VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGT #0778 2250017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130017Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7928

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000778 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL GT
SUBJECT: PUBLISHER RAUL FIGUEROA REQUESTS EMBASSY STAY 
ABREAST OF HIS CASE 
 
¶1.  (U) Pol/Econ Counselor and Pol Assistant met August 12 
with Raul Figueroa, a Guatemalan national journalist and 
publisher whose work has focused on exposing abuses by 
Guatemala's previous military governments and other human 
rights topics at Lehman College (New York).  Figueroa's wife, 
AmCit Victoria Sanford, is a professor and human rights 
activist who is requesting that the Embassy and Members of 
Congress take up his case.  Photographer Mardo Escobar sued 
Figueroa for failing to pay verbally agreed royalties for the 
use of one of Escobar's photographs on the cover of a book 
Figueroa published, "Any Way to Die," by Rafael Menjivar.  A 
first instance penal court sentenced Figueroa to one year 
imprisonment for intellectual property rights infringement. 
Figueroa is appealing his conviction, and has been prohibited 
from leaving the country until his case is resolved. 
 
¶2.  (U) During the meeting, Figueroa speculated that the 
disproportionate sentence he received may have been 
politically motivated, and specifically may have been in 
retribution for his wife's "human rights accompaniment" of 
Jorge Velasquez, whose daughter was allegedly murdered in 
¶2006.  He also allowed that Escobar, who also works as a 
judicial clerk, may have manipulated the judicial process as 
part of a personal vendetta.  Figueroa acknowledged that 
there was no particular USG interest at stake in his case, 
and said he wanted the Embassy only to be aware of 
developments.  He explicitly stated that he was not 
requesting the USG to intervene with the judiciary on his 
behalf.  He also acknowledged that he did not pay Escobar for 
the photograph, but instead gave him five copies of the book 
in question, which he (Figueroa) felt was fair compensation. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Pol/Econ Counselor separately asked leading human 
rights activist Helen Mack whether she was following 
Figueroa's case.  Mack said she was aware of the case but not 
actively following it, since it appeared to be a personal and 
contractual matter, rather than a possible human rights abuse 
case. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  Embassy is providing this background in 
case Dr. Sanford or Members of Congress should approach the 
Department about Mr. Figueroa's ongoing legal case.  In fact, 
The Embassy has already received a letter from Congressman 
James P. McGovern of Massachusetts regarding this matter. 
Figueroa himself is not seeking USG assistance or 
intervention at this time. 
McFarland