US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA532

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, CASC, PHUM, PREL, SOCI, KCRM, BR, Human Rights, TIP 
SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS SECRETARIAT SPEAKS ABOUT 
DOROTHY STANG MURDER 
 
REF: A. A. BRASILIA 00369 
     B. B. BRASILIA 00437 
     C. C. BRASILIA 00464 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER BISOLA OJIKUTU. REASON: 1.4 (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On February 23, Poloff met with Perly 
Cipriano, Under Secretary for Human Rights Promotion at the 
Brazilian Secretariat for Human Rights, to discuss the 
Dorothy Stang murder case (reftels A, B, and C).  During the 
meeting, Poloff and Cipriano discussed Stang's refusal to 
accept police protection, the involvement of the logging 
industry in Stang's murder, violence in the region, and 
"federalizing" Stang's murder case.  Poloff also discussed 
Stang's murder with the Ministry of Foreign Relations' Human 
Rights Division.   End summary. 
 
Police protection 
----------------- 
2. (C) Refs reported the murder of Dorothy Mae Stang, a US 
citizen and Catholic nun, who was shot to death by three 
hired gunmen on February 12 near Anapu, Para.  Stang lived in 
Brazil for thirty years and was a well known agrarian reform 
activist.  One week before her murder, Stang, Cipriano, and 
others from the Secretariat for Human Rights met to discuss 
the ongoing conflict and Stang's security.  Cipriano spoke 
with Poloff at length about this meeting and how those who 
participated expressed their "deep concern" for Stang's 
safety.  Since Stang had received a number of death threats, 
the meeting's participants offered police protection or entry 
into the Brazilian witness protection program.  Stang refused 
both offers because she strongly believed that her age, 
profession, and faith would protect her, according to 
Cipriano. 
 
The Logging Industry 
-------------------- 
3. (C) Cipriano stated that elements within the logging 
industry were responsible for Stang's murder and refused to 
believe that other sectors could have been involved.  Since 
"few could afford to pay R$50,000 (approximately USD 20,000) 
to each hired gunman," Cipriano and the GOB believed that 
Stang's murder was financed by a group of farm owners and 
loggers rather than one.  (Note: There is no confirmation of 
Cipriano's interpretation that the R$ 50,000 was offered to 
each gunman rather than a lump sum. End note.)  This was 
based upon police and press reports in Anapu that provided 
him information about a "group of financiers."  He thought 
that those responsible would be "captured in a few days." 
(Note: Press reports published days after our meeting 
supported this view.  The police chief in charge of the 
Federal Police investigation stated publicly that a number of 
loggers and land title falsifiers may have worked together to 
commit the crime.  Federal Police are now investigating names 
included in documents and letters sent by Stang to the 
Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) and to state and federal 
authorities.  End note.) 
 
Local Violence 
-------------- 
4. (C) Immediately after Stang's murder, senior GOB officials 
spoke strongly against her murder and President Lula ordered 
the Justice Minister to send federal police to assist in the 
investigation.  The violence in the days after her murder 
killed at least three, including a local leader of the 
landless community, and led to the deployment of Army troops 
to support state police.  According to Cipriano, this 
violence was due to the "criminal element's" reaction to the 
GOB's "tough" stance against the murder.  In addition, he 
thought the violence was an attempt to force the GOB against 
taking action which, he quickly responded, "we would never 
accept."  (Note:  Our sources told us that the violence and 
killings that occurred days after Stang's murder are endemic 
to the region and do not appear to be directly related to 
Stang's death.  End note.)  While he was quick to blame local 
criminals for Stang's murder and local violence, Cipriano 
also blamed poor Para state government regulation and the 
weak state judicial system. 
 
Federalization 
--------------- 
5. (C) When asked about the status of federalizing Stang's 
case, Cipriano stated that this decision rests with the 
Brazilian Supreme Court.  Since the law that allows case 
federalization is two months old, the GOB "will tread 
carefully" on this issue since the outcome will influence 
other cases and set future precedence.  Cipriano strongly 
believed that the Supreme Court would federalize the case due 
to widespread international interest and evidence of local 
corruption that would hinder local judicial proceedings. 
(Note:  On February 24, Justice Minister Bastos publicly 
stated that he saw little need to federalize the case, as the 
state judge involved in the case has the GOB's confidence. 
End Note). 
 
Ministry of External Relations' Human Rights Division 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
6. (C) In a separate meeting on February 22, Cristiano 
Figueiroa from the Ministry of External Relations' (MRE) 
Human Rights Division (DDH) also spoke to Poloff about the 
Stang murder case.  Figueiroa called the murder "a tragic and 
barbaric act" and "hoped that the GOB's actions and the 
judicial process would lead to an adequate and just 
solution."  According to Figueiroa, federalizing the case 
would lead to a more transparent judicial process and could 
ensure that the accused would be "brought to justice."  At 
the end of our meeting, Cristiano stated: "Ironically, one 
week before Stang's death, the Human Rights Secretariat 
launched a campaign in Para to promote the same issues that 
Stang was fighting for." 
 
7. (C) Comment:  Now that the investigation into Stang's 
murder has slowed and both federal and state police have 
closed the investigation, it appears that the key question 
before the GOB is whether or not the case should be 
federalized.  Cipriano, Figueiroa, and other contacts that we 
have spoken to have little faith in state police officials 
and the local judicial process due to evidence of corruption 
and involvement of influential farmers and politicians in the 
judicial process.  We agree with our contacts and believe 
that the case should be federalized to ensure a transparent 
and fair trial, but Justice Minister Bastos' comments 
(paragraph 5) may foreshadow a GOB decision to let the case 
run its course in Para's judicial system.  Given the GOB's 
aggressive investigation of the killing and sensitivity to 
political perceptions of its handling of this high-profile 
crime, we are perplexed about the thinking behind Bastos' 
position and will make additional queries on that point.  End 
Comment. 
 
DANILOVICH