PARAGUAY: HURRICANE RELIEF -- RESCUE TEAMS

UNCLAS ASUNCION 001123 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR EAID PREL US PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: HURRICANE RELIEF -- RESCUE TEAMS REF: A. STATE 163423 ¶B. STATE 163366 ¶C. ASUNCION ¶D. 1110 -------------- Rescue Teams -------------- ¶1. Ambassador Ceferino Valdez, the Foreign Ministry's Director of Bilateral Affairs, is the the brother of Rafael Valdez, the President of Paraguay's Voluntary Firemen's Association. Valdez has offered to send 20-25 firemen who speak English and are experts in rescue, flooding, and recovery of bodies. Paraguay would make arrangements with local representatives from American Airlines to fly these firemen to the U.S. free of charge. They would travel with the necessary gear and equipment. ¶2. If funding from the U.S. or other sources were made available to fund travel expenses, Paraguay could send an additional 85 firemen of whom 55 speak English. All are experts in rescue, flooding and recovery of bodies. (Note: Paraguay's Voluntary Firemen's Association acquired valuable experience in the recovery of bodies in the aftermath of last year's tragic fire in a supermarket in Asuncion that took the lives of nearly 400 individuals. End Note.) ¶3. Amb. Valdez speaks English and is Paraguay's point of contact for this offer. His office phone number is 011-595-21-494-900; his cell phone number is 011-595-981-515-728; his email is ceferinovaldez@mre.gov.py -------------- Post Point of Contact -------------- ¶5. Political Officer, Susan Sutter, is Embassy Asuncion's Point of Contact on this matter. Her office phone number is 011-595-21-213-715, Ext. 2286; her cell phone number is 011-595-971-202-100; her email is sutterss@state.gov. KEANE