1. (C) We spoke about Venezuela with Karl Buck, director of
the Council Secretariat's Latin America unit, on August 5.
The Dutch Presidency's August 3 declaration on the referendum
-- in which the EU encouraged active participation by all
voters and "expresses its support for international missions
that will deploy observers to the forthcoming referendum, in
particular the role of the Carter Center and the OAS" -- had
already addressed most of our points. Buck reiterated that
the EU was extremely disappointed at not being able to send
an observer team, but the conditions imposed on observers
were unacceptable to the EU. He added that he had just
received a readout of the most recent meeting between EU
heads of mission and the OAS, which was aware that, in
agreeing to be present, it had accepted something that was
not in accordance with its usual standards -- but that it
intended to do the best it could. Buck commented that the
OAS and other observers faced a lose/lose situation in which
they risked "being abused" while they were there, but that
their absence would risk making the situation even worse.



2. (U) USEU PA will be monitoring the Brussels-based media
for coverage of this issue in the run-up to the referendum
and will be prepared to offer U.S. views as appropriate. PA
has posted on the Mission's Internet site an article about EU
Presidency's Venezuela statement.