Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASUNCION72
2009-02-06 12:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Asuncion
Cable title:  

SCENE-SETTER FOR CAPSTONE FELLOWS

Tags:  PREL ECON MARR SNAR MASS MCAP PGOV PA 
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DE RUEHAC #0072/01 0371259
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061259Z FEB 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7574
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNCS/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASUNCION 000072 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON MARR SNAR MASS MCAP PGOV PA
SUBJECT: SCENE-SETTER FOR CAPSTONE FELLOWS

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SUMMARY
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UNCLAS ASUNCION 000072

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON MARR SNAR MASS MCAP PGOV PA
SUBJECT: SCENE-SETTER FOR CAPSTONE FELLOWS

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Embassy Asuncion warmly welcomes CAPSTONE fellows
February 22-24. President Fernando Lugo's administration
represents an historic transition after the Colorado Party's
61 years of rule. Lugo's challenges are many: An
inexperienced team, exceedingly high expectations for change,
endemic corruption, weak institutions, and a divided
Congress. Lugo must generate jobs and promote economic
development while downsizing a bloated state and tackling
social and security issues of key concern to his
constituents. Lugo's top goals include fighting corruption,
strengthening weak institutions, promoting economic growth,
and improving health and education services. Your visit
demonstrates broad U.S. interest in our bilateral
relationship and support for the Paraguayan government at a
critical moment in the country's history. END SUMMARY.

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THE POLITICAL REALITY
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2. (SBU) President Lugo's administration represents the first
interruption in Colorado Party rule in 61 years. A former
Catholic bishop, Lugo won 40.8 percent of the vote in April
2008 national elections, handily beating out competitors in a
4-way race. His Patriotic Alliance for Change (APC),a loose
coalition of political parties, won a large block of seats in
Congress but does not have a majority. By voting
overwhelmingly for change, the Paraguayan people gave Lugo a
mandate for political, economic, and social reform. However,
they also have high short-term expectations. Since his
August 15 inauguration, Lugo has assembled a diverse team of
politicians and technocrats to serve in his cabinet. Lugo's
challenges are many, and he will have to overcome endemic
corruption, weak institutions, and a divided, but
antagonistic, Congress. A more in-depth discussion of some
of Lugo's challenges follows.

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THE ECONOMIC REALITY
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3. (SBU) Lugo must promote economic development while

shrinking the bloated Paraguayan state. Agriculture
represents 21.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP),and
the economy is heavily dependent on exports of soybeans,
cotton, grains, cattle, timber, sugar, and electricity. More
than 250,000 families (out of a national population of some 6
million) depend on subsistence farming activities and
maintain marginal ties to the larger productive sector of the
economy. Paraguay boasts vast hydroelectric resources,
including the massive Itaipu hydroelectric dam built and
operated jointly with Brazil, but fails to capitalize on
those resources. The new government welcomes foreign
investment, but widespread corruption and a weak judicial
system are deterrents to investment. Paraguay's real GDP in
2007 was USD 12.8 billion (in 2000 dollars),with a
per-capita GDP (purchasing power parity) of USD 4,000 in
current U.S. dollar terms; inflation in 2007 was 6.0 percent,
down from 12.5 percent in 2006. In addition to retail,
banking, and professional services, there is significant
commercial activity involving the import of goods from Asia
and the United States for re-export to neighboring countries.
The underground economy, which is not included in the
national accounts, probably equals the formal economy in
size.


4. (SBU) Paraguay's plan to weather the global financial
crisis seeks to create jobs and maintain a GDP growth rate of
2-3 percent in 2009. The first phase of the plan aims to
ensure liquidity in the banking system and manage resources
with bilateral and multilateral organisms. The second phase
will focus on infrastructure priorities: construction,
roadways, housing and waterworks, as well as expansion of
conditional-cash transfer mechanisms for low-income families.
The third phase seeks to improve credit access for
production sectors; the fourth phase aims to increase public
and private spending. Phases 2 through 4 will require
congressional approval.

