background. Although G/TIP Officer Amy Rofman was scheduled

to meet with Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee only, Rofman and PolChief met with both Minister Rohee and President Jagdeo on November 24 as both men were attending a two-day National Crime Prevention Conference. The November 23-24 G/TIP visit also involved high-level meetings with other senior GoG officials and several NGO representatives as well as a meeting with a community focal group in Charity on the East Coast of Guyana. 3. (C) President Jagdeo stated November 24 that while prostitution does occur, there are very few trafficking cases in Guyana with only three identified and that periodic alleged cases of trafficking reported in mining camps and Chinese restaurants do not meet the definition of trafficking but prostitution. He also emphasized that ranking Guyana Tier 2 based on the fact that Guyana has not had a trafficking conviction in recent years overlooks the positive actions that the GoG has taken to combat trafficking. He cited the establishment of a Child Protection and Care Agency and community focal groups as positive GoG actions towards combating trafficking. He also stated that he "would love to have traffickers languish in jail," but that he "cannot guarantee that the judiciary will move so quickly to prosecute a case." He stressed that there is a huge backlog of existing cases and that even a murder case in Guyana can take 10 years to complete. 4. (C) President Jagdeo said that he welcomes NGO involvement in the fight against trafficking, but that NGOs only have anecdotal evidence to provide. He cited the Guyana Human Rights Association as an example: it has only one full-time representative on the ground to examine trafficking and human rights issues. Therefore, Jagdeo cautioned against placing too much credence on NGOs with limited capacity and no documented evidence to base reports. He did, however, welcome evidence from NGOs and other organizations that identifies victims of trafficking so that those cases can be brought to GoG attention for action. He ended the meeting by offering to make a public statement on combating trafficking in persons in hopes that such a statement would help move Guyana from Tier 2 Watch list to a higher ranking. 5. (C) Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manikchand on November 23 said that the GoG is spending considerable resources to keep focal groups in operation. She emphasized that since 2004 the GoG has launched public awareness campaigns to address trafficking in persons. She said the 2009 TIP Report is not inaccurate, but that ranking Guyana Tier 2 Watch list because it does not have a recent conviction is not justified. "We have a problem on how you weigh things" and "you are dead wrong on this issue" she argued. Minister Manikchand acknowledged that there is a backlog of cases in the judicial system and that she herself would like to see a conviction, but that court cases are left to courts to decide. She argued that if the GoG is able to meet nine out of ten requirements in its effort to combat trafficking in persons but is punished for not being able to have a conviction, the problem lies not with GoG efforts, but the process through which Guyana is ranked in Washington.

6. (SBU) Meetings with representatives on November 23-24 from United Nations Children's Fund, U.S.-based NGO Catholic Relief Services and victim's assistance NGO Help and Shelter confirmed earlier reports that no broad-based, thorough surveys regarding trafficking exist in Guyana. We were told that Amerindian woman were most vulnerable, that trafficking likely occurs in mining camps and in Chinese restaurants along the East and West Coast, but GEORGETOWN 00000539 002 OF 002

representatives admitted that none of these reports were based on firsthand evidence. A focal group team we met in Charity on the East Coast of Guyana as well as NGO representatives pointed to judicial branch "malaise" and the backlog of court cases as a reason for lack of trafficking convictions. WILLIAMS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10GEORGETOWN15.html 10GEORGETOWN15, Jagdeo Visits Iran Reference ID 10GEORGETOWN15 Created 2010-02-04 19:52 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO6946 OO RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0015/01 0352003 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 041952Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0185 INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000015 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH PASS EEB/ESC/IEC - J. BRIAN DUGGAN AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/04 TAGS: PREL ENRG IR XL GY SUBJECT: Jagdeo Visits Iran GEORGETOWN 00000015 001.3 OF 002

CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires, DOS, Exec; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (C) Summary. President Bharrat Jagdeo returned from his visit to the Middle East, including Iran January 20-21, announcing that the GoG had signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Iran. Besides announcing these two MoUs, President Jagdeo said Iran would send a team of specialists to Guyana to assess Guyana's mineral deposits. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) expects an Iranian official to visit Guyana as early as late March to discuss mineral deposit assessments. Local media have reported President Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran while criticizing U.S. foreign policy. End summary. 2. (U) Background: President Bharrat Jagdeo, from January 14-21 visited Kuwait, UAE and Iran. During his visit to Iran January 20-21, he met with senior Iranian officials including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was accompanied by Foreign

Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minster of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, and Central Islamic Organization of Guyana President Al Haj Fazeel Ferouz. 3. (SBU) Local media reported that two Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between Foreign Minister Rodrigues-Birkett and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki during President Jagdeo's January 20-21 visit to Iran. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Director for Multilateral and Global Affairs Lesley Collins confirmed these reports. She told PolChief on February 1 that one MoU provides Guyana with a USD1.5 million grant for developing its health sector while the other relates to the removal of restrictions on visa requirements for diplomatic travel. 4. (C) Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Acting Commissioner William Woolford confirmed media reports that Iran plans to send a team of Iranian experts to Guyana. He told PolChief on February 2 that he would like to discuss a four-to-six year plan with the Iranians to conduct geological, geochemical and geophysical assessments and that he expects an Iranian official to visit Guyana as early as late March. Canadian High Commission Charge d'Affaires Raymond Drouin told PolChief that Canadian mining executives are concerned that Iran is interested in securing future supplies of uranium and Jagdeo's move to welcome an Iranian team may affect Canadian mining company interests in Guyana. Note: The Government of Norway (GoN) is offering an aerial assessment of forest cover under an MoU signed with Guyana in 2009. Depending upon the type of assessment platform used by Norway, a project by Iran could be unnecessary. End note. 5. (C) Local media have reported Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran and criticizing the U.S. The Guyana Times on January 22 quoted Jagdeo as stating "many of the moves of the Americans around the globe are against the norms and merely ensure their own interests" and "we are not in agreement with their entire stance, and we do express our dissatisfaction with lots of their policies and viewpoints." Kaieteur News published a letter to the editor entitled "what's the fuss about Iran" on February 1 by Presidential Advisor Randy Persaud defending Jagdeo's "right to pursue an independent foreign policy." The letter blamed the U.S. for "bungling" humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti and preventing an aircraft with CARICOM officials from landing. Persaud also blamed the U.S. for "removing a democratically elected leader in Iran in the 1950s," and charged that the U.S. "provided the initial impetus for an Iranian nuclear program." Jagdeo has neither retracted his statements nor countered media reports criticizing the U.S. 6. (C) Comment. President Jagdeo's visit to Iran fits into a pattern of increasing association and identification between his administration and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) members, but also with his willingness to align with anyone he sees as able to provide monetary assistance to Guyana (preferably without strings). The marked difference in this case is that, although Jagdeo has often made comments or foreign overtures that

have provoked displeasure in Guyana before, this time he is not backing down or trying to "spin" his reasoning. Indeed, at least in terms of the Iran visit and his remarks made there disparaging the U.S. in regard to actions with CARICOM on Haiti assistance, despite public high-level push back from the Embassy, and even the general public, Jagdeo hasn't backed down but instead ramped up his campaign via proxies. Presidential Advisor Randy Persaud is frequently called on to be the unofficial spin-doctor and avatar for the President's views in the media. His letters never name him as a Presidential Advisor, GEORGETOWN 00000015 002.3 OF 002

although in person he introduces himself as such. His vigorous defense of Jagdeo for visiting Iran, with gratuitous bashing of the U.S. thickly interspersed throughout, comes directly from inside the administration and signals a commitment to closer relations to Iran and a new willingness to alienate the United States. End comment. WILLIAMS

