SANTO DOMINGO, República Dominicana.-El 2 de marzo de 2004 el embajador Hans Hertell envió un cable al Departamento de Estado, en Washington, en el cual hacía referencia a su interés de que el presidente Hipólito Mejía destituyera a cuatro funcionarios, por sospechas de que habían incurrido en actos de corrupción.
Según el cable, entregado por el sitio Wikiileaks al Grupo SIN, los funcionarios que el gobierno estadounidense quería que fueran destituidos eran:el Consultor Jurídico, Guido Gomez Mazara; al embajador en Argentina, Cirilo Castellanos; director de Migración, Miguel Vásquez, y al Procurador General de la República, Víctor Céspedes.
En el cable número 14470,del 2 de marzo de 2004, el entonces embajador Hertell exponía entre los objetivos de la embajada norteamericana en Santo Domingo para el primer trimestre de 2004 estaban lograr la remoción de por lo menos un funcionario, “del que se cree es cómplice en el tráfico o corrupción”, Miguel Vásquez, entonces director General de Migración.
Asimismo, señalaba al Procurador General, Víctor Céspedes; al embajador dominicano en Argentina, Cirilo Castellanos, y al Consutor Jurídico del Poder Ejecutivo, Guido Gómez Mazara.
Gómez dejó el puesto para hacer campaña, se reporta que entregó su carta de renuncia el 1ro de marzo”
“Vásquez continúa en su puesto, pero Mejía le dijo al embajador que lo quitará pronto; el Procurador General Céspedes sigue en su puesto pero en respuesta al embajador, Mejía le dijo se iría pronto; Mejía ofreció la información de que estaba trayendo al país al embajador en Argentina; Gómez dejó el puesto para hacer campaña, se reporta que entregó su carta de renuncia el 1ro de marzo”, indica el cable de reporte de Hertell.
No obstante, exceptuando el caso de Miguel Vásquez, el cable no entra en detalles sobre los hechos de corrupción en que habrían incurrido Gómez Mazara y Castellanos.
En el caso de Céspedes, en otros cables, Hertell lo había señalado como una persona no confiable.
Noticias SIN confirmó con la embajada de EE.UU que a Miguel Vásquez le fue retirada la visa norteamericana.
Observadores electorales
En el mismo cable, Hans Hertell habla de la preocupación del gobierno de Estados Unidos con la Junta Central Electoral dominicana:
“Tratar de que la Junta Electoral (JCE) solicite observadores, que trabaje con la OEA para definir el programa, asegure los fondos de parte del Departamento… La JCE oficialmente solicitó los observadores; trabaja con la OEA y en varias opciones detalladas de acuerdo a las posibilidades de financiamiento”.
Asimismo, expone que sobre el programa del Fondo Monetario Internacional y préstamos institucionales internacionales, se trabajaba en convencer al Gobierno dominicano para que cumpliera a tiempo con el programa renegociado y mantenerlo al día con los compromisos.
“La junta del FMI aprobó el acuerdo Stand By el 11 de febrero; el DCM solicitó al Secretario Técnico para que interponga sus buenos oficios para que se respete el compromiso de un tratamiento parecido para los prestamistas del sector privado; las negociaciones con el Club de París se pospusieron la semana pasada del 2 de marzo para abril; ECOPOL está en contacto con representantes del FMI, el BID y WB”, precisa el cable.
WIKILEAKS
- Noticias – Jorge Subero Isa respaldó en enero las publicaciones de Wikileaks (100%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Sólo Domínguez Brito y Pina han salido bien parados en cables de EE.UU (94%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Felucho expresa dudas, porque en su caso fue “una mentira grosera” (89%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Fiscales y jueces callan; abogados piden una investigación (78%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Jaime David dice “hay embajadores que han venido a chantajear” (78%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: “Céspedes ha ayudado y actuado en connivencia con el narcotráfico" (78%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Guerrero advierte ocultar ahora cables EE.UU crearía una crisis en RD (73%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Fiscal dice cables EE.UU sobre Suprema Corte son “falaces y mentirosos” (68%)
- Noticias – Grupo SIN y Acento.com.do publicarán todos los “Wikileaks” dominicanos (63%)
- Noticias – Los cables de Wikileaks y la transparencia (57%)
- Noticias – Subero: hay “inexactitudes” en cable Wikileaks; Luciano llora y jura no es corrupto (52%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Vincho descalifica a Hertell, y niega que pudiera quitar a Subero (47%)
- Noticias – Wikileaks: Luciano estaría metido en corrupción y favorecería acusados Baninter (36%)
- Noticias – WikiLeaks confirma EEUU violó los derechos y abusó de presos en Guantánamo (36%)
- Noticias – Hipólito califica de "graves" las revelaciones de Wikileaks sobre corrupción en SCJ (36%)
- Noticias – Subero Isa y Luciano Pichardo ante la presunción de inocencia (36%)
- Noticias – EE.UU “condena” a WikiLeaks por revelar abusos contra los presos en Guantánamo (31%)
- Noticias – Apresan fundador del portal WikiLeaks en Reino Unido (31%)
- Noticias – Reinaldo Pared y Victor Gómez admiten compraron apartamentos a narco (26%)
- Noticias – Jaime David "Los cables de Wikileaks son una degradación de los sistemas de comunicación de EE.UU" (21%)
- Wikileaks República Dominicana – Wikileaks República Dominicana (21%
Los cables en inglés:
13709
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 000683
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), L/LEI (FUENTES AND TAYLOR)
JUSTICE FOR CRIM/OIA (J.MAZUREK AND R. GOLDMAN)
US MARSHAL SERVICE PLEASE PASS TO C. DUDLEY
DEA FOR OF,OFI,DO,DOC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2014
TAGS: CJAN, KCRM, KFRD, PINR, SNAR, DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL FINALLY COMPLIES,
EXTRADITES JOESFINA ROJAS
REF: A. 02 STATE 03705
B. EMAILS KERWIN/HEINEMANN/MAZUREK – NOVEMBER 03
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lisa J. Kubiske. Reason 1.5 (b)
(d).
