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C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 001309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA POST VII 
 
REF: PANAMA 1226 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Luis Arreaga.  Reasons: 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C)  In its latest edition, the Panama Post covers the 
following stories: 
 
-- Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, wanted in the U.S. for the 1991 
murder of U.S. serviceman Zak Hernandez, riding high in his 
campaign to be President of Panama's National Assembly; 
-- Jose Miguel Aleman to be Endara's vice presidential 
running mate according to Solis, but Endara silent; 
-- Cabinet renewal rumors (again); 
-- Patriotic Union courts Alberto Vallarino; 
-- Political commentator and human rights attorney Miguel 
Angel Bernal joins Panama City Mayor's race (again); and 
-- Third GOP official in ten months to be canned for 
malfeasance/mismanagement. 
 
End summary. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Fugitive from U.S. Next National Assembly President? 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶2.  (C) National Assembly Deputy Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, 
through an unnamed fellow governing PRD Deputy, approached 
Panama City popular radio talk show host and political 
commentator Edwin Cabrera on July 23 seeking to discuss his 
candidacy to be President of the National Assembly, Cabrera 
told POLCOUNS on August 1.  (Note:  Gonzalez remains wanted 
in the U.S. for the 1991 murder of U.S. serviceman Zak 
Hernandez.  He is ineligible for a U.S. visa on terrorism 
grounds.)  During their July 23 meeting, Gonzalez asked for 
Cabrera's assistance to get the media off his back with its 
scrutiny and criticism of Gonzalez's campaign to be President 
of the National Assembly.  Cabrera, who writes op-eds for 
Panama City broadsheet daily La Estrella and edits that 
papers political rumor column, said he told Gonzalez that as 
a public official he should expect public scrutiny.  Gonzalez 
then asked whether Cabrera thought it would be possible to 
"work out his difficulties with the U.S." were he to win 
election.  Cabrera, who had not spoken with EMBOFFs about the 
matter, said that he thought the only way to "work out his 
difficulties" would be to surrender to U.S. justice.  Asked 
how badly the U.S. would react, Cabrera said that he thought 
the U.S. would react strongly, especially in the current 
post-9/11 world, and that Gonzalez's leadership role would 
raise difficulties for U.S. congressional approval of the 
U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA).  POLCOUNS 
underscored for Cabrera that election of a terrorist to 
President of the National Assembly would draw a harsh 
reaction from the U.S. and would raise serious questions 
about the degree to which the PRD had indeed changed from its 
days as the party of the dictators, something that would have 
a negative impact on U.S. congressional deliberations on the 
TPA. 
 
¶3.  (C) Cabrera said that he believed that Torrijos was 
committed to securing the National Assembly Presidency for 
Gonzalez.  While First VP and FM Samuel Lewis did not want to 
see Gonzalez's election cause bilateral problems, Gonzalez 
said that Lewis, for political reasons, would not act to 
block Gonzalez as he needed Gonzalez's support within the PRD 
to secure its presidential nomination.  Cabrera confirmed 
that Gonzalez was one of Torrijos' primary conduits to the 
National Assembly and added that Gonzalez, an effective 
legislator, was widely popular among PRD National Assembly 
Deputies. 
 