5. (U) Bilateral trade with the United States has increased
over the last six years even as there remains much untapped
potential for growth. More than a dozen U.S. multinational
firms have subsidiaries in Paraguay, and some 75 U.S.
businesses have agents or representatives in Paraguay.
Cargill, ADM, Coca Cola and Exxon-Mobil are the largest U.S.
companies operating in Paraguay. The United States was the
largest foreign investor in Paraguay, with USD 616.50
million, followed by Brazil with USD 230.85 million.


6. (U) Paraguay has inefficient state-owned monopolies in the
rail, oil and gas, cement, steel, electricity, water, and
telephone service industries. Political realities render
outright privatizations of state-owned enterprises unlikely
in the short term, although Lugo's economic team is
discussing public-private partnerships to reform state-owned
enterprises. The large state-run companies most attractive
to foreign buyers (such as the telecom and electricity
distribution companies) employ thousands and have served as
outlets for political patronage.

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PUBLIC SECURITY AND SOCIAL ISSUES
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7. (SBU) Security and social issues are top concerns of
Lugo's constituents. Violent crime is increasing in urban
and rural areas, and the public generally believes that
Paraguayan security forces (particularly the corrupt police)
do not meet their security needs. The "landless" farmer
movement has increasingly taken to protesting and invading,
or illegally occupying large, privately-held ranches, in
agitating for agrarian reform. On some occasions, protests
and "land invasions" have resulted in deaths or injuries.


8. (SBU) The Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay, Argentina and
Brazil is a hub for trans-national criminal activity
including drug trafficking, trafficking in persons (TIP),
arms trafficking, intellectual piracy, and money laundering.
Paraguay is a major transshipment point for cocaine from
Colombia and Bolivia to Brazil; it is the top marijuana
producer in South America, and Paraguay remains a regional
haven for money laundering. Paraguayan authorities
experience difficulties enforcing the law because of hostile
geography, corruption, chronic understaffing, and the
political and judicial power some drug traffickers wield.
Paraguay took a giant step forward on money laundering,
intellectual property violations, and trafficking in persons
by passing a tougher penal code in 2008 that will go into
effect this June.

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LUGO'S GOALS AND U.S. ASSISTANCE TO PARAGUAY
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9. (U) Lugo's goals include strengthening democratic
institutions, fighting corruption, promoting economic growth,
and improving health and education services. Police and land
reform, including a national land survey, are also
priorities. Lugo and several key ministers have expressed
interest in closer commercial ties with the United States,
which the October 27, 2008 Bush-Lugo White House meeting
reinforced.


10. (U) USG activities in Paraguay support Lugo's goals of
strengthening democratic institutions, promoting sound
economic policies and good governance, and disrupting
criminal organizations. The USAID-administered USD 30.3
million Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC) Threshold
Program Phase II (announced January 15) will support Lugo's
anti-corruption efforts. (NOTE: Phase I of the MCC's
Threshold Program provided USD 35 million over the past two
years in an effort to fight corruption and formalize
Paraguay's economy. END NOTE.) USAID/Paraguay's FY08 budget
is USD 7.8 million and focuses on economic growth, health,
the environment, and democracy. In October 2008, the USG
announced an additional USD 10 million in assistance for
health and economic development. USAID's Economic Growth
Program ("Paraguay Vende") has generated over USD 60 million
in sales and over 30,000 full-time job equivalents since
2003, thus supporting Lugo's goal to reduce poverty.
Likewise, USAID's Health Program supports Lugo's interest in
improving basic health services. By decentralizing health
services, improving maternal and child care services, and
increasing Paraguay's capacity to deliver family planning
services. In the environment sector, USAID supports improved
management of protected areas. The Democracy Program focuses
on fighting corruption, giving civil society a voice, and
promoting decentralization and municipal development.


11. (SBU) Post maintains bilateral assistance programs to
combat narcotics trafficking, money laundering, intellectual
property violations, and trafficking in persons. A
Department of Justice Resident Legal Advisor and advisors
from Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance work
behind-the-scenes to assist the Paraguayan government. The
Peace Corps has an active program in Paraguay. One of the
Embassy's leading public diplomacy efforts is its English
language scholarship program.

