US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION773

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000773 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, EB/IFD/OIA, AND INR-B 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/AA 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR SCRONIN AND LYANG 
NSC FOR KIM BREIER 
TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER 
TREASURY FOR OTA WARFIELD, VAN KOCH, MILLAR 
COMMERCE FOR ITA SARAH COOK 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PA 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: NEW MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE NELSON RUIZ 
DIAZ BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 
 
 
1.  Biographic information of the new Minister of Industry 
and Commerce, Raul Vera Bogado. 
 
2. President Duarte named Nelson Ruiz as Minister of 
Agriculture on June 7, 2005 to replace former Minister 
Antonio Ibanez (August 2003-June 2005) who resigned in the 
wake of press reports about his alleged involvement in a 
corruption scandal selling beef to the National Police. 
Prior to his appointment as Minister, Ruiz served as a 
Vice-Minister of Agriculture under Ibanez. 
 
3. Ruiz is a technocrat, nominated by Duarte to modernize the 
ministry and fill it with technical experts, according to 
press statements.  He has worked within the Ministry of 
Agriculture in various capacities most recently serving as a 
Senior Advisor for the Capacity Strengthening Project between 
the Agricultural Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
From 2001-2004, Ruiz worked as a Specialist in Sustainable 
Rural Development for the Institute of Agricultural 
Cooperation.  He has also served as a professor of Economic 
Production at the Catholic University in Coronel Oveido, 
Paraguay (1998) and as a technical professor at the Faculty 
of Agrarian Sciences at the National University of Asuncion 
(1999).   From 1990-1995, he worked within the Ministry of 
Agriculture as a Technical Advisor to the Planning Office. 
 
4. Ruiz graduated from the National University of Asuncion in 
1988 as an Agronomist.  He also holds a Master of Science 
Degree in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State 
University.  Ruiz is 40 years old and was born in Asuncion on 
May 28, 1965. 
WILLIAMS