(E-048/01) February 28, 2001   OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL SUPPORTS GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS   In a resolution it passed today, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed its support for the Constitutional Government of the President of Guatemala, Alfonso Portillo, and for the institutions that uphold the rule of law. The resolution was adopted by acclamation after Guatemala's Ambassador to the OAS, Ronalth Ochaeta, briefed the Council on incidents that could destabilize his country's democratic constitutional order. The resolution repudiates any incident which might alarm the population and destabilize the democratic government and constitutional order. The Permanent Council also urged all public institutions to reaffirm their constitutional commitment to defend the legitimacy and effective exercise of the rule of law. The resolution also instructed the Secretary General to keep closely in touch with the Constitutional Government of Guatemala and to report back to the Permanent Council as soon as possible on developments in that country, so that it may take appropriate action. The Guatemalan Ambassador told the Council that his government "is here today to seek the unequivocal support of the Hemisphere's democratic community as represented by the OAS." He requested that the Council apply "preventive and rapid response measures to the veiled threats, to send a clear message that neither the democratic government of President Portillo nor the OAS' democratic community of nations will stand by and allow this situation to threaten institutional order and weaken the rule of law in Guatemala." A number of the delegations took the floor to unequivocally reject any attempt to disrupt the democratic order in member states and to fully support the Guatemalan government.   **********