BOLIVIA: GONI EXTRADITION UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 002263 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM CJAN CASC BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: GONI EXTRADITION UPDATE Classified By: EcoPol Chief Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 b,d ¶1. (C) Vice Foreign Minister Hugo Fernandez and Former Ambassador to the United States Gustavo Guzman came to the Embassy as expected on October 17 and delivered about 3,000 pages of documents to be notarized; the documents are part of the still-unfiled extradition request for ex-President Gonzalo "Goni" Sanchez de Lozada, former Defense Minister Sanchez Berzain, and former Hydrocarbons Minister Berinduague. ¶2. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials have been told to return for the documents on October 22 (time permitting since the Embassy is at minimal staffing on October 20). Fernandez told us that upon getting the documents back they plan to send them to Washington for their Embassy to deliver to State as soon as possible. Guzman said that they are still considering bringing families of the victims with them to present the formal extradition request. ¶3. (C) While there was an event on October 17 commemorating the victims of the 2003 violence that led to the fall of the Goni government, there were no demonstrations at the Embassy. URS