PRESIDENT DUARTE ABANDONS CABRAL'S PROMOTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000499

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID LAC/AA
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON
NSC FOR TOM SHANNON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SNAR KCRM PA
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT DUARTE ABANDONS CABRAL'S PROMOTION
NOMINATION

REF: A. ASUNCION 453


B. ASUNCION 370

C. ASUNCION 301 AND PRECEDING

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Keane, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: President Duarte's Private Secretary,
Minister Jose Maria Ibanez, confided to me on April 13 that
Duarte has instructed the Colorado Party block in Congress to
desist in efforts to promote Police Commissioner Aristides
Cabral. He said this was confidential and must not be
leaked. I said I would share the information only with those
in my government with a need to know. Separately, the SENAD
director told us that the plan is to withdraw Cabral's
nomination if the Attorney General indicts him based on
charges made by a Brazilian drug trafficker. End Summary.


2. (C) Note: Foreign Minister Rachid told me on April 11
that she understood the Executive Branch had "withdrawn"
Cabral's nomination from the Senate, and that she had so told
NSC Senior Director Tom Shannon, among others. Vice
President Luis Castiglioni has said publicly on April 10 that
the Cabral nomination would be withdrawn and he told me that
as well on April 4. However, the Senate President told me no
such withdrawal had taken place, hence my call to Ibanez, who
has been the most reliable source of information over the
last two years.


3. (C) Separately, Duarte told SENAD Chief Ibarra that
Cabral would not be promoted, and that he had asked the
Attorney General to indict Cabral based on the charges
leveled against Cabral by Brazilian drug trafficker Jaime
Amato. Cabral has been accused by Amato of accepting monthly
bribes from drug traffickers, in addition to other crimes.
Once Cabral is indicted, Duarte reportedly told the SENAD
chief, his nomination would be formally withdrawn from the
Senate.


4. (C) The SENAD Chief also told our DEA Country Attache
that Duarte has requested a public ceremony, with Duarte and
me present, for a donation of counter-drug equipment we have
ready to be handed over to SENAD.


5. (C) Comment: The Senate's decision to remand Cabral's
nomination to committee on March 31st (Ref A) was a setback
for the President and the Colorado Party, but they also
recognize the political cost of insisting on his promotion
despite the cloud of narcotics-related corruption which
envelopes him. The GOP's support for Cabral despite the
public perception that he is drug tainted has been a topic of
considerable private consternation in Asuncion society.
While I am encouraged by the latest news, I will not rest
assured until the promotion is withdrawn. I surmise that
Duarte is seizing the SENAD donation as an opportunity to
display that he continues to enjoy U.S. confidence and that
U.S.-Paraguayan CD cooperation is unaffected by the Cabral
episode.

KEANE