¶4.  (C) Warning the GOP on the problems Gonzalez's election 
would create, Charge underscored to First VP and FM Samuel 
Lewis, in an August 2 conversation, that Gonzalez's election 
would "break new ground" and "jeopardize important issues 
like the TPA."  Noting that the U.S. could not remain silent, 
Charge asked, how could U.S. Senators be expected to vote for 
the TPA with a country that had a man accused of the 
cold-blooded murder of a U.S. serviceman and other serious 
crimes as its National Assembly President?  Lewis confirmed 
that Gonzalez had the votes, but Torrijos had not indicated 
his position on this election.  Lewis wondered out loud as to 
whether there was a way for Gonzalez to meet with U.S. law 
enforcement authorities to dicuss his situation.  Charge 
responded that Gonzalez could surrender himself to U.S. law 
enforcement authorities; "It's that serious of a matter." 
Lewis said that he "got the message loud and clear."  During 
a subsequent phonecall with Lewis, Charge emphasized that 
Gonazalez's situation was a terrorism case, plain and simple. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment:  Cabrera's reaching out to the Embassy is 
only the most recent of indications that Gonzalez's candidacy 
may not have been derailed yet.  Panama City Mayor Juan 
Carlos Navarro told POLOFF at Colombia's National Day 
reception on July 26 that President Torrijos was not getting 
the U.S. message that Gonzalez's ascension to the helm of the 
National Assembly would raise problems and concerns for 
U.S.-Panamanian relations.  Navarro asserted that that 
Torrijos was committed to elevating Gonazalez to President of 
the National Assembly.  Also, the Panama Post has noticed an 
up-tick in political rumor column speculation that Gonzalez 
was on track for to be the next Assembly President, despite 
loud and clear warnings from the "fulos (Americans)." 
Gonzalez's family has a long-standing relationship with 
President Torrijos. For example, Gonzalez's father has served 
as a political mentor to President Torrijos.  Gonzalez, 
according to several PRD and non-PRD contacts, also serves as 
a key channel of communication from Torrijos to the National 
Assembly and reports back to Torrijos on the inner workings 
of the legislature.  Ultimately, no President of the National 
Assembly will be selected without Torrijos' blessing, 
regardless of how many votes a candidate might have among 
deputies. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Jose Miguel Aleman: VP candidate or Trojan Horse? 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6.  (C) "Remember I told you that (former President 
Guillermo) Endara had chosen his vice presidential running 
mate?" Endara advisor Menalco Solis asked POLCOUNS in an 
aside at Ambassador's July 23 lunch for Endara.  "Well, here 
he is," pointing to Panamenista member and former 
presidential candidate Jose Miguel Aleman.  Endara himself 
did not mention that he had selected Aleman as his running 
mate.  During lunch, Endara and Aleman professed to have 
sustained extensive political and policy discussions "since 
their 2004 losses to Torrijos," and strived to present 
themselves as political soulmates.  Their joint availability 
with the press after lunch only stoked rumors that these two 
also-rans would join forces in 2009.  Aleman's brother told 
Charge that the rumors that Jose Miguel Aleman had agreed to 
become Endara's running mate. 
 
¶7.  (C) The following day, on July 24, Panamenista Party 
President Juan Carlos Varela called POLCOUNS to say that he 
had learned from Aleman that Endara's lunch with the 
Ambassador had gone very well.  For example, Varela knew 
accurately that Endara said during lunch that, while the 
"nationalist in him" wanted Noriega to return to Panama, the 
realist in him preferred to see him go to France where he 
would go to prision rather than run the risk of having 
Panama's courts release him to "stroll the Balboa Avenue," 
Panama City's main drag.  Patriotic Union (UP) Secretary 
General Ricky Fabrega asserted to POLCOUNS on July 26, 
"Aleman is a Trojan Horse out to trick Endara," a sentiment 
with which political commentator and radio talk show host 
Edwin Cabrera concurred on August 1. 
 
¶8.  (C) Comment:  Aleman showed up with Endara at the 
Ambassador's residence for lunch the day after he was elected 
to be a member of the Panamenistas' Board of Advisors, an 
election that was portrayed in the press as a successful 
exercise by Varela to seize the reins of this party from 
former President Moscoso.  Aleman's engagement with the Moral 
Vanguard of the Nation (VMP) is undoubtedly feeding Endara's 
and Solis' preconceived notion that "life long Anulfista" 
Endara will be able to easily scoop up the Panamenista 
presidential endorsement.  Appearing to base his judgement on 
political faith rather than strategy, Solis previously 
asserted to POLCOUNS that the Panamenistas would ultimately 
back Endara.  Varela's self-assured satisfaction that he was 
aware of what Aleman was up to was either evidence that 
Aleman was a Trojan Horse or that Varela was badly 
miscalculating.  Time will tell. 
 
------------------------------- 
Cabinet Renewal on the Horizon? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Minister of Government and Justice Ogla Golcher 
speculated to DCM on August 1 that Torrijos was prepared to 
"renew" his cabinet.  Golcher, who had witnessed the Public 
Safety and National Defense Council (CSPDN)'s increasing 
control of operations that normally reported to her ministry 
like immmigration, told DCM that she would not be railroaded 
by CSPDN Director Erick Espinoza or Deputy Director Marcel 
Salamin.  Golcher added that Customs Director Daniel Delgado 
had complained to her about the CSPDN's excessive instrusion 
in its operations. 
 
