ARGENTINA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON OFAC DESIGNATIONS

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001281 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTFN PTER PINR EFIN SNAR KCRM PREL VE AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON OFAC DESIGNATIONS REF: STATE 97316 ¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, Poloff on September 12 delivered notice of the impending OFAC Narcotics Kingpin Act designations of three senior Venezuelan officials to Ricardo Roselli, the Director General for International Narcotics Affairs at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Points were also provided to Claudio Rojo, head of the MFA's USA Desk. Separately, Econoff delivered key points by phone to Jose Ignacio Tobella, Deputy to the MFA's Special Counter-Terrorism Representative Ambassador Orlando Rebagliati. ¶2. (SBU) Roselli and Rojo expressed appreciation for the advance notice and said they would inform their superiors. Both expressed understanding of the U.S. decision and of the point that it was a continuation of efforts against the FARC and based on narcotics-trafficking linkages, not a step taken to target any government. Roselli noted with interest that the step was taken in the wake of Venezuelan President Chavez's decision to expel the U.S. Ambassador, but accepted that the U.S. measure under the Kingpin Act was taken independently of that situation. Roselli, who conveys in meetings a personal commitment against drug trafficking, read with interest details regarding the Venezuelans' links to the FARC but did not provide additional comment. ¶3. (SBU) Tobella, who is Post's primary contact for terrorism finance designations, agreed to pass reftel information to the appropriate GOA agencies and Central Bank. However, he reiterated the standard GOA position with regards to freezing assets of terrorists: the GOA does not have its own lists but rather depends on UN designations. It has no procedure in place to act in response to U.S. domestic designations. He suggested nonetheless that since this was a narcotics designation the MFA's International Narcotics Affairs might be aware of other authorities through which to pursue any assets held by the individuals in Argentina. ¶4. (U) Post will monitor and report any significant local reaction to the OFAC designations and maintain contact with the MFA on these designations. WAYNE