PARAGUAY WILL NOT SEEK SHOOTDOWN LEGISLATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 001117 SIPDIS NSC FOR SUE CRONIN SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2015 TAGS: EAIR KJUS MARR MASS PREL SNAR PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY WILL NOT SEEK SHOOTDOWN LEGISLATION REF: STATE 151379 Classified By: PolOff Mark A. Stamilio, reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On 8/30 and 8/31, the Ambassador drew on reftel talking points to convey to Minister of Defense Roberto Gonzalez and Acting Foreign Minister Emilio Gimenez, respectively, the U.S.'s concerns about recent GOP expressions of interest in seeking legislation that would authorize the Paraguayan military to shoot down aircraft suspected of involvement in the transport of illicit goods such as narcotics. Gonzalez and Gimenez assured the Ambassador that the GOP had no intention to seek such legislation anytime in the foreseeable future. ¶2. (C) Gonzalez explained that he recently met with two members of Paraguay's Congress to discuss ways to combat illicit trafficking. While the meeting included limited discussion of shootdown legislation in force in Colombia and Brazil, the primary topic of discussion was asset forfeiture legislation that would enable Paraguayan security forces to utilize aircraft and automobiles seized from traffickers. Following the meeting, one of the members of Congress mentioned to the press, without further clarification, that the group had discussed shootdown legislation. ¶3. (C) Gonzalez stressed that the GOP understood the sensitivities involved in enacting such legislation, and the fact that Paraguay was a signatory to the Treaties of Chicago and Montreal pertaining to civilian aircraft. He also noted that Paraguay lacked the radar and aircraft it would need to implement a shootdown policy. (Note: Gonzalez welcomed any assistance the USG could provide with respect to acquiring radar. The Ambassador informed him that the USG was exploring the possibility of deploying mobile radar or other assets to Paraguay on a temporary basis to establish baseline data on the number of unregistered flights in and out of the country's territory. The U.S. is considering this possibility as part of a broad, phased, inter-agency effort to improve anti-narcotics efforts. These efforts are laid out in Operation "Southern Light," a joint Country Team-SouthCom plan. End Note.) ¶4. (C) Gimenez seconded Gonzalez's assurances that the GOP was not even remotely considering shootdown legislation. He noted that the situation in Paraguay was nothing like the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking in Colombia. KEANE