US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION500

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000500 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/AND, AND OAS 
STATE PASS TO USAID LAC/AA 
NSC FOR KIMBERLY BREIER 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, KCRM, PA, VE 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY'S AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA ATTACKED IN 
CARACAS, LODGES COMPLAINT 
 
 
1. (U) On 4/12, Ambassador received a telephone call from 
Senator Alejandro Velazquez Ugarte, informing him that 
Paraguay's Ambassador to Venezuela, Ana Maria Figueredo, was 
the victim of a violent physical attack in Caracas on 4/8. 
An unidentified assailant attacked Figueredo as she 
approached her vehicle, after leaving a Mass held in memory 
of Pope Juan Paul II at Caracas's Metropolitan Cathedral. 
The attack occurred approximately five blocks from the 
Cathedral, on a street adjacent to the Venezuelan MFA. 
Figueredo suffered injuries to her face and chest, and was 
rendered unconscious for several minutes.  Figueredo's driver 
carried her to a side entrance of the MFA, but they were 
neither afforded assistance nor permitted to drive the 
vehicle onto the premises, requiring Figueredo instead to 
walk back to the vehicle with the driver's assistance. 
 
2. (U) Figueredo, who is a Senator with leave of absence to 
serve as Ambassador, wrote a letter to Senator Miguel 
Carrizosa, President of Paraguay's Congress, detailing the 
events and complaining about the GOV's lack of response.  In 
the letter, she noted that, despite repeated written and oral 
requests, the GOV has failed to provide security for her or 
for the Embassy.  Velazquez, in his capacity as President of 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a formal letter 
of complaint to Saul Ortega Campos, President of the 
Venezuelan National Assembly's Permanent Committee on Foreign 
Policy. 
 
3. (U) In statements to the press on 4/12, Venezuela's 
Ambassador to Paraguay, Jose Huerta Castillo, accused unnamed 
opponents of President Hugo Chavez for the attack on 
Figueredo, asserting that it was part of a campaign to 
discredit Chavez's government and provoke international 
discord.  Huerta highlighted that the attack occurred on the 
day that, "for the first time, the imperialist candidate did 
not achieve its objective of attaining the Secretary 
Generalship of the OAS," which he explained was a reference 
to Mexican candidate Luis Derbez, who tied with Chilean 
candidate Miguel Insulza in five rounds of voting at the OAS 
on 4/8. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: Although the motive is unclear, it appears 
that Figueredo may have been singled out for the attack.  The 
assailant apparently waited for her near her vehicle, and 
beat her but did not rob her.  A number of other diplomats 
and dignitaries attended the Mass, and parked in the same 
area, but were not attacked.  In her letter to Carrizosa, 
Figueredo noted that she attended the Mass at the official 
invitation of the GOV. 
KEANE