¶10.  (C) Comment:  Yes, rumors of cabinet changes yet again. 
The Panama Post will not hold its breath awaiting action on a 
cabinet shuffle, but would be remiss if it did not report 
these latest rumors.  As for the CSPDN, the Panama Post has 
noticed the increasing degree to which the CSPDN's tentacles 
appear to be popping up across the GOP. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Patriotic Union: Angling for Vallarino 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) "This next week will be critical for Patriotic Union 
Party (PUP)," party Secretary General Ricky Fabrega told 
POLCOUNS on July 26.  "(Billy) Ford is in place as party 
president; now we need to get Alberto Vallarino to join us." 
While Ford "is desperate to run for President of Panama," 
Fabrega said that Vallarino had better name recognition, 
polled better, and was probably the only figure capable of 
unifying the oppostion.  If Vallarino joined PUP, the 
Panamenistas would be left without a viable candidate, a 
Panamenista-PUP alliance would be inevitable, and VMP would 
collapse, Fabrega asserted.  Hopefully, no challengers to 
Ford's candidacy to be party presidenbt would emerge by July 
31 when the period for nominations for party positions would 
close.  While some scoffed that Ford was a "newcomer" and 
should not be rewarded with the PUP presidency, Fabrega said 
that increasingly the rank-and-file understood that the 
fusion of the old Solidarity and Liberal National parties all 
UP members were "newcomers."  By squaring away the senior 
party leadership and bringing Vallarino in as a likely 
presidential candidate, Fabrega said he thought PUP would 
have a bright future. 
 
¶12.  (C) Comment:  Fabrega is probably placing too much 
importance on Vallarino, and his belief that with one move 
Vallarino's joining PUP would collapse Endara and force the 
Panamenistas into alliance with UP.  Nonethless, many 
political observers are carefully watching Vallarino to see 
what moves he makes.  (Editorial Note:  Update your 
rolodexes.  Patriotic Union now wishes to be known as the 
Patriotic Union Party, so scratch out UP and pencil in PUP.) 
 
---------------- 
Bernal for Mayor 
---------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Long-time POL contact, political gadfly, and human 
rights lawyer, Miguel Antonio Bernal announced his candidacy 
for Panama City Mayor on July 29.  Bernal ran a distant 
second to current mayor Juan Carlos Navarro in 1999.  Calling 
for Panama City voters to end the "monopoly" by the 
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) on the city's 
mayorshiop, Bernal announced that he would accept support 
from whatever parties wished to support him, though he 
acknowledge that PRD would not even offer him a "piece of 
candy."  Comment:  While he will likely be able to collect 
the requisite 70,000 signatures to get on the ballot, Bernal 
stands almost no chance of defeating either current PRD 
Minister of Housing Balbina Herrera or current Panamenista 
National Assembly Deputy Jose Blandon, but will likely add a 
lively element to the campaign. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Third GOP Official to Get Boot for Mismanagement 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶14.  (C) In response to the "luxury cell" scandal, the GOP 
was going to fire Prison Director Carlos Landero, Minister of 
Government and Justice Olga Golcher told DCM on August 1.  On 
Landero's watch, imprisoned drug kingpins upgraded Panama's 
normally grim and grungy cells in a "maximum security prison" 
by installing plasma screen televisions, comfortable living 
room furniture, and even remodeling bathroom areas with new 
tile work and comodes, as extensively reported in Panama's 
news media.  Golcher commented that Landero would be the 
third GOP official in the past twelve months to get the boot 
for malfeasance and/or mismanagement.  Two weeks ago, 
Torrijos dismissed Jose Gomez, commander of the Institutional 
Protective Service (SPI), after members of this praetorian 
guard weighed into a crowd of peaceful protestors near the 
presidential palace beating and mandhandling several 
demonstrators.  Last November, in the wake of the October 23 
bus fire tragedy, the head of Panama's Ground Transportation 
and Transit Authority (ATTT) was fired for lax enforcement of 
safety standards. 
 
¶15.  (C)  Comment:  While Golcher is right that Landero, if 
fired, would the third removal of a Torrijos Administration 
official for mismanagement, it should also be noted that each 
removal happened only in the wake of enormous public outcry 
in an effort to staunch political hemmoraghing.  Gomez's 
removal, for example, came only days after his SPI officers 
-- adorned in Chavez-esque red berets, as characterized by 
Panama's media -- brutally assaulted peaceful demonstrators 
imploring Torrijos to act nine months after dozens of 
hundreds of Panamanians died because they ingested 
GOP-produced medicines adulterated with dietheylene glycol. 
Faced with similar outrage in the "luxury cell" matter, 
Torrijos is likely to kick out Landero.  In other cases of 
apparent mismanagement, the GOP has not removed officials. 
For example, with respect to the dietheylene glycol 
poisoning, the Torrijos Administration has been upset at the 
Attorney General's aggressive investigation of Social 
Security System (CSS) Directors, including one with close 
ties to Minister of the Presidency Ubaldino Real, PRD 
Majority Leader Leandro Avila, and Minister of Housing 
Balbina Herrera.  Also, rather than remove former Immigration 
Director Ricardo Vargas for mismanagement, including for 
improper issuance of visas to "criteria" countries without 
CSPDN concurrence, Torrijos instead installed Vargas as the 
Public Defender or Ombudsman (Defensor del Pueblo). 
 
Arreaga