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10GEORGETOWN17.html 10GEORGETOWN17, LCDS COLLIDES WITH GOLD MINING INDUSTRY Reference ID 10GEORGETOWN17 Created 2010-02-08 17:08 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO9137 OO RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0017 0391713 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 081708Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0190 INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000017 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/08 TAGS: PGOV EMIN ECON XL GY SUBJECT: LCDS COLLIDES WITH GOLD MINING INDUSTRY CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires, DOS, Exec; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (SBU) Summary: In early January the Jagdeo administration proposed new mining regulations to limit forest degradation as part of President Bharrat Jagdeo's Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Miners strongly rejected proposed regulations and demanded that five to seven percent of Guyana's forested lands be parceled out for mining industry use. Despite the establishment of a Land Use Committee formed specifically to resolve disputes between the GoG and miners, the Committee has failed to reach dispute resolution. The February 11 meeting between Jagdeo and miners will determine if reconciliation and a political agreement can be reached. End summary. 2. (U) Background: The GoG proposed new regulations requiring miners to provide six months notice prior to commencing mining operations while giving the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) veto power over mining activities. Numerous town hall meetings between the GoG and mining industry representatives have taken place in Georgetown, Port Kaituma, Bartica and other major cities with local media publicizing protests among miners. The latest protest occurred on February 1 in Bartica with nearly two thousand resident

miners staging a day-long protest. Lack of quick resolution led to the GoG establishing a Land Use Committee chaired by Minister of Transport Robeson Benn. 3. (SBU) The gold and mining industry is one of the few industries that performed well in 2009. According to the Guyana Gold Board, small and medium scale miners declared a record 305,000 troy ounces in 2009, yielding nearly USD300 million, one third of Guyana's GDP. Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) Executive Director Edward Shields told Econoff that the gold mining industry is projected to produce 500,000 troy ounces in 2010 and by 2015 over one million troy ounces. Given such growth potential, miners are concerned that new regulations will hurt business and affect their livelihood, he said. Shields told Econoff that overregulation could jeopardize the livelihoods and income of nearly 100,000 Guyanese. 4. (SBU) Shields told Econoff that the GoG made mining proposals "without any consultations whatsoever". The Forestry Products Association (FPA) has protested its denial to have representation on the Land Use Committee. To date, only the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), and Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) have been allowed to participate. In a joint statement with the GGDMA, the FPA is seeking from the GoG greater commitment to allow stakeholders a voice in the decision-making process. Senior Economist at the GGMC told Econoff that decisions are being made by senior officials that "do not have basic understanding of the mining industry." 5. (C) GGDMA proposes that five to seven percent of Guyana's forested lands be parceled out for mining industry use. These proposals were made to the Land Use Committee during consultations held throughout January and February, but yielded no results. The Committee is expected to provide a report on recommendations to Jagdeo prior to his February 11 stakeholders meeting with miners. Former foreign minister Rashleigh Jackson told PolChief on February 8 that if the February 11 meeting between Jagdeo and miners leads to reconciliation and an accord, this will secure LCDS implementation. If not, "there is a danger posed to implementation", he said. 6. (C) Comment: An uncooperative mining industry is the first serious threat to Jagdeo's LCDS. Jagdeo understands that the mining industry is one of the most economically lucrative industries and that alienating miners jeopardizes his LCDS. Politically, Jagdeo may hope to marginalize incomes to political opponents as the gold industry is traditionally Afro-Guyanese. To do so, he may favor a few large gold producers over small and medium scale miners and offer them concessions. Targeting a few large gold producers has the added advantage of making regulating easier. Whether Jagdeo decides to use heavy handed tactics to impose his will upon stakeholders in the upcoming February 11 meeting or chooses another tactic to secure political victory, he cannot afford to alienate an

important segment of the voting population. WILLIAMS

End comment.

http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10GEORGETOWN19.html# 10GEORGETOWN19, Pol/Econ Roundup January 28-February 16 Reference ID 10GEORGETOWN19 Created 2010-02-16 20:16 Released 2011-08-30 01:44 Classification CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Origin Embassy Georgetown

VZCZCXRO4964 OO RUEHLMC DE RUEHGE #0019/01 0472016 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 162016Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0207 INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000019 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/16 TAGS: PREL PGOV EMIN ECON XL GY SUBJECT: Pol/Econ Roundup January 28-February 16 REF: 10 GEORGETOWN 17; 10 GEORGETOWN 3; 10 GEORGETOWN 1 CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires, DOS, Exec; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (U) This periodic reporting cable highlights developments in Guyana's politics and economy affecting Department strategic objectives in country and throughout the Caribbean basin.

