fhta APR
CITE GUATEMALAO: IMMEDIATE DIRECTOR. FOR:
subject: sister diana ortiz ref: 1 text:
combine: complete
1. per ref request, following is our understanding of the
chronoloct of lvknts surrounding the sister MjjuI1
incident. station is not involved in ihe current visit of sister ortiz to guatemala. the stated purpose op which is to reconstruct the alleged abduction, torture and rape. the host knowledgeable individual at post on the case is the political officer who handled the initial report op the incident and the embassy follow up. per poloff. apart from calling for cooperation in the investigation by all involved parties and providing assurances of safety for sister ortiz, yhe political section is staying out of the case as much as possible. it is being handled by the consulate's american citizen services section.
2. THIS IS POLOFF'S SUMMARY; THE ALLEGED INCIDENT TOOK PLACEOV B9 WHEN URS.ULINE SISTER AMCIT DIANA ORTIZ HAD BEEN IH GUATEMALA FOROUPLE OF YEARS (THE "FACTS" IN THIS CASE CHANGEHE LENGTH OF TIME SHE HAD BEEN IN COUNTRY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION IS ONE OF THE FACTS THAT CHANGES.) SHE WAS TEACHING INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IN
HUEHUETENANGO WHEN SHE TRAVELED TO ANTIGUA TO ATTEND .
RELIGIOUS RETREAT AT THE POSADA BELEN ACCORDING ' O HER STORY. SHE WAS IN IHE BACKYARD OF THE POSADA BELEN WHEN
TWO MEN. ONEANDCREWaDE, KIDNAPPED HER
FORCED HER TO ACCOMPANY THEM BY BUS TO HIXCO-YA""TJUAXEHALA CITY
-secrm.
SUBURB) WHERE THEY COT OFF ANO WERE NETOLICE CAR HARKED INSIOE THE POLICE CA* WERE TWO MEN. ONE DRESSEDOLICE UNIFORM. SHE WAS FORCED INTO THE POLICE CAR AND DRIVENOUSE WHERE SHE ALLEGEDLY WAS TORTURED. VERSIONS OF THE TORTURE HAVE CHANGED. THE PERPETRATORS ALSO HAVE CHANGED -POLICE ORIGINALLY. LATER MILITARY. IN ONE VERSION SHE WAS BURNED ON THEIMES WITH CIGARETTES. IN ONE VERSION SHE WAS FONDLED. IN ANOTHER VERSION SHE WAS REPEATEDLT RAPED AND BEATEN. WINE REPORTEDLY WAS POURED OVER HER BODY AND EITHER DOGS OR RATS LICXED THE WINE OFF, CANDLES BEING LIT AROUND THE SCENE OF IHE TORTURE AND RAPE. FINALLY SHE WAS THROWNIT WHERE OTHER TORTURE VICTIMS. SOME ALREaDT DEAD. WERE LYINC. UBSEQUENT TORTURE EPISODE. SOMEONE NAKED "ALEJANDRO" WALKED IN AND ORDERED HER CUaTaEMALAN TORTURERS TO STOP BECAUSE SHE WAS AN AMERICAN. (PER ORTIZ, ALEJANDROORTH AMERICAN BECAUSE HE "WALKED LIKE AN AMERICAN" AND USED AN AMERICAN OBSCENITY WHEN HE WALKED IN OH HER GUATEMALAN TORTURERS. THE POLOFF HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING ALEJANDRO.) ALEJANDRO THEN HELPED HER GET OUT OF THE TORTURE HOUSE. AND WHILE DRIVING HER IN HIS JEEPFRIEND AT THE AMERICANHE JUMPED OUT IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC INF THE CAPITAL. SHE GOT HONEYOMAN PASSERBY ANDUBLIC BUSRAVEL AGENCY IN ZONE ONE. FROM THE TRAVEL AGHE CALLED THE MARTKNOLL PRIESTS WHO PICKED HER UP AT THE TRAVEL AGENCY SHE ALSO VISITED THE PAPAL NUNCIO AND DEPARTED GUATEMALA SHE REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH THE EMBASSY BEFORE DEPARTING GUATEMALA, REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH GUATEMALAN AUTHORITIES AND REFUSED THE OFFER OF AN EMBASSY-SPONSORED MEDICAL EXAMINATION, WHICH COULD HAVE REVEALED THE FACTS REGARDING THE INJURIES SHE ALLEGEDLT SUFFERED.
3. SINCE LEAVING THE COUNTRYOVRTIZ HAS REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH INVESTIGATORS ON THE CASE, INCLUDING FBI AND STATE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATORS. SHE ALSO HAS REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH THE GUATEMALAN POLICE, THE DEPUTY HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN WHO TRAVELLED TO KENTUCKY WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. AND CARLRIVATE INVESTIGATOR ON THE CASE. SHE HAS REFUSED TO MAKE ANT OfFICAL STATEMENTS/DEPOSITIONS AND SHE HAS REFUSED ALL MEDICAL EXAMS. SHE DID, HOWEVER, AGREE TO AN INTERVIEW WITH DIANE SAWTER IN ORTIZ IS CURRENTLY IN GUATEMALA TO RECONSTRUCT THE ALLEGED EVENTS OFOWEVER. RECONSTRUCTION WAS NOT COMPLETED BECAUSE SHE FAINTED. SHE IS LEAVING THE COUNTRY ONPRIL. AT ONE OF THE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS MADE BY ORTIZ, SHE ALLEGEDLYECENTLY ARRIVED EMBASSY SECURITY OFFICERUATEMALAN
(rJT-2-
EVIDENCE COULD BE FOUND TO SUPPORT THE STORY TOLD BY ORTIZ.
SERVICE, KNOWING THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE INCIDENT,
REFUSED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
fM S CONTAINED IN AN OFFICIALREPORT
THOUGH THE SOURCE OF THE
NOY STATED.
THE REPORT ALSO PROVIDES THECONCLUSION THAT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GUATEMALA IS AWARE OF THE TRUE NATURE OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE INCIDENT AND IS USING IT FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
NEITHER THE STATION, NOR THE EMBASSY FIND SISTER ORTIZ' STORY CREDIBLE. THERE ARE TOO MANY CONTRADICTIONS OF FACT, REFUSALS TO COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATORS AND CONVENIENT FAINTING SPELLS WHEN DIRECT QUESTIONS ARE ASKED ABOUT EVENTS. HOPE THE ABOVE ASSISTS HQS IN ADDRESSING CONSUMER CONCERNS ON THIS CASE.
ILE: NONE. END OF MESSAGE
Original document.
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