Letter to Ambassador of Uruguay on Death by Poisoning of Senora Fontana de Heber Caldas, September 12, 1978

September 12, 1978

Hon. Jose Perez Caldas
Ambassador of Uruguay
1918 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

I write concerning the death on September 8 of Sra. Cecile Fontana de Heber, wife of Senator Mario Heber. As you know, she died of poisoning incurred from tasting a wine sent to her husband, purportedly to congratulate him for the letter signed by him and two other members of his party's Political Affairs Committee on July 18.

Both of the other signers, as you are doubtless also aware, received similar bottles of wine which, upon examination, proved to contain the same deadly poison.

This is a most despicable act which your government must surely condemn. I urge you to do all in your power to see that a thorough and impartial investigation of this crime be conducted and that the guilty parties be brought before the court of law. Until this is accomplished, public opinion outside as well as within Uruguay will be left with no other conclusion than that your government itself is somehow implicated.

Sincerely,

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir
Associate Secretary
Department of Social Development and World Peace
United States Catholic Conference

Letter-to-Ambassador-of-uruguay-on-sra-fontana-de-heber-caldas-1978-09-12.pdf