Guatemalan President Proposes Menchú to Head OAS

GUATEMALA CITY (EFE) - Guatemalan President Oscar Berger on Saturday said the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner and indigenous leader Rigoberta Menchú would be a “good” candidate for Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).

“Rigoberta has qualities for this and much more,” said the President after being asked by local reporters about the possibility of his government supporting the candidacy of the indigenous leader considering the lack of Central American consensus in supportingt a single candidate.

Berger assured that Guatemala continues to support the aspirations of former El Salvadorian President Francisco Flores, a promise he made last November during the 14th Latin American-Iberian Summit in Costa Rica.

He clarified that he was inclined to support Flores in an effort to create a consensus among the continent’s countries for the next OAS Secretary General.

Guatemala originally promoted Guatemalan Gert Rosenthal, former director of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), as a candidate, but switched to Flores after the majority of the region’s leaders gave him their support.

The only Central American President who has openly rejected Flores’ candidacy is Honduran Ricardo Maduro, who has said there is no consensus.

Menchú, who presently works with the Guatemala government as an ambassador of good will in peace accords, has wide possibilities of achieving consensus in Latin America, Berger said.

The President said that before officially promoting the candidacy of Menchú, he will discuss the possibility with his vice president, Eduardo Stein and foreign minister Jorge Briz.

Berger said Menchú’s candidacy could resolve the dispute of who should become secretary general between Flores, Mexican foreign minister Luis Ernesto Derbez, and Chilean Minister of the Interior José Miguel Insulza.

Neither a woman nor an indigenous person has ever held the post of OAS secretary general.

The position was left open Oct. 15 when former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who occupied the post for 15 days after being unanimously elected, stepped down amidst a corruption scandal in Costa Rica.

Rodríguez remains in preventive prison in San José.

Rains Displace 600 in Caribbean, Region on Alert

Strong rains that pounded the Caribbean region yesterday put the region on yellow alert (preventive) and caused at least 600 people to relocate to shelters.

Rebeca Madrigal, spokeswoman for the National Emergency Commission (CNE), told EFE that the majority of people in shelters are from Siquirres, approximately 130 kilometers from San José.

Madrigal said yesterday afternoon they expected more rains, and rivers to continue rising.

According to the National Meteorological Institute (IMN), Saturday night and Sunday morning the Caribbean received 311 millimeters of rain, which is more than average for the month of January.

The Red Cross said they have been unable to communicate with entire communities, all on the Caribbean coast, while other communities remain in alert as the rains continue. Forecasts predicted the rain could last until this afternoon.

- EFE

Dutchman and Canadian Woman
Big Winners in Copa del Café

Dutchman Robin Hasse and Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak were proclaimed champions of the Costa Rican tennis tournament Copa del Café, which ended Saturday.

Hasse won in the final 6-3, 3-6 and 6-3 against Argentinean Juan Martín, the number one favorite in the tournament, which was held last week in the Costa Rica Country Club, in the western San José suburb of Escazú.

The female champion was Canadian Wozniak, who won in the final 6-3 and 7-6 against French Irena Pavlovic.

The men’s final was repeatedly interrupted by strong rains.

- EFE