EL SALVADOR: NATIONAL CIVILIAN POLICE DIRECTOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 001005

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018
TAGS: ES PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: NATIONAL CIVILIAN POLICE DIRECTOR
RESIGNS

Classified By: Ambassador Glazer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Summary: National Civilian Police (PNC) Director
Francisco Rovira resigned on Saturday, August 23, in the wake
of media stories alleging abuse of authority and
irregularities on the part of political appointees Rovira
brought into the PNC. Deputy Director Jose Luis Tobar Prieto
was named acting PNC Director. End summary.


2. (C) Rovira's stay at the PNC proved brief yet turbulent.
Appointed to the position in February following Rodrigo
Avila's decision to run for President, Rovira, who had no
previous background in law enforcement, came to the PNC
promising to focus on administration. Nonetheless, Rovira
instituted significant organizational changes in the PNC and
opted to move around senior PNC officials within weeks of
assuming his position. He soon began personally leading
high-profile police raids and immersing himself in tactical
operations. The rank and file police appear never to have
warmed to Rovira's hands-on management style, while mid-level
career PNC officers allegedly became increasingly resentful
of his involvement in operational issues. Rovira also had
public differences of opinion with the Ministry of Public
Security and Justice over the efficacy of his plan to
decrease El Salvador's stubbornly high murder rate.


3. (C) Rovira's situation deteriorated rapidly on Friday,
August 22, when the two major Salvadoran newspapers ran front
page stories alleging that advisors he had brought into the
PNC were abusing their authority: Wearing police uniforms,
carrying badges, and using special license plates reserved
for sworn law enforcement officials. One press report
asserted that a career PNC official Rovira personally chose
to oversee operations in Santa Ana department was receiving
roughly double the salary he was entitled to. Other media
stories linked the Rovira advisors to shady business deals
that allegedly occurred during their prior government
service, as well as improprieties in recent private sector
activities. (Note: All of the above is at this point
unsubstantiated press speculation. End note).


4. (C) The media scrutiny appears to have cost Rovira the
support of Minister of Public Security and Justice Rene
Figueroa. The newspaper reports on Friday all featured
Figueroa quotes to the effect that Rovira's appointment and
handling of his advisors would be "fully investigated." We
have also heard speculation that Figueroa in fact pushed
Rovira out the door, in effect demanding his resignation,
which President Saca quickly accepted.


5. (C) Deputy Director Jose Luis Tobar Prieto, a career PNC
officer well-known to the Embassy, was named Acting PNC
Director. Minister Figueroa told the Embassy that Tobar
Prieto would serve as Acting Director through the end of
President Saca's term.


6. (C) Comment: Rovira's fall appears to be the result of
his failing to win over the PNC leadership, compounded by a
series of blunders which fatally damaged his credibility with
the Ministry of Public Security and Justice, rather than an
obvious instance of corruption. Rovira's mishandling of his
advisors served as a handy pretext for the Saca
administration to reverse an ill-advised appointment to one
of El Salvador's most important governmental positions. End
comment.
GLAZER