US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION499

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID LAC/AA 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
NSC FOR TOM SHANNON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, SNAR, KCRM, PA 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT DUARTE ABANDONS CABRAL'S PROMOTION 
NOMINATION 
 
REF: A. ASUNCION 453 
 
     B. ASUNCION 370 
     C. ASUNCION 301 AND PRECEDING 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John F. Keane, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  President Duarte's Private Secretary, 
Minister Jose Maria Ibanez, confided to me on April 13 that 
Duarte has instructed the Colorado Party block in Congress to 
desist in efforts to promote Police Commissioner Aristides 
Cabral.  He said this was confidential and must not be 
leaked.  I said I would share the information only with those 
in my government with a need to know.  Separately, the SENAD 
director told us that the plan is to withdraw Cabral's 
nomination if the Attorney General indicts him based on 
charges made by a Brazilian drug trafficker.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Note:  Foreign Minister Rachid told me on April 11 
that she understood the Executive Branch had "withdrawn" 
Cabral's nomination from the Senate, and that she had so told 
NSC Senior Director Tom Shannon, among others.  Vice 
President Luis Castiglioni has said publicly on April 10 that 
the Cabral nomination would be withdrawn and he told me that 
as well on April 4.  However, the Senate President told me no 
such withdrawal had taken place, hence my call to Ibanez, who 
has been the most reliable source of information over the 
last two years. 
 
3.  (C) Separately, Duarte told SENAD Chief Ibarra that 
Cabral would not be promoted, and that he had asked the 
Attorney General to indict Cabral based on the charges 
leveled against Cabral by Brazilian drug trafficker Jaime 
Amato.  Cabral has been accused by Amato of accepting monthly 
bribes from drug traffickers, in addition to other crimes. 
Once Cabral is indicted, Duarte reportedly told the SENAD 
chief, his nomination would be formally withdrawn from the 
Senate. 
 
4.  (C) The SENAD Chief also told our DEA Country Attache 
that Duarte has requested a public ceremony, with Duarte and 
me present, for a donation of counter-drug equipment we have 
ready to be handed over to SENAD. 
 
5.  (C)  Comment:  The Senate's decision to remand Cabral's 
nomination to committee on March 31st (Ref A) was a setback 
for the President and the Colorado Party, but they also 
recognize the political cost of insisting on his promotion 
despite the cloud of narcotics-related corruption which 
envelopes him.  The GOP's support for Cabral despite the 
public perception that he is drug tainted has been a topic of 
considerable private consternation in Asuncion society. 
While I am encouraged by the latest news, I will not rest 
assured until the promotion is withdrawn. I surmise that 
Duarte is seizing the SENAD donation as an opportunity to 
display that he continues to enjoy U.S. confidence and that 
U.S.-Paraguayan CD cooperation is unaffected by the Cabral 
episode. 
 
KEANE