1. (U) On January 30, 2004, Josefina Rojas was extradited
from the Dominican Republic in the company of US Marshals.
Rojas is wanted to stand trial on federal narcotics charges
in the Southern District of New York. The Dominican
Republic’s National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), working
with U.S. Marshals and DEA, arrested Rojas. This is the 70th
extradition since 1998, and is the first case of a prisoner
released by the GODR Attorney General and then re-arrested
and extradited.
2. (SBU) Embassy requested the extradition of Rojas in
January 2002. The provisional arrest warrant for her was
issued by former Dominican Attorney General, Virgilio Bello
Rosa, on October 25, 2002. Rojas was captured and imprisoned
in Spring 2003. President Mejia signed an order of
extradition for Rojas on October 29, 2003. One day later,
current Attorney General, Victor Cespedes Martinez, signed an
order releasing Rojas from custody. Dominican law
enforcement contacts told DEA agents that Rojas had been
released. Embassy officials received no official notice or
explanation of the release. Additionally, the extradition
order signed by President Mejia did not become public until
Rojas was re-arrested on January 25, 2004.
3. (C) In a November meeting with Ambassador Hertell,
Attorney General Cespedes stated that he believed that Rojas
was released because he felt that she would be subject to
double jeopardy if returned to the United States. When
questioned further, the Attorney General stated that Rojas
was released from prison due to illness and for reasons of
compassion. The Attorney General said that she had a tumor
that needed to be treated and that she would be turned over
to the USG after she received treatment. Ambassador Hertell
told the Attorney General that Rojas would be provided
whatever medical treatment necessary once she was in custody
of U.S. authorities.
4. (C) The Dominican law enforcement contacts who originally
alerted the DEA of Rojas' release speculated that Cespedes
freed her was because a personal relationship had developed
between Rojas and the Attorney General. After Rojas was
released, Dominican law enforcement contacts reported to DEA
agents that she returned to the prison where she had been
incarcerated to taunt other prisoners.
5. (C) In addition to meeting with Attorney General Cespedes
to discuss extradition cases Ambassador Hertell has raised
extradition issues with President Mejia on at least four
occasions within the past three months. It is likely that
the direct dialog between Ambassador Hertell and President
Mejia precipitated the re-arrest of Rojas and her subsequent
extradition.
6. (SBU) Since the GODR began extraditing fugitives to the
U.S. in 1998, 70 prisoners have been successfully returned to
the U.S. to stand trial or serve outstanding sentences.
Since early 2003, when Cespedes was named Attorney General,
five fugitives for whom the USG has requested extradition
have been arrested and released. Prior to Cespedes becoming
Attorney General, no fugitives who had been arrested pursuant
to a valid U.S. requests for extradition had been released by
the GODR. The Rojas case marks the first instance in which a
prisoner had been released by order of the Attorney General
and subsequently re-arrested and extradited.
7. (C) The actions of Attorney General Cespedes in relation
to Rojas are questionable at best, illegal at worst. With
the circulation of President Mejia’s October 29 extradition
order for Rojas, it is now evident that the Attorney General
contravened a direct written order by the President when he
signed the order for her release. The Attorney General’s
conduct in other extradition cases is being reviewed and
questioned by embassy officials. Septel will report updates
on those cases.
8. (U) Rojas marks the first extradition by the Dominican
Republic in 2004, and the fifty-third under the
administration of President Mejia.
