PARAGUAY: OVIEDO SEEKS U.S. VIEWS ON MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000729

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC
NSC FOR KIM BREIER
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL PA VE
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: OVIEDO SEEKS U.S. VIEWS ON MEETING WITH
VENEZUELA

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


1. (U) Action request. See para. 4.


2. (C) On 5/31, I met at his request with Senator Enrique
Gonzalez Quintana (EGQ),President of UNACE (Gen. Lino
Oviedo's Party) and Vice-President of the Senate. EGQ
informed me that Venezuela's Ambassador to Paraguay had
recently requested a meeting with UNACE party leader Gen.
Oviedo. (Oviedo remains imprisoned, since his return to
Paraguay in June 2004, for his involvement in a 1996 coup
attempt.) EGQ noted that Venezuelan President Chavez will
visit Paraguay at the end of June in connection to the
upcoming MERCOSUR Summit; he understood that Venezuela sought
a visit as a way to serve a bridge for better relations
between Oviedo and the GOP.


3. (C) EGQ signaled Oviedo was disinclined to meet with the
Venezuelan Ambassador. However, he advised that Oviedo had
instructed him to solicit USG views on the matter.
According to EGQ, Oviedo has every intention of becoming
President of Paraguay. Given U.S. economic and political
weight, he recognizes that he will need U.S. support to be
successful. EGQ insisted that Oviedo would follow U.S.
instructions on this matter. Comment. This is a common
refrain from the Oviedistas, and usually they have supported
the USG position on issues. End Comment. I told EGQ that I
would need to seek instructions from Washington.


4. (C) Action request: Clearly Oviedo is trying to
ingratiate himself with us. Unless Department instructs
otherwise, I am prepared to go back to EGQ and advise him
that upon consultation with Washington, the U.S. has decided
to take no opinion on this matter, although as a personal
comment I see nothing that Oviedo can gain from it.


5. (C) Comment. It is hard to guess what is behind this
Venezuelan overture. Oviedo is in bad odor in most
Paraguayan circles, particularly with Duarte Frutos and most
of the Colorado party; the GOP will look dimly on a
Venezuelan effort to serve as a go between. Oviedo's party
is generally pro-U.S.; Oviedo himself has made favorable
remarks about the U.S. in the press. Venezuela should know
this but may seek to draw Oviedo into supporting "Bolivarian"
initiatives. Chavez may also think he could strike with
Oviedo some kind of populist chord or envisions Oviedo's
return to power in a couple of years and wants to start
building a bridge with him. Finally, it is worth noting the
Venezuelan Ambassador here, Jose Huerta, has displayed
irresponsible behavior at times; this could be another of his
ill-considered acts. Even for Venezuela, however, this
overture is a little difficult to understand. End Comment.
KEANE