ANOTHER CUBAN DOCTOR ATTEMPTS TO FLEE

UNCLAS CARACAS 000548 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER DRL FOR JDAVIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF VE SUBJECT: ANOTHER CUBAN DOCTOR ATTEMPTS TO FLEE REF: 2003 CARACAS 3429 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. ON FEBRUARY 4, NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARRESTED ULISES BERNAL PEREZ, A CUBAN DOCTOR ASSIGNED TO THE "BARRIO ADENTRO" (INTO THE SLUMS) PROGRAM, AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO DEFECT BY FORCING TWO JOURNALISTS TO DRIVE HIM TO THE COLOMBIAN BORDER, ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS. BERNAL PEREZ REPORTEDLY BELIEVED THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE POOR WAS MAKING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS TREATED IN THE PROGRAM AND ALSO THAT HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER VIVIAN DURAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY BERNAL PEREZ ON POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING CHARGES OR TO DEPORT HIM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. ON FEBRUARY 4, NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARRESTED ULISES BERNAL PEREZ, A CUBAN DOCTOR ASSIGNED TO THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM, AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO DEFECT BY FORCING TWO JOURNALISTS TO DRIVE HIM TO THE COLOMBIAN BORDER, ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER VIVIAN DURAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT BERNAL PEREZ ARRANGED TO MEET TV REPORTER ROBERT PRIETO AND CAMERAMAN LUIS VIVAS IN SAN FELIPE, TACHIRA STATE, SUPPOSEDLY TO EXPLAIN HIS REASONS FOR ABANDONING THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM. HE THEN TOLD THE JOURNALISTS HE HAD A GUN AND WOULD KILL THEM UNLESS THEY DROVE HIM TO THE COLOMBIAN BORDER. UPON ARRIVAL IN SAN CRISTOBAL NEAR THE BORDER, DURAN SAID, PRIETO ASKED TO USE THE BATHROOM AT A SERVICE STATION. HE THEN SLIPPED AWAY AND ALERTED THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH SENT SOLDIERS TO ARREST BERNAL PEREZ. REPORTEDLY, NO GUN WAS FOUND AMONG HIS POSSESSIONS. ¶3. BERNAL PEREZ HAD BEEN WORKING IN BARQUISIMETO, LARA STATE, ACCORDING TO CARACAS DAILY EL UNIVERSAL, AND HE REPORTEDLY BELIEVED THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM WAS MISREPRESENTING THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS CUBAN DOCTORS WERE ACTUALLY TREATING. HE ALSO CLAIMED TO FEAR FOR HIS LIFE. ALLEGEDLY, THE REPORT SAID, HE LEFT HIS POST JUST OVER A WEEK EARLIER AFTER ANNOUNCING HIS PLAN TO HIDE SOMEWHERE IN THE CENTRAL WESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN SEEK POLITICAL ASYLUM. THE PRO-GOV WEBSITE VHEADLINE.COM REPORTED THE SAME SERIES OF EVENTS FEBRUARY 5 AS A "RUSE STAGED BY AN INCREASINGLY DISORIENTED POLITICAL OPPOSITION" WITH THE COMPLICITY OF THE TWO JOURNALISTS. IN ANOTHER NEWS REPORT, AN UNNAMED CUBAN DIPLOMAT IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT BERNAL PEREZ "LENT HIMSELF TO THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ AND THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM." ¶4. BERNAL PEREZ' DEFENSE ATTORNEY, CARLOS MACERO, SAID IN A FEBRUARY 11 PRESS INTERVIEW THAT HIS CLIENT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PARANOIA AND HAD ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. ON FEBRUARY 7, MACERO ASKED THE PRESIDING JUDGE TO PERMIT BERNAL PEREZ TO UNDERGO A PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ¶5. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER DURAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT BERNAL PEREZ HAS BEEN PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE CUBAN EMBASSY INFORMED ON THE MATTER. THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY BERNAL PEREZ ON POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING CHARGES OR TO DEPORT HIM. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. WHILE THE IDEA OF A CUBAN TRYING TO FLEE ELICITS NO SURPRISE, THE NOTION THAT HE WAS BRIBED TO DO SO BY THE OPPOSITION AND THEN TURNED IN TO THE AUTHORITIES IS DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW. A SUCCESSFUL ESCAPE ACROSS THE BORDER WOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGER PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEM FOR THE GOV. SHAPIRO NNNN 2004CARACA00548 - UNCLASSIFIED