PERUVIAN ARMY OFFICER TAKES HIS TROUBLES TO CITY

UNCLAS LIMA 001606 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINS MARR PE SUBJECT: PERUVIAN ARMY OFFICER TAKES HIS TROUBLES TO CITY HALL Sensitive But Unclassified, Please Handle Accordingly ¶1. (U) A Peruvian Army Officer on 4/6 chose an unusual method to bring attention to a dispute with his superiors. Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Soto Sarmiento arrived at the Mayor's Office in the regional capital of Moquegua with 35 of his troops to denounce alleged mistreatment he had been submitted to by his commanding officers in the local Third Army Brigade. Soto made it clear to Mayor Julian Flores he was not involved in an insurrection, and had come to the municipal office to seek refuge and protect his rights. A few minutes after Soto's arrival, Third Brigade Commander General Carlos La Rosa appeared on the scene and ordered the 35 members of Soto's battalion to return to their barracks. Soto himself refused to depart, telling reporters he had been unfairly subjected to an administrative investigation without the right of self-defense, and that he would not leave until he was able to contact Defense Ministry representatives in Lima. ¶2. (SBU) A DAO member on TDY in Tacna (100 kilometers from Moquegua) discussed the matter with local counterparts. Military sources said that Soto had been under investigation for about a month on charges that he had improperly handled soldiers' food rations and officers' pay. Soto, currently a law student, made a counter-claim that his superiors were guilty of abuse of authority, and had subjected him to physical and verbal abuse. Soto was about to be relieved of duty when he made his quixotic march to the Mayor's Office. The sources said that prior to returning to base with his troops, General La Rosa met with Mayor Flores to discuss the incident. ¶3. (SBU) Foreign Ministry Director General for Defense and Security Affairs Daul Matute told Polcouns later in the day that Defense Minister Roberto Chiabra had ordered that Soto be sent to Lima, and that the officer was already in transit. STRUBLE