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THE MILITARY'S MISSION
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12. (SBU) Paraguay's military is a small force struggling to
redefine itself. The Army is the largest of the three
services (6,000),followed by the Navy (2,000) and Air Force
(1,200). The military's primary missions are to protect
Paraguay's territorial integrity, defend the legitimate
authorities in accordance with the constitution, and
cooperate in civil defense. It does not play a leading role
in counter-drug operations, although the military provides a
specialized tactical unit to support the counternarcotics
secretariat. The U.S. military's Special Operations Command
is in the process of training and equipping a company-size
Joint Immediate Response Detachment (DCEI),and the
Presidential Guard Regiment has a specialized
counter-terrorist platoon.


13. (U) Paraguay's military infrastructure and equipment are
old, obsolete and in desperate need of repair or replacement.
Ninety percent of the budget is used to pay salaries, and
five percent is used for sustaining conscripts, leaving only
five percent for operations, maintenance and training.
Budget problems are not expected to go away in the near
future due to a lack of Congressional support and lingering
memories of the Stroessner dictatorship. Despite these
challenges and a record number of forced retirements of
Colonels and Generals in November 2008, the military has
remained subordinate to civilian authority under the
leadership of new Military Forces Commander Admiral Cibar
Benitez and President Lugo's Defense Minister Luis Bareiro
Spaini (the latter of which is not in the military chain of
command). When called, the military has supported law
enforcement activities and public health campaigns, and
provided transportation assistance for farmers to bring their
products to market. The military is still seen as the first
line of defense in a crisis, and many Paraguayans feel safer
when the military is out on the streets.


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Strong Record of Military Cooperation
--------------


14. (U) USG support for the Paraguayan military is second
only to our support for Colombia in South America. Our 505
Assurance Agreement enables us to assist in the deployment of
a United Nations Global Peace Keeping Operations Unit
(UNPKO). Paraguay is currently allocated USD 4.1 million in
Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) funds. These funds
are being used to refurbish the Paraguayan Military Forces'
Joint Peace Operations Training Center (CECOPAZ) physical
plant; train a rotation of three company sized Multi-role
Engineer Companies to deploy on UNPKO missions under
Paraguayan flag; and increase their overall capacity to train
officers and soldiers.


15. (U) Through our U.S. Special Forces, we provided
Paraguay with some USD 3.8 million in 1208 funds allocated
for weapons and other equipment to assist in developing
Paraguay's Joint Immediate Response Detachment (DCEI). This
effort has been critical to realizing strategic initiatives
proposed through our Counter Terrorism Fellowship Program
(CTFP),to deter illicit transnational activity and to
include the designation and creation of a Paraguayan Tier 1
unit (equivalent to a National Mission Response Force).
Despite the unit's successes, the GOP has shown some
hesitation about how continued U.S. support for the unit
should manifest itself after June 2008.


16. (U) Other security funding comes from the State
Department's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
(INL),which along with DEA and U.S. Special Forces, assists
Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) in
combating narcotics trafficking. We also facilitate joint
exercises relating to humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief and work with the Military Forces Command and National
Emergencies Secretariat to strengthen and improve the
Paraguayan government's emergency response system. Paraguay
also has a robust relationship with the Massachusetts
National Guard (MANG) through the State Partnership Program
and it has expressed interest in acquiring U.S. technical
assistance to develop its National Security Strategy and
National Defense Plan.

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COMMENT
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17. (SBU) Your interest in Paraguay demonstrates broad U.S.
interest in the bilateral relationship, and support for
Paraguay's pragmatic president at a critical moment in the
country's history. When meeting with Paraguayan
interlocutors, you should encourage them to continue working
with the USG to strengthen our bilateral relationship. You
also should encourage Paraguay to continue its efforts to
train and support its contingent of UN peacekeepers, and
offer continued U.S. assistance via seminars, conferences,
orientation visits, advisory and instructional activities for
both Paraguay's Armed Forces and civilian institutions. END
COMMENT.

Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion

FITZPATRICK