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RELEASED IN PART PAGE 01 MEXICO 11497 01 OF 02 140001Z Bi, 1.4(D) ACTION ARA-Gi INFO LOG-GO ACDA-17 ACDE-OO AID-Gi A-O1 CA-02 CCO-OG dAB-GO OTME-GO C-G1 OASY-GO DODE-GO DOEB-GO DS-0G FBO-O1 HA-09 H-O1 IMMC-O1 INM-02 TEDE-GO INR-OO IAB-01 L-G1 ADS-GO M-OO NSAE-OG NSCE-GG OCS-06 OMB-Ol OPR-01 PA-Gi PM-GO PRS-O1 P-al SCT-03 SNP-OO SP-G0 SR-GO SSO-OG SS-OO TRSE-GO T-OG USIE-GO 11555-00 ASDS-G1 PhB-OG /054W ------------------------46DA9F 14G1G9Z /38 R 140003Z MAY 94 FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0160 INFO ALL USCONS MEXICO C ON F I D E N T I AL SECTION Gi OF 02 MEXICO 11497

E.G. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PGOV, PINS, ASEC, MX SUBJECT: COLOSIO ASSASSINATION: REF: MEXICO 08064 1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

DOUBTS REMAIN

2. SUMMARY: DESPITE THE GOVERIThIENT'S RAPID ACTION TO APPOINT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR, A CITIZEN' S COMMITTEE, AND A SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO THE ASSASSINATION OF INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY (PRI) CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 MEXICO 11497 01 OF 02 140001Z PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LUIS DONALDO COLOSIG, THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS SEEMS TO BE GOING NO WHERE. WHILE THE CASE ADMITTEDLY IS A HARD NUT TO CRACK, SOME OF OUR CONTACTS IN THE OPPOSITION ASSERT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT TRYING ITS HARDEST TO RESOLVE THE QUESTIONS AND IS OBSTRUCTING PROGRESS IN SOME INSTANCES. THE FAILURE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ASSASSINATION PRIOR TO THE AUGUST 21 ELECTIONS INCREASINGLY SEEMS LIKELY TO DAMAGE THE RULING PARTY'S IMAGE AND HURT IT AT THE POLLS. END SUMMARY. 3. Dl

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: OSCARS OLSON CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.4(D) DECLASSIFY AFTER: 14 MAY 2014 DATE/CASE ID: 08 MAR 2006 200504417 UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED RECENTLY TOLD VISITING NSC OFFICIAL BARBRO OWENS Bi AND POLOFF THAT, AFTER COLOSIO'S ASSASSINATION, COLOSIO'S WIDOW HAD COME TO~ASKING FOR HIS HELP IN THE Bi INVESTIGATION. SPECIFICALLYIIIm SAID, MRS. COLOSIO Bi ASKED HIM TO SERVE ON A PRESIDENTIAL PANEL INVESTIGATING THE ASSASSINATION AND ASKE ADVICE ON Dl OTHERS FOR THE PANEL. COLOSIO Dl TOLD HIM SHE WANTED NDENT" PEOPLE ON THE PANEL AND THAT THE NAMES OF CARLOS FUENTES AND MIGUEL ANGEL GRANADOS CHAPA (A PROMINENT JOURNALIST) WERE ON THE LIST MRS. COLOSIO ASKED CASTANEDA TO SUBMIT TO PRESIDENT SALINAS. 4. SAID THAT HE PERSONALLY DELIVERED MRS. Dl COLOSIO'S SUGGESTED LIST TO LOS PINOS. LATER,ZZIZ Dl ADDED, BOTH MRS. COLOSIO AND HE WERE ASTOUNDED TO LEARN THAT NONE OF THE PEOPLE SHE HAD PROPOSED WERE NAMED TO THE COMMISSION BY PRESIDENT SALINAS. (THE COMMISSION CHOSEN BY SALINAS INCLUDED INDEPENDENT "LA JORNADA" NEWSPAPER EDITOR CARLOS PAYAN, PRD LAWYER LEONEL GODOY, COLOSIO CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 MEXICO 11497 01 OF 02 140001Z FRIEND AND PRI MEMBER AUGUSTIN BASAVE, AND PAN FEDERAL DEPUTY AND HEAD OF THE JUSTICE COMMITTEE FERNANDO GOMEZ MONT. ALL ARE RESPECTED LEADERS.) WITH THE COMMISSION SELECTION STORY AS BACI~OUND,II DESCRIBED THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSASSINATION AS "GOING NOWHERE," ECHOING A CONCERN VOICED BY MANY MEXICANS RECENTLY. 5. IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION WITH Dl WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE ASSASSINATION, POLOFF GOT A SIMILAR READ-OUT ON THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN CLARIFYING THE COLOSIO MURDER. [IZX]SAID THAT SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR MIGUEL MONTES LITERALLY DID NOT HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT LED UP TO THE TRAGIC EVENT IN TIJUANA. ALTHOUGH HE INITIALLY HAD COME OUT WITH THE THEORY OF A CONSPIRACY, MONTES HAD BACKED OFF BUT WAS NOT REALLY PURSUING ANY OTHER LINE OF REASONING. [IZIZALSO CRITICIZED THE SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, NOTING THAT IT WAS CONCENTRATING ITS EFFORTS ON INTERVIEWING VARIOUS OFFICIALS, WITNESSES, AND SUSPECTS BUT WITHOUT ANY REAL PURPOSE -- JUST FOR SHOW. HE TERMED THE RULING PARTY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS AFRAID TO ACT OUT OF FEAR OF OFFENDING HIGHER UPS AND DAMAGING THEIR CAREERS.

