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Viewing cable 04CARACAS548, ANOTHER CUBAN DOCTOR ATTEMPTS TO FLEE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04CARACAS548 2004-02-13 20:52 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Caracas
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS CARACAS 000548 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER 
DRL FOR JDAVIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF VE
SUBJECT: ANOTHER CUBAN DOCTOR ATTEMPTS TO FLEE 
 
REF: 2003 CARACAS 3429 

------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. ON FEBRUARY 4, NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARRESTED ULISES BERNAL 
PEREZ, A CUBAN DOCTOR ASSIGNED TO THE "BARRIO ADENTRO" (INTO 
THE SLUMS) PROGRAM, AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO DEFECT BY 
FORCING TWO JOURNALISTS TO DRIVE HIM TO THE COLOMBIAN BORDER, 
ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS.  BERNAL PEREZ REPORTEDLY BELIEVED 
THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE POOR WAS 
MAKING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS TREATED 
IN THE PROGRAM AND ALSO THAT HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER. 
NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER VIVIAN DURAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE 
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY BERNAL PEREZ ON 
POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING CHARGES OR TO DEPORT HIM.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. ON FEBRUARY 4, NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARRESTED ULISES BERNAL 
PEREZ, A CUBAN DOCTOR ASSIGNED TO THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM, 
AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO DEFECT BY FORCING TWO JOURNALISTS 
TO DRIVE HIM TO THE COLOMBIAN BORDER, ACCORDING TO PRESS 
REPORTS.  NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER VIVIAN DURAN TOLD 
REPORTERS THAT BERNAL PEREZ ARRANGED TO MEET TV REPORTER 
ROBERT PRIETO AND CAMERAMAN LUIS VIVAS IN SAN FELIPE, TACHIRA 
STATE, SUPPOSEDLY TO EXPLAIN HIS REASONS FOR ABANDONING THE 
INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM.  HE THEN TOLD THE JOURNALISTS HE HAD 
A GUN AND WOULD KILL THEM UNLESS THEY DROVE HIM TO THE 
COLOMBIAN BORDER.  UPON ARRIVAL IN SAN CRISTOBAL NEAR THE 
BORDER, DURAN SAID, PRIETO ASKED TO USE THE BATHROOM AT A 
SERVICE STATION.  HE THEN SLIPPED AWAY AND ALERTED THE 
NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH SENT SOLDIERS TO ARREST BERNAL PEREZ. 
    REPORTEDLY, NO GUN WAS FOUND AMONG HIS POSSESSIONS. 
 
3. BERNAL PEREZ HAD BEEN WORKING IN BARQUISIMETO, LARA STATE, 
ACCORDING TO CARACAS DAILY EL UNIVERSAL, AND HE REPORTEDLY 
BELIEVED THE INTO THE SLUMS PROGRAM WAS MISREPRESENTING THE 
NUMBER OF PATIENTS CUBAN DOCTORS WERE ACTUALLY TREATING.  HE 
ALSO CLAIMED TO FEAR FOR HIS LIFE.  ALLEGEDLY, THE REPORT 
SAID, HE LEFT HIS POST JUST OVER A WEEK EARLIER AFTER 
ANNOUNCING HIS PLAN TO HIDE SOMEWHERE IN THE CENTRAL WESTERN 
PORTION OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN SEEK POLITICAL ASYLUM.  THE 
PRO-GOV WEBSITE VHEADLINE.COM REPORTED THE SAME SERIES OF 
EVENTS FEBRUARY 5 AS A "RUSE STAGED BY AN INCREASINGLY 
DISORIENTED POLITICAL OPPOSITION" WITH THE COMPLICITY OF THE 
TWO JOURNALISTS.  IN ANOTHER NEWS REPORT, AN UNNAMED CUBAN 
DIPLOMAT IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT BERNAL PEREZ "LENT HIMSELF 
TO THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ AND THE INTO 
THE SLUMS PROGRAM." 
 
4. BERNAL PEREZ' DEFENSE ATTORNEY, CARLOS MACERO, SAID IN A 
FEBRUARY 11 PRESS INTERVIEW THAT HIS CLIENT IS SHOWING SIGNS 
OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PARANOIA AND HAD ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT 
SUICIDE.  ON FEBRUARY 7, MACERO ASKED THE PRESIDING JUDGE TO 
PERMIT BERNAL PEREZ TO UNDERGO A PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION AS 
SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
 
5. NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER DURAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT BERNAL 
PEREZ HAS BEEN PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE PUBLIC 
PROSECUTOR, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE CUBAN 
EMBASSY INFORMED ON THE MATTER.  THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WILL 
DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY BERNAL PEREZ ON POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING 
CHARGES OR TO DEPORT HIM. 

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COMMENT 
------- 
 
6. WHILE THE IDEA OF A CUBAN TRYING TO FLEE ELICITS NO 
SURPRISE, THE NOTION THAT HE WAS BRIBED TO DO SO BY THE 
OPPOSITION AND THEN TURNED IN TO THE AUTHORITIES IS DIFFICULT 
TO SWALLOW.  A SUCCESSFUL ESCAPE ACROSS THE BORDER WOULD HAVE 
BEEN A LARGER PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEM FOR THE GOV. 
SHAPIRO 
 
NNNN 
      2004CARACA00548 - UNCLASSIFIED