VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0093 0301943
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301943Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2713
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1934
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0774
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1655
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JAN LIMA 5431
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1798
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO PREL CI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR HOSTS JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH RELATIVE OF 
DISAPPEARED U.S. CITIZEN BORIS WEISFEILER 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Ambassador Paul Simons held a joint conference at the 
Embassy on January 29 with Olga Weisfeiler, sister of Boris 
Weisfeiler, the U.S. citizen who disappeared in southern Chile in 
1985 during the military regime.  Chilean dailies and the Associated 
Press highlighted Ms. Weisfeiler's "disappointment" with the 
performance of the judge heading the investigation.  The Ambassador 
noted that resolution of this case remains a top USG priority and 
the Embassy will continue to offer assistance in the investigation 
and would follow up on the recent round of meetings with government 
officials.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Several foreign on-line news services, such as the 
Washingtonpost.com and Timesunion.com, picked up the Associated 
Press story headlined, "Woman Seeks Answers on Brother's Fate" 
 
¶3.  "Olga Weisfeiler, the sister of an American mathematician who 
vanished in Chile, said on Tuesday she is frustrated by stalled 
efforts to find out what happened to him under the former military 
dictatorship....  In a joint news conference with U.S. Ambassador 
Paul Simons, 'My faith is fading,' said Weisfeiler....  She 
complained that the most recent judge in the case, Jorge Zepeda, 
'has not followed up on repeated offers of help from the U.S. 
Embassy including FBI assistance in the investigations and has kept 
her attorney from seeing some documents....  Simons said finding out 
what happened to Weisfeiler remains a 'high priority' for the U.S. 
government." 
 
¶4.  Government-owned, editorially independent (circ. 4,200) "La 
Nacion" ran an article titled: "Weisfeiler's sister makes harsh 
attack on Judge Zepeda"  The sub-headline read: "Accompanied by the 
U.S. Ambassador, Olga Weisfeiler expressed her disappointment with 
Chilean justice." 
 
¶5.  "In a joint press conference with U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons 
yesterday, Olga Weisfeiler, sister of the Russian-American 
mathematician Boris Weisfeiler... harshly criticized Judge Zepeda's 
performance and even accused him of refusing a U.S. Embassy offer of 
FBI cooperation and of denying her attorney access to information in 
the process....  Olga Weisfeilier also called into question whether 
the judge had duly used documents declassified by the U.S. 
Department of State regarding this case.  'I have waited long 
enough.  I am very disappointed that we have not seen progress, when 
we have had so many chances to do so,' said Ms. Weisfeiler." 
 
¶6.  In its characteristic popular and irreverent language, tabloid 
"La Cuarta" (circ. 142,000) ran the headline, "Gringa looks for her 
brother who vanished 23 years ago" next to a photograph of Olga 
Weisfeiler with U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons in a joint news 
conference at the U.S. Embassy. 
 
¶7.  "In one of his first activities in Jaguarland (note: Chilean's 
often refer to themselves as the economic 'jaguars' of the region) 
new gringo Ambassador Paul Simons lent Olga Weisfeiler a hand as she 
expressed her frustration with not being able to find her brother 
Boris, who disappeared in Chile 23 years ago... and with Judge 
Zepeda's performance in the case.  Her attorney said, 'The available 
information points to a kidnapping, but the witnesses have not been 
identified....  Too much time has been lost in the investigation.'" 
 
¶8.  English on-line publication "The Santiago Times" reported, "Case 
of U.S. citizen missing in Chile has stalled" 
 
"At a Tuesday press conference, Olga Weisfeiler expressed 
frustration over the lack of new information concerning the 
disappearance of her brother, Boris Weisfeiler.  In the presence of 
newly arrived U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons, Olga said the (local) 
authorities have not done enough to investigate the case's most 
important leads. 'Much time has passed and, nevertheless, the three 
most important leads - the role of Chile's military in Boris' 
disappearance, of Colonia Dignidad, and Mximo Pacheco's 
relationship with the informant 'Daniel' have not been investigated 
in depth,' Olga told reporters.... 
 
SIMONS