VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #0198 0511748
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201748Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0281
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000198
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CJAN KJUS KPAO SNAR ASEC AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE OPPOSITION THANKS AMBASSADOR FOR
CLARIFYING U.S. JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE
REF: (A) STATE 12346 (B) BUENOS AIRES 0127
1. Per Department guidance (ref A), the Ambassador sent the
leaders of Argentina's opposition Civic Coalition a letter on
February 8 regarding the separation of powers in the U.S.
constitution and the independence of the U.S. judiciary. The
recipients must have released the Ambassador's letter, for
the entire text was reprinted in the press.
2. Civic Coalition leaders Elisa Carrio (who was runner-up
in the 2007 presidential election), and Patricia Bullrich and
Adrian Perez (members of the National Chamber of Deputies),
responded with the following letter dated February 15:
Begin Embassy's informal translation of letter:
Dear Ambassador Wayne:
We thank you for your letter of February 8 regarding the
court case which is proceeding in Miami against four
defendants charged with acting as agents of a foreign
government in the United States.
Likewise, we thank you for your explanation in that letter
and its attachment, which turned out to be useful and
enlightening, as well as necessary, since the explanations
offered by the government of Argentina were confusing.
Your note with the conceptual clarification of the guarantees
of judicial independence in the United States permits us to
understand that the court case will follow its normal course,
which for the Civic Coalition is of utmost importance.
Sincerely,
Adrian Perez,
Patricia Bullrich
Elisa Carrio
End text of informal translation.
3. Embassy extends its appreciation of Department's ref A
response to ref B request for guidance in answering these
prominent opposition leaders.
WAYNE