COSTA RICA NEWS – Clinging to diplomatic immunity, Costa Rica’s Ambassador to Paraguay, Marcos Aurelio Peraza Salazar, was able to avoid a breathalyzer test following a traffic accident involving the diplomat.
According to witnesses who spoke to Paragua’s ABC Color daily, the Ambassador was responsible for the accident and “visibly intoxicated”.
A report by the Comisaría 3° Metropolitana (3rd police district) confirmed the Ambassador was “apparently intoxicated”, however, as the report indicates, were forced to released him after the intervention of Fiscal (Prosecutor), Emilion Fuster.
The Ambassador’s vehicle, with Salazar at the wheel, struck the vehicle of María Bobbio Abente, a 39 year old woman accompanied by her three children. The accident occured on Avenida Mariscal López, around 10:00 pm Saturday night.
Fortunately, the woman and her children were unharmed, though obviously frightened by the experience.
Police confirmed that the diplomat was behind the wheel of the Mercedez Benz with diplomatic plates and refused the breathalyzer, arguing his diplomatic immunity. The other driver, the woman with her children, did submit to a breathalyzer, and resulted negative.
Subsequently Salazar, who was wearing his Tico shirt, was taken to the Unidad Fiscal Especializada de Seguridad y Convivencia de las Personas (Special Prosecution Unit), where is reported to have continued with his attitude of “diplomatic immunity” and finally released several hours later.
Back in Costa Rica In Costa Rica, the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Foreign Ministry), through the Directorate of Foreign Service, this morning “urgently” from the Ambassador a report on the accident.
For now, the Foreign Ministry is not providing any official information about the case, saying it would do so once it received all the details and has had a chance to analyze it.
Source: AB Color, Paraguay
