Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 1947 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
QA
YE YM YI

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08MADRID996, DEMARCHE RESPONSE: SPAIN UNLIKELY TO GO AFTER

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08MADRID996.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08MADRID996 2008-09-17 13:01 2010-12-10 12:12 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Madrid
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #0996 2611315
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171315Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5335
INFO RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA PRIORITY 0269
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000996

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR ELAINE SAMSON AND STACIE ZERDECKI, EUR/WE
ALBERT KRAAIMOORE, WHA/CEN
USEU FOR BOB BLACKSTONE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2018
TAGS: MOPS PREL NU SP
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: SPAIN UNLIKELY TO GO AFTER
NICARAGUA ON RECOGNITIONS

REF: STATE 96677

Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

1. (C) Poloff conveyed concerns per reftel and asked that
Spain consider speaking out against Nicaraguan President
Ortega's September 2 decision to recognize the independence
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Spanish MFA Sub-Director
General for Mexico, Central America and The Caribbean Jorge
Romeu told poloff September 16 that although he and his
colleagues had discussed Ortega's announcement during
coordination meetings, his impression was that Spain would
not be proactive in addressing it. Overall, Romeu was
skeptical of the positive outcome of demarching the GON,
saying he knew the response would reference Kosovo. Reacting
subsequently to if raised points regarding Kosovo, he noted
Russia might say the same, that its recognition of the two
republics was a "special case" that should not be viewed as a
precedent, either. He added that the comparisons did not
affect Spain anyway, because the GOS has yet to recognize
Kosovo.

2. (C) Romeu deferred to the expertise of his colleagues who
cover Eastern Europe and suggested the Spanish were more
likely to act within the EU framework than bilaterally. He
described a Danish proposal to carry out a demarche
expressing the EU's "surprise" and "regret," and said he
sympathized with the reluctance on the part of EU partners to
speak out in those terms. Saying some within the EU had
suggested ending cooperation with Nicaragua altogether over
this and other of Ortega's actions, Romeu cautioned that
Spain -- at the level of the Director General for Foreign
Policy -- would only consider demarching Nicaragua in an
"appropriate context," reshaping terms and perhaps
considering an "explanatory demarche" rather than a
derogatory one. After all, Romeu said, Ortega is "a mad
man."
Aguirre