PANAMA: REQUEST FOR SEARCH COORDINATES

UNCLAS PANAMA 000473 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PM SUBJECT: PANAMA: REQUEST FOR SEARCH COORDINATES -------------- Summary, Action Request and Comment -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Post received a dipnote from the MFA on June 2 informing the Embassy that the Attorney General's Office was requesting the "documentation related to search operations that took place in the month of November 2009." The note refers to a USCG P-3 that responded to a Panamanian Aero-Naval Service (SENAN) request for assistance trying to locate a Panamanian pilot who had crashed into the Pacific in international waters while flying a helicopter off the Venezuelan flagged tuna fishing boat F/V Don Francisco. The prosecutor is investigating possible criminal acts in the disappearance of Carlos Julio Alvarado, the pilot of the helicopter. ¶2. (U) Action Request: Post requests guidance for response. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: This case has been going on for months, and the MFA has leaked every official piece of correspondence between the Embassy and the MFA and SENAN to the family of Mr. Alvarado, who appear to be very upset about the death of their son, and unable to accept all indications that his helicopter crashed into the sea and sank with him aboard. The family members have called Embassy officers on several occasions, with the information in the dipnotes and letters Post had exchanged with the MFA and SENAN, and have asked the USG to search for their missing son again. The only USG involvement in this case was one day of P-3 searches for the helicopter, which was based on coordinates given to the USCG by SENAN. -------------- Unofficial Translation of Dipnote -------------- ¶4. (U) BEGIN UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS: UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION REPUBLIC OF PANAMA Ministry of Foreign Relations N/V A.J. No. 1312 THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATION - DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND TREATIES - PRESENTS ITS COMPLIMENTS TO THE HONORABLE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ON THE OCCASION OF REFERRING TO PANAMANIAN CITIZEN CARLOS JULIO ALVARADO, WHO DISAPPEARED THIS PAST NOVEMBER 29, 2008, CLOSE TO PUNTA BURICA, CHIRIQUI PROVINCE, WHILE FLYING A ROBINSON R22 HELICOPTER, WHICH TRAVELED ON BOARD THE SHIP DON FRANCESCO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS - DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND TREATIES - ON THE ISSUE, WOULD LIKE TO INFORM THE HONORABLE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN THAT THROUGH NOTE PGN-SAI-804-09 OF MAY 13, 2009, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, UPON REQUEST FROM THE FIRST SUPERIOR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT, REQUESTED THAT THIS FOREIGN MINISTRY PROVIDE ITS GOOD OFFICES TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO SEARCH OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER OF 2008, SINCE THE CLAIMANT ALLEGES THAT THE PLACE OF THE ACCIDENT IS NOT THE ONE POINTED OUT BY THE CREW OF THE SHIP DON FRANCESCO, NOR THE DATE INDICATED BY THEM, AND AMONG THE SHIPS THAT WERE SEARCHING THE FUSELAGE WERE ONE AIRCRAFT AND PERSONNEL FROM THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS - DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND TREATIES - IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WHOLE LIKE TO REQUEST THE HONORABLE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO PROVIDE THE ABOVE REQUESTED INFORMATION IN ORDER TO USE IT IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST SUPERIOR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT, FOR THE ALLEGED CRIME AGAINST LIFE AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY, TO THE DETRIMENT OF MR. CARLOS JULIO ALVARADO. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS - DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND TREATIES - TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY TO REITERATE TO THE HONORABLE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST CONSIDERATION. Panama May 21, 2009 The Honorable Embassy of the United States of America City. End Unofficial Translation. STEPHENSON