US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION214

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO USAID LAC/AA 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
NSC FOR TOM SHANNON/KIM BREIER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, MASS, PA 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: EMBASSY SEEKS TO AUGMENT AND ACCELERATE 
MEDRETES 
 
REF: A. ASUNCION 00188 
     B. ASUNCION 00199 
     C. ASUNCION 00200 
     D. ASUNCION 00152 
 
Classified By: Charge Kevin M. Johnson, for reason 1.4(d). 
 
1. (C) Last week, the Paraguayan Minister of Health announced 
that, in December the GOP will terminate a program that 
brings doctors from Cuba to live and practice in rural areas 
of Paraguay (ref A).  Embassy believes President Duarte 
ordered the program's termination because he has run out of 
patience with leftist subversion and criminality in the 
Paraguayan countryside, and is convinced that leftists here 
and abroad seek to undermine his government (refs B and C). 
Vice President Castiglioni told Charge that he would like the 
GOP to put an end, as well, to a related program that sends 
Paraguayan medical students to Cuba on scholarships.  The 
decision to terminate the Cuban Doctors program, along with 
Duarte's support for President Uribe in Colombia's recent 
dispute with Venezuela (ref D) and other recent actions and 
remarks by GOP officials, signals the possibility of a 
broader change in GOP policy towards Cuba and Venezuela more 
in line with U.S. policy. 
 
2. (C) An upcoming MEDRETE scheduled for February/March 
offers an excellent initial opportunity to help the GOP deal 
with the criticism it will face for terminating a program 
that assists poor people with limited access to medical 
attention.  Embassy will augment its already robust PD plan 
for this MEDRETE to emphasize U.S. support as President 
Duarte takes a politically risky stand in line with U.S. 
policy.  In the longer term, we will look for ways to 
encourage the GOP to go further (by ending the medical 
scholarship program, for example) and strengthen the position 
of those within the GOP and the Colorado party who reject 
closer ties with Cuba and Venezuela. 
 
3. (C) One way to achieve these objectives is to increase the 
number and scope of MEDRETEs in Paraguay, and accelerate 
their timing.  Past MEDRETEs in Paraguay have been extremely 
successful.  Given other high priorities for DOD in Paraguay, 
taking immediate advantage of the emerging new policy 
environment could pay big dividends with respect to those 
priorities, in addition to building on the successes of past 
MEDRETEs.  If the DOD planning process prevents additional 
MEDRETES in the short term, firm commitments for additional 
MEDRETES in the future might be announced soon and have a 
similar affect in demonstrating US support. 
 
4. (U) Embassy appreciates DOD and SOUTHCOM's cooperation in 
this area, and invites input on ways to implement the 
proposed augmentation and acceleration of MEDRETEs.  Please 
note that Embassy and the State Department are also exploring 
other ways to augment medical support for Paraguay in light 
of this new policy environment.  We are not relying solely on 
DOD resources, but note the dramatic impact MEDRETES and 
other humanitarian efforts have had historically and after 
the August 2004 fire. 
JOHNSON