Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASUNCION248
2008-04-16 18:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asuncion
Cable title:  

ROUNDING UP VENEZUELANS, ECUADORIANS AND THE LIKE

Tags:  PGOV ASEC PREL PINS XM PA 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6811
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000248 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TO WHA/BSC KREAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2028
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PREL PINS XM PA
SUBJECT: ROUNDING UP VENEZUELANS, ECUADORIANS AND THE LIKE


Classified By: Michael J. Fitzpatrick; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000248

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TO WHA/BSC KREAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2028
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PREL PINS XM PA
SUBJECT: ROUNDING UP VENEZUELANS, ECUADORIANS AND THE LIKE


Classified By: Michael J. Fitzpatrick; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) President Duarte denounced April 15 the presence in
Paraguay of Venezuelan and Ecuadorian "experts in social
agitation" passing themselves off as elections observers. He
accused citizens of Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela of placing
"explosives" in community radio stations in San Pedro. The
President said if these "visitors" can't behave themselves,
the "government reserves the right to take appropriate
measures to prevent the infiltrators from causing violence in
Paraguay." Duarte said the groups, affiliated with
opposition Patriotic Alliance for Change (APC) presidential
candidate Fernando Lugo, are "accustomed to violence and
death" and are organizing violence to follow the Colorado
Party's "overwhelming victory" on April 20. Duarte said Lugo
and his running mate Federico Franco will be responsible for
any violence on election day and thereafter.


2. (C) In response to Duarte's comments, the Paraguayan
police are "rounding up" Colombians, Peruvians, Bolivians,
and Ecuadorians, and are searching local hotels for those
nationals. Nine Colombians have been detained to date. The
GOP's actions led those countries' respective embassies to
protest with the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry and to the
Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington. OAS
deputy observer mission director Steve Griner told the DCM
April 16 that both OAS Secretary General Insulza and OAS
Chief of Delegation Mejia have communicated their concerns to
Foreign Minister Ramirez.


3. (C) COMMENT: Sensitive reporting confirms that Venezuelan
and Ecuadorians are in country working to support members of
Lugo's coalition (specifically, the leftist P-MAS),but the
Embassy is not aware of any factual support for Duarte's
allegations regarding explosives in San Pedro. Duarte's
statements constitute clear political posturing designed to
simultaneously tar his opponents as harbingers of chaos and
to limit voter turnout on Sunday. The greater the turnout,
the greater the opposition vote. END COMMENT.

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