US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION226

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASUNCION 000226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, EB/IFD/OIA, WHA/PPC, AND G/TIP 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/AA 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR SCRONIN AND LYANG 
NSC FOR KIM BREIER 
TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER 
TREASURY FOR OTA WARFIELD, VAN KOCH, MILLAR 
COMMERCE FOR ITA SARAH COOK 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, ECON, PINR, PA 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, FEBRUARY 
5-12 
 
REF: A. ASUNCION 161 
 
     B. 2004 ASUNCION 1473 
 
Classified By: Charge Kevin M. Johnson For Reason: 1.5 (d). 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: 
---------------- 
-- Colman Congressional Scandal Continues 
-- FonMin Meets Canadian leaders 
-- Paraguay Seeks TIP Extradition from Spain 
-- Chavez to Visit Paraguay? 
-- Hijazi Officially Charged 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Colman Congressional Scandal Continues 
-------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  Colorado Deputy Julio Colman, embroiled last week in 
a scandal involving a suspect load of timber and threats to a 
prosecutor, told the press he would waive his Congressional 
immunity and face the charges against him, apparently at 
NDF,s urging.   A Colorado Deputy told CDA, however, that 
Colman has cold feet, worried he would be immediately 
detained.  Colman is preparing a counter-attack against the 
fiscal, charging her with a history of misconduct, and may 
now fight losing his immunity.  Many Colorado party members 
voiced their support for Colman, and NDF reportedly told 
Senator Carrizosa that Colman is not corrupt. Many others, 
however, within the GOP as well as the NGO sectors have 
denounced Colman's actions and are calling for his removal 
from office and prosecution.  Prosecutor Rafael Ojeda is 
seeking charges of making threats, obstruction of justice, 
and coercion. The Executive Colorado Party, and Lower House 
are all smeared by this gross, public abuse of power. 
 
----------------------------- 
FonMin Meets Canadian leaders 
----------------------------- 
 
3. (U) Foreign Minister Leila Rachid visited Ottawa on 
February 8 as part of a North American visit.  In meetings 
with FonMin Pierre Pettigrew and House of Commons Speaker 
Peter Milliken, Rachid discussed the ongoing negotiation of a 
free trade agreement between Canada and the Mercosur common 
market, which she revealed to be behind schedule.  (Note: 
Paraguay presently holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur. 
 End note.)  According to Ines LeMinter, PolCoun at the 
Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires, Rachid also pressed 
Pettigrew to reopen the Canadian Embassy in Asuncion, closed 
around a decade ago for financial reasons.  LeMinter noted 
that DFAIT (the Canadian foreign ministry) is not 
contemplating any new posts in Latin America. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Paraguay Seeks TIP Extradition from Spain 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Omar Mendoza, the Interpol liaison officer with the 
National Police, told PolOff the Spanish National Police 
arrested Paraguayan national Carolina Duarte this week and 
the GOP filed an extradition request.  A trafficking victim 
from the city of Villarica identified Duarte as a member of 
the network that lured her to Spain with a false promise of 
employment in a supermarket.  The victim was forced into 
prostitution upon arrival.  (Note: two traffickers have 
already been convicted and sentenced in the case.  End note.) 
 This is the first attempt by the GOP to request a 
TIP-related extradition.  Teresa Martinez, the leading TIP 
prosecutor in the Attorney General's office, told PolOff that 
Duarte identified two more members of the Villarica 
trafficking network to the Spanish police, and that her 
office used the information to file charges against the 
individuals (Duarte's brother, and a neighbor). 
 
-------------------------- 
Chavez to Visit Paraguay? 
-------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Despite FM Rachid's representations that she was 
trying to turn off a February 27-28 visit by Venezuelan 
President Hugo Chavez (ref A), the local press reported on 
2/10 that Chavez still plans to visit and will meet with 
President Duarte to expedite an energy agreement signed by 
both countries last November (ref B).  On 2/9, MFA Americas 
Director Cynthia Filartiga told PolOff that the MFA did not 
have confirmation one way or the other, and that the visit 
"was probably not going to happen." 
 
------------------------- 
Hijazi Officially Charged 
------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) GOP prosecutors officially charged Kassem Hijazi on 
February 8 with tax evasion.  Back taxes, interest and fines 
could surpass US$ 7 million, sufficient for a 10-year jail 
term if convicted.  They also announced that they would 
investigate 113 Cuidad del Este businesses linked to the 
transfers made by Hijazi.  On February 4, Hijazi appeared 
before a judge to answer a request that he pledge additional 
assets (prosecutors asked for about US$500,000) or face jail. 
 The presiding judge decided to accept Hijazi's pledge of a 
lesser amount of property and he remains free, although one 
of the lead prosecutors told Econ Chief that Hijazi must show 
up weekly to sign a book and could be jailed if he misses and 
appearance, and that the Brazilian Hijazi cannot leave 
Paraguay.  The prosecutor said he expected that the Brazilian 
authorities would cooperate in detaining Hijazi should he 
choose to flee to Brazil. 
JOHNSON