Local Government Elections - STATUS UPDATE 2. (C) Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Robert Surujbally told PolChief on February 9 that GECOM is prepared for local elections to take place on the unannounced date of April 19, 2010. He said roughly 433,000 persons were registered, 25,000 persons are awaiting registration upon submission of valid birth certificates, and that approximately 90

percent of National ID Cards needed for citizens to vote were distributed via 80 plus registration offices. Surujbally said the claims and objections period closed as of February 8, 2010 ensuring that "no additional names can be entered unto the National List of Registrants." Legislation is in place, election manuals are prepared and GECOM is confident that local government elections will take place this year, he said. President Bharrat Jagdeo told Charge that he does not believe local elections will take place this year because of opposition party resistance. COMMENT: Local elections have not occurred since 1994. Several challenges remain that could postpone local elections indefinitely. The GoG has neither publicly announced a local election timeline nor launched an education exercise to explain the new electoral system. END COMMENT.

OVERSEAS VOTE UNLIKELY 3. (C) Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran wrote in an article entitled "restoring the overseas vote" that Guyanese citizens residing abroad have a right to vote under the 1980 Constitution. He admitted that the overseas vote was "infamously abused in the elections of 1968 and 1973, restricted in 1980 and finally abolished for the 1985 elections." However, speculation is rife that Ramkarran, a potential People's Progressive Party (PPP) presidential candidate, is making this a political issue to garner more votes for the PPP while shifting blame for any potential voting mishaps on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He criticizes GECOM for not establishing registration procedures for overseas Guyanese to register to vote in the coming 2011 national elections. GECOM Chairman Surujbally told PolChief that due to past "abuses of the overseas vote" GECOM would not create such a mechanism and that the opposition parties would never agree to it. Ramkarran and others are conveniently using GECOM as a springboard to promote their own political interests, he said.

NEW RIVER TRIANGLE BILATERAL TENSION BETWEEN GUYANA-SURINAME 4. (C) Media has reported deep "concerns" on the part of Guyana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett regarding a public statement made by former Surinamese President Jules Wijdenbosch that he had contemplated giving orders in 1999 to Surinamese troops to enter the New River Triangle area which Guyana claims is part of its sovereign territory. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Frontiers Department Keith George, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett met with Surinamese Ambassador on Friday, February 12 to formally relay the GoG's "grave concern" over the public statement made by Suriname's past president and seek reassurance from the Surinamese Government that it does not seek "the use of force" to resolve the territorial dispute. George told PolChief on February 16 that

Minister Rodrigues-Birkett addressed members of Guyana's National Assembly in a closed session on February 15 telling them that the "onus is on the Surinamese Government to make a public statement" reassuring Guyana that the "use of force" is not a component of Suriname's policy towards Guyana. GEORGETOWN 00000019 002 OF 002

NUMERICAL LIMITS ON MISSIONARIES 5. (C) Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee told PolChief on January 28 that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has set numerical limits on the number of foreign missionaries allowed into Guyana. He said the numerical limit of 15 was negotiated between the Mormons and GoG and that that would remain the yardstick in determining how many missionaries were allowed into Guyana. The only exception to the rule is Catholics because "they have been in Guyana for so long," he said. Rohee said that he would meet with all missionary groups to discuss their plans and intended numbers, implying that missionary groups that kept their numbers steady would not face problems. COMMENT: Rohee's decision on numerical limits for missionaries is purely based on what Rohee thinks is proper for Guyana and not based on Guyanese law. END COMMENT.

BRAZILIAN MINERS LEGALLY PRESENT BUT MINING ILLEGALLY 6. (SBU) Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) Executive Director Edward Shields estimates up to 10,000 Brazilians are mining in Guyana, several thousands of them illegally. He attributes much of the country's forest degradation to their inappropriate use of mercury and frenetic prospecting. Shields told EconOff that most Brazilian miners are legally present in Guyana, but are not authorized to work. Brazilians are able to operate without significant resistance from Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) enforcement officers since they routinely partner with Guyanese miners, who secure licenses and interface with authorities, Shields said. Mining industry experts believe the GoG's new mining regulations (see reftel A) would increase enforcement activities against several thousand Brazilian miners estimated to be illegally operating in Guyana. WILLIAMS