Viewing cable 09SANSALVADOR789, FRIENDS OF MAURICIO: FUNES NEEDS YOUR HELP

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #0789/01 2332211
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 212211Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1526
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ES
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF MAURICIO: FUNES NEEDS YOUR HELP 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (S) Summary: Leaders of the Friends of Mauricio movement, 
XXXXXXXXXXXX, told us 
August 21 the movement is formalizing itself and changing its 
name to the Citizen Movement for Change. They said Funes is 
concerned about his personal security, physical security at 
the Presidential offices, and suspects hard-line FMLN 
elements are intercepting Funes' and his inner circle's 
telephone calls. XXXXXXXXXXXX expressed disappointment in the 
performance of intelligence service chief Eduardo Linares and 
described the decision making process that led to Manuel 
Melgar being named Minister for Public Security and Justice 
(in lieu of FMLN hard-liner Jose Luis Merino.) End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX, told Charge and Emboffs 
August 21 that the Friends of Mauricio movement was moving to 
formalize its status and had just selected Funes himself as 
the President of the (now renamed) Citizen Movement for 
Change. XXXXXXXXXXXX said there were no immediate plans to convert 
the Citizen Movement for Change into a political party but 
did not rule out that possibility. He said the near-term 
goal of the organization was to accompany President Funes as 
he governed and to provide him non-FMLN political support 
during his term. He said the Friends of Mauricio 
organization in the U.S. would likely move to formalize its 
status, too. 
 
¶3. (S) XXXXXXXXXXXX said Funes and those in his inner circle were 
concerned about both his personal security as well as 
technical security of their communications. XXXXXXXXXXXX also 
lamented the state of physical security around Casa 
Presidencial, the presidential office compound. XXXXXXXXXXXX said he 
suspected elements in the (left-wing) FMLN were monitoring 
phone calls of the President, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and other non-FMLN 
members of the Government. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Funes would welcome 
U.S. assistance in both areas. Charge offered to arrange a 
meeting with Funes and appropriate Embassy staff; XXXXXXXXXXXX 
 
¶4. (S) XXXXXXXXXXXX said he and the President were disappointed in 
the new Director of the Salvadoran State Intelligence 
Organization (OIE), Eduardo Linares (aka Douglas Santamaria). 
 Despite high hopes initially, XXXXXXXXXXXX said almost three 
months into the Funes administration, he was still not 
receiving daily briefings from OIE. He recounted other 
instances where he felt Funes was ill-served by the OIE under 
Linares, including the surprise arrival of substantial 
numbers of protesters at Casa Presidencial, complete with 
portable toilets, with no advance warning. In another case, 
in the days following Zelaya's expulsion from Honduras, 
Venezuela FM Maduro arrived in a BRV plane in San Salvador, 
met with senior, hard-line elements of the FMLN, and OIE 
never reported this XXXXXXXXXXXX. (Note: XXXXXXXXXXXX 
learned of the visit from a confidante at the airport.) 
 
¶5. (S) XXXXXXXXXXXX also expressed hope that the USG would be able 
to provide assistance for blocking mobile phone transmissions 
from Salvadoran prisons; Charge pointed out that assistance 
would be available, too, but through different channels, much 
of it part of Plan Merida. However, he said, the 
complicating factor remained Minister of Public Security and 
Justice Manuel Melgar. Charge said we expect to receive 
shortly instructions to meet with Funes on the subject. 
XXXXXXXXXXXX said Melgar's appointment was not taken to display 
any disrespect to the U.S., but had been a compromise with 
the FMLN, which had sought appointment of FMLN hard-liner 
Jose Luis Merino (aka Ramiro Vasquez) as Public Security 
Minister. 
 
¶6. (S) Funes, he said, had pushed back and preferred to name 
Melgar to that position because he had developed a certain 
rapport with Melgar during the campaign. XXXXXXXXXXXX described 
Melgar's behavior around Funes during the campaign as 
compliant and loyal to Funes, characteristics he said would 
not have been the case with Merino. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Funes would 
consider new information on Melgar and take appropriate 
action, fully cognizant of Melgar's linkage to the 1985 Zona 
Rosa killings. 
 
¶7. (S) Comment: The message from XXXXXXXXXXXX on behalf 
of Funes was clear: we have great confidence in the USG, real 
security concerns, and need your help. XXXXXXXXXXXX 
 
¶8. (S) Comment continued: The stress of the bifurcated 
Funes/FMLN relationship continues to manifest itself in the 
GOES. While mediocre performance by two FMLN members in key 
positions may provide Funes the pretext for a cabinet 
shuffle, it does not guarantee the FMLN will 
take their 
removal lying down. FMLN leaders are 
likely to demand that 
their quota of positions in the GOES remain stable, and have 
shown their ability to be disruptive when they don't get 
their way. 
BLAU