US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION728

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000728 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC 
NSC FOR KIM BREIER 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PA, VE 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: OVIEDO SEEKS U.S. VIEWS ON MEETING WITH 
VENEZUELA 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John F. Keane for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U)  Action request.  See para. 4. 
 
2.  (C)  On 5/31, I met at his request with Senator Enrique 
Gonzalez Quintana (EGQ), President of UNACE (Gen. Lino 
Oviedo's Party) and Vice-President of the Senate.  EGQ 
informed me that Venezuela's Ambassador to Paraguay had 
recently requested a meeting with UNACE party leader Gen. 
Oviedo.  (Oviedo remains imprisoned, since his return to 
Paraguay in June 2004, for his involvement in a 1996 coup 
attempt.)  EGQ noted that Venezuelan President Chavez will 
visit Paraguay at the end of June in connection to the 
upcoming MERCOSUR Summit; he understood that Venezuela sought 
a visit as a way to serve a bridge for better relations 
between Oviedo and the GOP. 
 
3.  (C)  EGQ signaled Oviedo was disinclined to meet with the 
Venezuelan Ambassador.  However, he advised that Oviedo had 
instructed him to solicit USG views on the matter. 
According to EGQ, Oviedo has every intention of becoming 
President of Paraguay.  Given U.S. economic and political 
weight, he recognizes that he will need U.S. support to be 
successful.  EGQ insisted that Oviedo would follow U.S. 
instructions on this matter.  Comment.  This is a common 
refrain from the Oviedistas, and usually they have supported 
the USG position on issues.  End Comment.  I told EGQ that I 
would need to seek instructions from Washington. 
 
4.  (C)  Action request:  Clearly Oviedo is trying to 
ingratiate himself with us.  Unless Department instructs 
otherwise, I am prepared to go back to EGQ and advise him 
that upon consultation with Washington, the U.S. has decided 
to take no opinion on this matter, although as a personal 
comment I see nothing that Oviedo can gain from it. 
 
5.  (C)  Comment.  It is hard to guess what is behind this 
Venezuelan overture.  Oviedo is in bad odor in most 
Paraguayan circles, particularly with Duarte Frutos and most 
of the Colorado party; the GOP will look dimly on a 
Venezuelan effort to serve as a go between.  Oviedo's party 
is generally pro-U.S.; Oviedo himself has made favorable 
remarks about the U.S. in the press.  Venezuela should know 
this but may seek to draw Oviedo into supporting "Bolivarian" 
initiatives.  Chavez may also think he could strike with 
Oviedo some kind of populist chord or envisions Oviedo's 
return to power in a couple of years and wants to start 
building a bridge with him.  Finally, it is worth noting the 
Venezuelan Ambassador here, Jose Huerta, has displayed 
irresponsible behavior at times; this could be another of his 
ill-considered acts.   Even for Venezuela, however, this 
overture is a little difficult to understand.  End Comment. 
KEANE