US embassy cable - 05LIMA2342

UNCLAS LIMA 002342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PE 
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION APRA PARTY DECIDES TO DROP PROPOSED 
SANCTIONS AGAINST TOLEDO IN FALSE SIGNATURES CASE UNTIL HE 
LEAVES OFFICE 
 
REF: LIMA 2282 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (U)  APRA Congresswoman (and Chairwoman of the party's 
Political Committee) Mercedes Cabanillas announced 5/25 that 
the APRA legislative bloc had decided to drop its planned 
resolution calling for a "political trial" of President 
Alejandro Toledo on allegations that he was involved in 
forging signatures to register his Pais Posible (now Peru 
Posible) party for the 2000 elections (Reftel).  Cabanillas 
acknowledged that although APRA had originally recruited 40 
legislators to sign the resolution at the conclusion of the 
Congress Plenary's 5/18-19 session, many subsequently 
withdrew their support, leaving APRA with an insufficient 
number to proceed with any chance of success.  It would be 
better, she surmised, to wait until the next government takes 
office to proceed against Toledo on political charges. 
 
2.  (SBU)  APRA Congressman and legislative bloc leader Cesar 
Zumaeta, in a conversation with Polcouns earlier that day, 
had indicated that APRA would be dropping its attempt to 
sanction Toledo politically.  Zumaeta, who according to a 
Presidency source was one of those pushing hardest to go 
after the President, appeared resigned to this development. 
"We'll leave Toledo in peace to finish his term," Zumaeta 
declared, implying that once the President leaves office the 
gloves will be off. 
 
3.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  APRA's decision to drop its "political 
trial" proposal should postpone further congressional 
consideration of the false signatures case until Toledo's 
term ends, provided, of course, that additional evidence and 
accusations do not/not surface before then implicating the 
President.  Such evidence/accusations could conceivably be 
raised in the ongoing criminal investigation/prosecution of 
Toledo's sister Margarita and other GOP and Peru Posible 
officials accused of complicity in the forgeries and/or in 
connection with an attempt to obstruct justice by 
facilitating the temporary flight of a key witness.  END 
COMMENT. 
STRUBLE