PARAGUAY: EMBASSY SEEKS TO AUGMENT AND ACCELERATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000214

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS TO USAID LAC/AA
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON
NSC FOR TOM SHANNON/KIM BREIER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MASS PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: EMBASSY SEEKS TO AUGMENT AND ACCELERATE
MEDRETES

REF: A. ASUNCION 00188

B. ASUNCION 00199

C. ASUNCION 00200

D. ASUNCION 00152

Classified By: Charge Kevin M. Johnson, for reason 1.4(d).


1. (C) Last week, the Paraguayan Minister of Health announced
that, in December the GOP will terminate a program that
brings doctors from Cuba to live and practice in rural areas
of Paraguay (ref A). Embassy believes President Duarte
ordered the program's termination because he has run out of
patience with leftist subversion and criminality in the
Paraguayan countryside, and is convinced that leftists here
and abroad seek to undermine his government (refs B and C).
Vice President Castiglioni told Charge that he would like the
GOP to put an end, as well, to a related program that sends
Paraguayan medical students to Cuba on scholarships. The
decision to terminate the Cuban Doctors program, along with
Duarte's support for President Uribe in Colombia's recent
dispute with Venezuela (ref D) and other recent actions and
remarks by GOP officials, signals the possibility of a
broader change in GOP policy towards Cuba and Venezuela more
in line with U.S. policy.


2. (C) An upcoming MEDRETE scheduled for February/March
offers an excellent initial opportunity to help the GOP deal
with the criticism it will face for terminating a program
that assists poor people with limited access to medical
attention. Embassy will augment its already robust PD plan
for this MEDRETE to emphasize U.S. support as President
Duarte takes a politically risky stand in line with U.S.
policy. In the longer term, we will look for ways to
encourage the GOP to go further (by ending the medical
scholarship program, for example) and strengthen the position
of those within the GOP and the Colorado party who reject
closer ties with Cuba and Venezuela.


3. (C) One way to achieve these objectives is to increase the
number and scope of MEDRETEs in Paraguay, and accelerate
their timing. Past MEDRETEs in Paraguay have been extremely
successful. Given other high priorities for DOD in Paraguay,
taking immediate advantage of the emerging new policy
environment could pay big dividends with respect to those
priorities, in addition to building on the successes of past
MEDRETEs. If the DOD planning process prevents additional
MEDRETES in the short term, firm commitments for additional
MEDRETES in the future might be announced soon and have a
similar affect in demonstrating US support.


4. (U) Embassy appreciates DOD and SOUTHCOM's cooperation in
this area, and invites input on ways to implement the
proposed augmentation and acceleration of MEDRETEs. Please
note that Embassy and the State Department are also exploring
other ways to augment medical support for Paraguay in light
of this new policy environment. We are not relying solely on
DOD resources, but note the dramatic impact MEDRETES and
other humanitarian efforts have had historically and after
the August 2004 fire.
JOHNSON