HERTELL
14470
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001343
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
FOR WHA/CAR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT, DR
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 90-DAY GOALS
REF: EMAILS MEIGS/MCISAAC
1. (SBU) Following are Embassy Santo Domingo’s goals for the
first quarter of CY 2004 and a status report:
Rule of Law
Obtain removal of at least one official believed to be
complicit in trafficking or corruption — Miguel Vasquez,
Atty Gen Cespedes, Ambassador to Argentina, Guido Gomez
Status as of 2/29: Vasquez still in place but Mejia told
Amb he will be removed soon; AG Cespedes still in place but
in response to Amb demarche Mejia told Amb he would leave
soon; Mejia volunteered info that he was calling home Amb to
Argentina; Gomez has left office to participate in campaign,
reported to have tendered his resignation on March 1
Election Observers
Get Elections Board (JCE) to request observers, work with OAS
to define program, secure funding from Department as
envisioned by A/S Noriega, secure cooperation of other
mini-Dublin group embassies
Status as of 2/29: JCE formally requested observers on 1/30;
work with OAS on-going and various options outlined according
to possibilites of funding; Dept funding awaits WHA and RM
action; ECOPOL has contacted other embassies
IMF program and international institutional lending
Convince GODR to comply in timely fashion with renegotiated
IMF program and to keep it on track with commitments
Status as of 2/29: IMF Board approved standby on Feb 11; DCM
made demarche to TechSec to urge respect for commitment for
comparable treatment for private sector lenders; Paris Club
negotiation postponed last week from March 2 to April; ECOPOL
in close contact with IMF, IDB and WB resreps
KUBISKE
15390
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 001950
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), L/LEI (FUENTES AND TAYLOR), PM
JUSTICE FOR CRIM/OIA J. MAZUREK AND R. GOLDMAN
US MARSHAL SERVICE PLEASE PASS TO C. DUDLEY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014
TAGS: CJAN, DR, KCRM, KJUS, SNAR, PREL, MARR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL PROMISES ARTICLE 98 AND
EXTRADITIONS
REF: A. STATE 52123
B. SANTO DOMINGO 683
C. SANTO DOMINGO 515
D. SANTO DOMINGO 795
Classified By: Ambassador Hans. H. Hertell, reasons 1.5(b) and (d).
1. (U) Summary. On March 24 Dominican Attorney General
Victor Cespedes Martinez promised the Ambassador that he
would act swiftly on the Article 98 agreement, facilitate
extradition requests and work to improve the handling of
narcotics/narcotrafficking cases in the Dominican Republic.
End Summary.
——————
Article 98
——————
2. (C) The Ambassador received Attorney General Cespedes on
March 24 at the Attorney General’s request. The Ambassador
stressed the importance of swift movement on Article 98 and
Cespedes stated that the USG could count on his immediate
support. Cespedes should receive the Article 98 agreement
from the Foreign Ministry within days. He will review it and
forward it to the legal office at the Presidency. The legal
office at the Presidency will be the final stop before the
agreement is sent to Congress for ratification. Cespedes
said he will push for immediate ratification once the
agreement in the Congress.
——————
Extraditions
——————
3. (C) On extraditions, Cespedes stated confidently that no
other Latin American country, and perhaps no other country in
the world, works as closely with the USG on extradition
requests. He said he wanted to continue the close
relationship and ensure that the process was
institutionalized. For the first time, he told Emboffs to
contact him directly in regard to any extradition case
instead of sending requests and questions to Assistant
Attorney General Francisco Cadena Moquete. He stated his
desire to have the best extradition record of any Dominican
Attorney General.
4. (C) When the Ambassador asked about the release on March
23 of Lourdes Ivelise Machuca, a fugitive for whom we had
requested extradition in October 2003, Cespedes appeared
unaware of the extradition request. He told us that he would
re-arrest Ms. Machuca and she would be extradited in the same
manner in which Josefina Rojas was re-arrested and extradited
(reftel B). Cespedes told us that he signed a medical
release order for her because she is suffering from "suicidal
tendencies." He said she is hospitalized and receiving
treatment. On March 25 poloff supplied the Attorney General
with another copy of the extradition request for Ms. Machuca.
5. (C) Within the last week, Cespedes has signed 17
provisional arrest warrants for fugitives believed to be
located in the Dominican Republic. The signed orders have
been passed to the local authorities and Embassy DEA, LEGAT
and U.S. Marshal offices. One of the provisional arrest
warrants is for Ramon Garcia, (reftel C) a fugitive who was
arrested and released by the GODR last year.
—————————————
Narco-trafficking and Money Laundering
—————————————
6. (SBU) The Ambassador asked Cespedes what could be done to
improve prosecution of narcotics/narcotrafficking cases.
