PARAGUAYAN PRESIDENT SUPPORTS COLOMBIA IN DISPUTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000152 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA STATE FOR WHA DAS JIM DERHAM OAS FOR AMBASSADOR MAISTO NSC FOR TOM SHANNON E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PA OAS SUBJECT: PARAGUAYAN PRESIDENT SUPPORTS COLOMBIA IN DISPUTE WITH VENEZUELA Classified By: Charge Kevin M. Johnson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) During a lengthy meeting on other issues 1/28 (septel) President Duarte raised with the Ambassador the Colombia-Venezuela dispute. Duarte said President Uribe called him three days ago and that he supports Colombia's position. Duarte said he understands the need for "diplomatic niceties" but that he had no patience for those allowing subversives to walk free while a neighboring nation suffers. Paraguay has its own concerns about Colombian subversives fomenting unrest and supporting leftist movements involved in kidnapping and assaults, Duarte continued; Colombia has faced over 40 years of this. With significant emotion, Duarte said that if a neighboring country were protecting a similar figure involved in subverting Paraguay, and he had the capacity to act, "he would do exactly what Uribe did." ¶2. (C) Comment: The vehemence of Duarte's denunciation of Venezuela's position comes in the context of Colombia's support to the investigation of the kidnapping of former President Cubas' daughter and involvement of the local leftist Patria Libre (PL) party in that kidnapping and other criminal activities. Duarte and the Attorney General report Colombian insurgents have helped PL in both criminal activities to raise funds and in organizing unrest in the countryside (septel to follow.) JOHNSON