This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 001849 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, INR/B, AND INR/IAA/HOFFMAN 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2014 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PM POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY
SUBJECT: FEDERICO ANTONIO HUMBERT ARIAS TO BE NEXT 
PANAMANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US 
 
REF: A. PANAMA 0896 
     ¶B. PANAMA 1537 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Linda E. Watt for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
 
Summary: Torrijos assigns a friend to Washington 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 

¶1. (C) President-elect Martin Torrijos has selected Federico 
"Freddy" Antonio Humbert Arias to be Panama's Ambasador to 
the United States as of September 1, 2004, but has not yet 
announced the appointment.  Foreign Minister-designate Samuel 
Lewis Navarro told DCM that he already approached Foreign 
Minister Harmodio Arias about requesting agrement from 
Washington.  Humbert was President of the Board of Directors 
of La Prensa, one of Panama's best-selling dailies, from 
March 2001 until July 2004.  The US-educated Humbert is also 
President of the Panamanian Trucking Company and runs a 
profitable shrimp fishing business based in the port of 
Vacamonte (about a 30 minutes by car southwest of Panama 
City).  As Ambassador, Humbert would take a pro-US stance, 
following President-elect Torrijos lead in pursuing points of 
convergence in our relations, particularly in security and 
economic matters.  End Summary. 
 
 
"Generational Change" in U.S.-Panama Relations 
--------------------------------------------- - 

¶2. (C) During a July 12 meeting with Ambassador Watt, 
Ambassador-designate Humbert said the U.S. could expect a 
"generational change" in the new government's approach to 
bilateral issues.  He said that President-elect Torrijos and 
Foreign Minister-designate Samuel Lewis Navarro were both 
committed to looking forward in the relationship and would be 
seeking ways to advance what they believe are key converging 
interests between Panama and the United States.  Humbert said 
he had instructions from Lewis to pursue a coherent and 
constructive policy with the US, which means closer 
coordination on issues between Panama's three key envoys -- 
Humbert, their OAS Ambassador (still to be named), and their 
UN Permrep (unofficially known to be former Ambassador to the 
U.S. Ricardo Alberto Arias).  In this regard, Ambassador Watt 
stressed the importance of Panama pursuing a more 
constructive policy in the UN by avoiding knee-jerk votes 
with G-77 countries, particularly on complex and delicate 
Middle East issues.  Humbert took the point and also pledged 
that the new government would work even more closely than the 
current administration on matters of mutual interest such as 
security, law enforcement, trade and investment. 
 
 
Humbert's Personal background 
----------------------------- 

¶3.  (SBU) Federico Antonio Humbert Arias is one of five 
siblings. He is married to Daphne Rusodimos de Humbert and 
the couple has four children.  Humbert attended the Catholic 
Colegio La Salle during high school and obtained a Bachelors 
in Business Administration from Notre Dame University. 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Humbert's father, Federico Humbert Azcarraga, Jr., 
also a Notre Dame graduate, was the first individual 
businessman to sign the USDOC-sponsored Panamanian Business 
Ethics Compact (Pacto Etico Empresarial) because most 
Panamanians consider him above reproach.  The elder Humbert, 
one of Panama's foremost philanthropists and a generous donor 
to local charities, was a leader of the National Civic 
Crusade efforts to persuade dictator Manuel Noriega to leave 
Panama during the difficult period 1986-89.  President of 
Banco General, the elder Humbert is also a longtime supporter 
(both financially and managerially) of the former Christian 
Democratic Party (now the Popular Party (PP), that allied 
with Martin Torrijos' Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) 
for the May 2004 elections).  Ambassador-designate Humbert's 
cousin is former Panama City Mayor (1989-90) and PP activist 
Guillermo "Willy" Cochez, who is rumored to be a possible 
candidate as OAS Ambassador. 
 
 
Humbert at work 
--------------- 

¶5.  (C) Though not a politician himself, Ambassador-designate 
Humbert (unlike his father) has a reputation as a hard-nosed 
businessman who is not above using political connections with 
whoever happens to be in government to gain an advantage over 
his competitors.  For instance, long-standing 
Greek-Panamanian businesses owned by the Limberopolous and 
Papadimitriu families have accused Humbert of using his 
influence with Maritime Authority Director Bertilda Garcia. 
Garcia's father Augusto "Onassis" Garcia (currently a close 
advisor to President Moscoso) has recently tried to elbow his 
way into the shrimp fishing industry.  Ironically, Noriega 
cronies used similar tactics against the elder Humbert in the 
late 1980s, threatening to foreclose on fishermen's 
outstanding National Bank of Panama loans if the fisherman 
continued to do business with Humbert.   In the run-up to 
Panama's May 2 elections, Humbert and La Prensa board member 
Ricardo Alberto Arias played a key role in blocking 
publication of information regarding a potentially damaging 
article that Torrijos' opponents tried to air during the 
campaign.  (See Reftel A). 
 
 
Humbert and Torrijos 
-------------------- 

¶6.  (C) Humbert's political ties with Torrijos have been 
based more on friendship than any party affiliation.  (NOTE: 
Humbert told the Ambassador that he was initially skeptical 
of Torrijos, having opposed the PRD-military alliance in the 
70s and 80s; however, Humbert said Torrijos' commitment to 
changing business-as-usual in Panama had persuaded him to 
support Torrijos' bid for the presidency. END NOTE.)  For 
instance, Humbert supported Torrijos' 1999 campaign for 
President as leader of a group called the "Independents For 
Martin Torrijos."  Sources close to President-elect Torrijos 
have told Emboffs that he selected Humbert to be his 
Ambassador to the United States because he is young and 
energetic, plus has strong connections with the U.S. media 
and international organizations -- all of which the Torrijos 
team feels will make Humbert good at networking Washington's 
various power centers (the Hill, key lobbies, etc.). 
Overall, Humbert appears committed to acting as a strong 
advocate for Panama's interests in a manner consistent with 
Torrijos' desire to forge an even closer relationship with 
the United States centered on mutual security and economic 
interests. 
 
 
WATT