Cespedes said that nacrotrafficking policy has strengthened
quite a bit in recent years. He said he had given directives
for a mandatory process which attaches a single prosecutor to
all phases of a given narcotics case, in effect, reducing the
possibility of case tampering by an interceding prosecutor.
Arrest warrants and legal confirmation papers must be signed
at the time of capture. According to Cespedes, all
narcotrafficking cases are treated with the utmost care. He
told us that we should notify him personally if we encounter
any irregularities with any of the prosecuting officials in
narcotrafficking cases.
7. (C) Cespedes said there is little he can do in
narcotrafficking and money laundering cases in regard to
asset forfeiture. He stated the Dominican money laundering
law is new and untested. He said that he would work with the
DNCD in any way possible to assist them in seizing assets,
however, he pointed out, asset seizure responsibility does
not lie in his office.
——–
Comment
——–
8. (C) Attorney General Cespedes is of questionable
character. Until he became Attorney General, there had been
no extradition cases in which an arrested fugitive had been
released rather than returned to the USG (reftel B). He has
misled us in the past and we believe he has lied directly.
The Ambassador previously expressed USG concerns about the
Attorney General to President Mejia and President Mejia told
us that he planned to remove the Attorney General from his
position (reftel D).
9. (C) At this juncture, Cespedes seems eager to please the
USG. It appears that he is fighting for his job or perhaps a
"promotion" (e.g., to the Supreme Court bench, as rumored in
the press). It is possible that he has heard rumors that the
USG has questions about him. This may be the motivation for
his sudden desire to cooperate with us.
HERTELL
20224
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 004904
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO/L/C, WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), L/LEI (W.
FUENTES AND M. TAYLOR);
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2014
TAGS: CVIS, CJAN, PREL, PGOV, SNAR, KCRM, DR
SUBJECT: ADDENDUM TO REQUEST FOR CONCURRENCE IN VISA
REVOCATION 212(A)(2)(C) (CESPEDES MARTINEZ, VICTOR MANUEL)
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 4401
Classified By: DCM Lisa Kubiske for Reason 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY. In reftel, Embassy requested Department’s
concurrence in the revocation of the B1/B2 visa of now former
Attorney General Victor Cespedes under section 212(a)(2)(C)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Following that
cable, just two days before leaving office, Cespedes ordered
the early release from prison of a former Dominican
vice-consul in Haiti who was sentenced to ten years in prison
for trafficking 43 kilograms of cocaine. This is yet another
example, in our opinion, of why the visa should be revoked.
END SUMMARY.
2. (C) In July, Embassy sent reftel outlining the case for
revocation of the B1/B2 visa of now former Attorney General
Victor Cespedes under section 212(a)(2)(C) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act. Cespedes left office on August 16 when
power transferred to a new government.
3. (U) On August 14, just two days before leaving office,
Cespedes ordered the release from prison of former Dominican
vice-consul to Haiti Ormis Freddy Pena Mendez. Pena was
arrested in 2002 along with four others while trafficking
nearly 43 kilograms of cocaine from Haiti to Santo Domingo.
Pena was also found with 15,000 pesos (about USD 400), USD
5,000, 16 passports (11 Haitian, four Dominican, and one
French) and several firearms, including an Uzi. About two
months later, Pena was sentenced to 10 years in prison and
ordered to pay a 50,000 peso fine (about USD 1,250).
4. (U) According to news reports, Cespedes said he released
Pena because of concerns for Pena’s health, including
hypertension and diabetes. (Note: The Directorate of Prisons
reported in July that 15% of all Dominican prisoners have
hypertension.) At this point Pena had served less than two
years of his sentence. In a radio interview on August 25
Cespedes was unable to recall the details of the health
justification for the release.
5. (U) In addition, only hours before the change of
government the Attorney General’s office ordered that
prisoner Martiza Aquino be released on medical grounds.
Aquino is accused of carrying 129 bags of heroin in her
stomach.
6. (U) On August 26 new Attorney General Dominguez Brito
ordered the return to jail of Pena and Aquino and announced a
formal investigation into the release of prisoners for health
reasons. He said that his office was investigating
apparently unjustified additions to the list of prisoners
recommended for pardons, indicating that the changes had been
made in the Attorney General’s office. The new Attorney
General has placed a formal prohibition upon Cespedes from
leaving the country (a precautionary measure also taken in
regard to a number of other Mejia administration officials).
7. (C) COMMENT. Cespedes has a record of releasing known
drug traffickers (see reftel). When viewed as part of a
pattern of behavior, the Pena and Aquino cases reinforce the
argument set forth in reftel, which is that Cespedes has
aided, abetted, conspired or colluded in trafficking
activities and that revocation of his visa is proper. END
COMMENT.
KUBISKE