U.S. OFFERS SUPPORT TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000700

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR WHA/BSC MDRUCKER, MDASCHBACH
WHA/PDA JDICKSON, CPETERSON
IIP/WHA PCOZZENS, SCARPER
ECA/A/E/USS ARUSTAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC OIIP SCUL IAII SOCI PHUM PGOV PA
SUBJECT: U.S. OFFERS SUPPORT TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES


1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Ayalde and A/PAO visited newly appointed
National Institute of the Indigenous (INDI) President Lida Acuna on
October 13. Acuna explained the many challenges INDI faces and
accepted the Ambassador's offer to partner with Post on indigenous
issues. End summary.




2. (U) Indigenous issues continue to be a domestic and
international problem for Lugo's government. The country has not
fully complied with binding Inter-American Court of Human Rights
(IACH) rulings against Paraguay in 2005 and 2006 despite a February
26 presidential decree creating an inter-governmental commission to
implement the decisions. The Senate voted down a land
expropriation measure in favor of the Yakye Axa indigenous
community October 15, citing inter-communal conflicts and NGO
interference. Other cases remain pending before the IACH,
including the case of the Xakmok Kasek. Meanwhile, indigenous
communities routinely demonstrate against the government by camping
in plazas in downtown Asuncion. Against this background, President
Lugo appointed Ms. Acuna to head INDI on August 20 after an
eight-month vacancy in the position. Acuna is an accomplished
lawyer and graduated from the nation's best university.




3. (U) During her meeting with the Ambassador, Ms. Acuna explained
her current challenges: establishing daily operations, creating a
public relations office, and developing a long-term strategic plan.
(Note: Ms. Acuna shares an office with one of her staffers and does
not have her own computer. End note.) Acuna wants to establish
INDI branches outside the capital so that the rural indigenous
communities will not have to travel to Asuncion to file official
paperwork. The Ambassador noted that the Office of Defense
Cooperation's Humanitarian Assistance Program is considering
establishing emergency centers in three different parts of the
country, and that INDI might explore the possibility of co-locating
its branches.




4. (U) Acuna wants to end extended direct entitlement payments and
food subsidies to indigenous communities from the Social Action
Secretariat (SAS). These programs were put in place under previous
administrations to appease indigenous leaders and are
unsustainable. The Ambassador offered to research best practices
regarding indigenous affairs and organization to help INDI press
its case with the Social Cabinet.




5. (U) The Ambassador also expressed the Embassy's interest in
supporting INDI and Paraguayan indigenous communities through
public diplomacy programs such as ECA's "Study of the U.S.
Institutes for Student Leaders" and an IIP DVC in November with two
American experts on indigenous culture, education, and
assimilation. Ms. Acuna enthusiastically welcomed these
opportunities and committed to recruiting qualified students for
the ECA program and sending attendees to the DVC.




6. (SBU) Comment: Lida Acuna's exceptional credentials leave the
impression that she is overqualified for a job that has her
starting from scratch. Past administrations have left no records
and subsidies, and programs were implemented without criteria. She
will have to muster tremendous patience to advance her agenda
through an underfunded bureaucracy and unfriendly Congress. Post
worries this challenge may get the best of her and INDI will soon
be searching for yet another replacement. End comment.
AYALDE