VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1281 2562152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 122152Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2025
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1796
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1878
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001281 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTFN PTER PINR EFIN SNAR KCRM PREL VE AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON OFAC DESIGNATIONS 
 
REF: STATE 97316 
 
¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, Poloff on September 12 delivered notice 
of the impending OFAC Narcotics Kingpin Act designations of 
three senior Venezuelan officials to Ricardo Roselli, the 
Director General for International Narcotics Affairs at the 
Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Points were also 
provided to Claudio Rojo, head of the MFA's USA Desk. 
Separately, Econoff delivered key points by phone to Jose 
Ignacio Tobella, Deputy to the MFA's Special 
Counter-Terrorism Representative Ambassador Orlando 
Rebagliati. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Roselli and Rojo expressed appreciation for the 
advance notice and said they would inform their superiors. 
Both expressed understanding of the U.S. decision and of the 
point that it was a continuation of efforts against the FARC 
and based on narcotics-trafficking linkages, not a step taken 
to target any government.  Roselli noted with interest that 
the step was taken in the wake of Venezuelan President 
Chavez's decision to expel the U.S. Ambassador, but accepted 
that the U.S. measure under the Kingpin Act was taken 
independently of that situation.  Roselli, who conveys in 
meetings a personal commitment against drug trafficking, read 
with interest details regarding the Venezuelans' links to the 
FARC but did not provide additional comment. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Tobella, who is Post's primary contact for terrorism 
finance designations, agreed to pass reftel information to 
the appropriate GOA agencies and Central Bank.  However, he 
reiterated the standard GOA position with regards to freezing 
assets of terrorists: the GOA does not have its own lists but 
rather depends on UN designations.  It has no procedure in 
place to act in response to U.S. domestic designations.  He 
suggested nonetheless that since this was a narcotics 
designation the MFA's International Narcotics Affairs might 
be aware of other authorities through which to pursue any 
assets held by the individuals in Argentina. 
 
¶4. (U) Post will monitor and report any significant local 
reaction to the OFAC designations and maintain contact with 
the MFA on these designations. 
 
 
WAYNE