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UNCLASSIFIED 6. A FRUSTRATED WHO DESPITE HIS POSITION IN THE OPPOSITION HAD BEEN CLOSE TO COLOSIO, SAID HE WAS PURSUING HIS OWN PERSONAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVENTS. HE SAID HE WOULD PROBABLY ISSUE A REPORT SOON AND RESIGN FROM THE SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION IN PROTEST OVER ITS INEPTITUDE. ~IThWAS OF THE OPINION THAT THERE WAS A CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 MEXICO 11497 01 OF 02 140001Z PLOT AGAINST COLOSIO BECAUSE JAILED ASSASSIN MARIO ABURTO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN WELL-PREPARED FOR HIS INTERROGATIONS AND DID NOT FIT THE PROFILE OF A LONE GUNMAN. [11111] HAD RECENTLY SPENT THE BETTER PART OF A WEEK IN TIJUANA LOOKING INTO THE EVENTS OF MARCH 23.) HE POINTED OUT THAT THE TIJUANA EVENT WHERE COLOSIO WAS SHOT HAD NOT BEEN PUBLICIZED IN ADVANCE, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO SUSPECT THAT ABURTO HAD NOT ATTENDED ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE. WHEN ASKED IF HE BELIEVED THE RUMORS THAT THE PRI OLD GUARD WAS BEHIND THE ASSASSINATION, HE SAID NO. HE BELIEVED UNNAMED

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NNNN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 MEXICO 11497 02 OF 02 140004Z ACTION ARA-Ol INFO LOG-00 ACDA-17 ACDE-00 AID-Ol A-01 CA-02 CCO-00 CIAE-00 CTME-00 C-01 OASY-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DS-00 FBO-01 HA-09 H-al IMMC-01 INM-02 TEDE-QO INR-00 LAB-Ol L-01 ADS-00 M-00 NSAB-00 NSCE-00 OCS-06 0MB-al OPR-01 PA-Ol PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SCT-03 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-QO USSS-00 ASDS-01 PMB-00 /054W

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UNCLASSIFIED -------------------46DAC8 140109Z /38 R 140003Z MAY 94 FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO TO SEOSTATE WASHDC 0161 INFO ALL USCONS MEXICO C 0 N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 MEXICO 11497

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PGOV, PINS, ASEC, MX SUBJECT: COLOSIO ASSASSINATION: DOUBTS REMAIN OTHERS -- FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE WHO HAD BENEFITED FROM PRIVATIZATIONS DURING THE SALINAS ADMINSTRATION OR WERE PROFITING FROM THEIR POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT -- WHO SAW THEIR INTERESTS THREATENED BY COLOSIO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER. 7. COMMENT: VE CONSIDERABLE Bl COMPANY IN BELIEVING, AS THE FORMER SAID, "THE FACTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 MEXICO 11497 02 OF 02 140004Z NOT IN" ON THE COLOSIO ASSASSINATION. SAID THAT Bi A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF MEXICANS REPORTEDLY BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS SOMEHOW INVOLVED IN COLOSIO'S MURDER. WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE, THE DESIGNATED AUTHORITIES APPEAR TO BE IN NO REAL RUSH TO FIND OUT. AS ATTESTED BYZIZZi THE INVESTIGATION PURSUED BY MONTES 131 INDEED APPEARS TO BE GOING NO WHERE, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL VALADES HAS DONE LITTLE TO PUSH OR CLARIFY THE MATTER. ALTHOUGH SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE PRI NEEDED TO Bl GET THE ~~SOLVED PRIOR TO THE AUGUST 21 ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ITS CREDIBILITY AT THE POLLS, IT APPEARS DOUBTFUL THAT ANY DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THEN. TO DATE, THE "BEST" EVIDENCE IN THE HANDS OF THE AUTHORITIES APPEARS TO BE THE VIDEOS OF THE EVENTS, WHICH WE CONSIDER TO BE INCONCLUSIVE (REFTEL). FAILURE TO CLARIFY THE CASE -- COUPLED WITH PUBLIC ACCUSATIONS OF INACTIONS COMING FROM PROMINENT POLITICAL FIGURES -- COULD DAMAGE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S CREDIBILITY AND AFFECT THE PRI'S ELECTION DAY PROSPECTS. BEALL##

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