AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000884

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2013
TAGS: PGOV ASEC CASC SNAR PHUM GT
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT

REF: A. GUATEMALA 834


B. GUATEMALA 781

C. GUATEMALA 770

D. GUATEMALA 735

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Hamilton. Reason 1.5 (B&D).


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Hamilton met with Minister of
Government Jose Adolfo Reyes Calderon March 31 to express
concern about a recent case involving torture by security
forces in an anti-narcotics raid in Zacapa. The Ambassador
also raised the murder of an American citizen on March 28,
threats against USAID contractors, and property destruction
by squatters at a ranch owned by AmCits in Alta Verapaz
province. Reyes Calderon implied that he suspected that the
military was responsible for any use of torture in the Zacapa
case and claimed to have recently reiterated his absolute
rejection the use of torture to police and the anti-narcotics
squad; said he believed ex-guerilla forces turned criminal
were responsible for the murder of AmCit Edward Todd Fields;
pledged to provide police protection requested by the
Forensic Anthropology Foundation; and promised to act on the
allegations of illegal entry and destruction of AmCit
property by squatters in Alta Verapaz. We will continue to
monitor the progress of all these cases. End Summary.

Torture Case
--------------


2. (C) RefTel D reports the circumstances of a 179 kg.
seizure of cocaine and ephedrine (later confirmed as
caffeine) from a ranch in Rio Hondo, Zacapa province, as
reported to Embassy NAS by the Guatemalan Counter-Narcotics
Police (SAIA). Ref C reports the Ambassador's warning to
President Portillo that information verified by MINUGUA
indicating the use of torture to extract information from
three of five trafficking suspects in this case was
unacceptable and could severely prejudice Guatemala's
prospects for counter-narcotics recertification. Per RefTel
B, according to MINUGUA, the victims were tortured by persons
wearing National Civil Police and SAIA uniforms. Unofficial
Embassy law enforcement contacts have told us that the
operation involved military operatives disguised as civilian
police. Our sources allege that drugs were planted on the
three suspects before the larger seizure at the ranch, and
that the military reported only half the total seizure.


3. (C) The Ambassador told Reyes Calderon that the use of
torture in this or any case is unacceptable. He informed
Reyes Calderon of his earlier demarche to the President, and
warned that the violation of human rights in any
counter-narcotics cases would severely undermine any progress
toward recertification. "We do not want to win the drug war
this way," he said. Reyes Calderon acknowledged and agreed
with these concerns. Reyes Calderon said that he had arrived
by helicopter on the scene after the arrests were made. He
hinted that the military, not the policemen or SAIA agents
present, were responsible if any human rights violations were
committed in that operation, which he implied was organized
(rather than simply supported) by the military. The
Ambassador asked if Reyes Calderon had spoken with Minister
of Defense Moran about his suspicions. Reyes Calderon said
he had raised the case with Moran without making any
accusations, and had been told by Moran that the head of the
military intelligence unit (D-2) was being replaced
(presumably for complicity in this case). The Ambassador
told Reyes Calderon that the Embassy is aware of the D-2
chief's ouster and understands that his removal was for
reasons that predated this incident. Reyes Calderon agreed
that any similar cases must be prevented, said he had made
Ministry policy against the use of torture abundantly clear
to his subordinates in the wake of this case, and said he
would raise this case in a Cabinet meeting later that day.

AmCit Murder
--------------


4. (U) The Ambassador also raised with Reyes Calderon the
brazen murder on March 28 of U.S. citizen Edward Todd Fields
on the main highway to a popular tourist destination,
reported in Ref A. The Ambassador told Reyes Calderon that
the Embassy was considering advising all Americans to avoid
travel by road to Lake Atitlan. He urged the minister to
make every effort to catch those responsible for this
outrageous crime, and pointed out that he passed by the same
route an hour before the victim, and saw only one police
cruiser on the road during his 100-mile trip on Guatemala's
principal highway. Reyes Calderon said he believed that
members of the former guerrilla Organization of the People in
Arms (ORPA) to be responsible for the murder and said the
police will beef up patrols along the route immediately. He
acknowledged the importance of this case and the vital
economic importance of security along major tourist routes.
(Comment: It is not clear why Reyes blamed ex-ORPA members
for the killing, other than to give the impression that the
government had some leads. In a meeting the next day,
National Police (PNC) Director Manchame also said the police
suspect ex-ORPA elements. End Comment.)
FAFG Threats
--------------


5. (SBU) The Ambassador then raised the case of recent
threats against family members of workers at the Forensic
Anthropology Institute (FAFG),the USAID-contracted NGO
performing exhumations of massacres during the internal
conflict. Reyes Calderon said he was familiar with the
group, its prior experience receiving threats, and the
ministry's provision of special protection, voluntarily
relinquished by FAFG after a period of concern in 2002. The
Ambassador provided Reyes Calderon with a request from FAFG
for police security for five homes and the assignment of
security agents to three individuals, including FAFG Director
Fredy Peccerelli and his sister Bianka, who was recently
accosted by armed men. Reyes Calderon reviewed the list and
agreed to provide the protection requested.

Alta Verapaz Land Dispute
--------------


6. (SBU) Finally, the Ambassador raised the troubling case
of the Ardebol family, U.S. citizens of Spanish origin whose
ranches have been occupied by landless peasants in Alta
Verapaz. Carlos Ardebol, the owner of a ranch located in
Coban district, has for several weeks been prevented by
squatters from entering his home at the "Esmeralda" ranch for
fear of attack by the squatters. Ardebol, who has been in
touch with the Embassy and GOG authorities about the land
occupation, has relocated his family to the capital, but
recently learned that squatters organized by the National
Coordination of Campesino Organizations (CONIC) have
destroyed personal property left behind. The Ambassador told
Reyes Calderon that Mr. Ardebol was willing to engage in
dialogue with the squatters and their representatives. The
recent criminal destruction of property, which Ardebol has
denounced to legal authorities, violates the law and the
spirit of dialogue to which he had been committed. Reyes
Calderon said that police action in this case would be prompt
if sanctioned by legal authorities.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) Reyes Calderon appeared nervous during this meeting
requested by the Ambassador, and was quick to agree to all
the Ambassador's requests. The Ambassador has scheduled a
meeting with Minister of Defense Moran to repeat our concerns
about the alleged use of torture in counter-narcotics
operations. MINUGUA has told us it will decide when to go
public with its findings sometime this week. We will
continue to follow GOG action on these cases closely.
HAMILTON