RAISING VENEZUELA WITH ARGENTINA MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 003542

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND AND WHA/BSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2014
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL VE AR MEETINGS WITH AMBASSADOR
SUBJECT: RAISING VENEZUELA WITH ARGENTINA MFA

REF: A. STATE 271087


B. BUENOS AIRES 3523

C. BUENOS AIRES 3489

Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Ambassador Gutierrez met December 23 with Argentine
Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa to raise again our concerns
about recent events in Venezuela. The Ambassador began by
noting that in his meeting with Secretary Powell, Bielsa had
stated that President Kirchner and the GOA would use every
opportunity to engage with President Chavez on human rights,
democracy and governance issues. The Ambassador then took
Bielsa through the issues raised in Reftel A, namely, the new
law on media content; the packing of the Venezuelan Supreme
Court; the draft law that would criminalize the use of
foreign funding by Venezuelan human rights and civil society
NGOs; the criminal case against the leaders of the NGO
Sumate; and finally, the need for Venezuela to work
cooperatively with Colombia to secure their shared border.


2. (C) Bielsa responded first to the border security issue
stating that at the Cuzco Summit earlier this month,
Colombian President Uribe had specifically praised Chavez for
his cooperation on border security. Bielsa said he thought
things were "going better" on this count. On the other
issues, Bielsa thanked the Ambassador for our comments and
concerns and said he would further investigage each of them.
He felt, however, that there was little the GOA could do with
the recently passed media law and the Supreme Court
appointments as these were now accomplished "judicial" facts.
He thought there might be more room for maneuver on the
draft law on NGO funding and the pending Sumate case. He
promised to look closely at these cases and to raise these
issues with President Kirchner for his possible discussion
with Chavez.


3. (C) As he was leaving, the Ambassador congratulated
Bielsa for his efforts on behalf of CUBAn dissident Hilda
Molina (reftels). Bielsa, who according to some press
accounts was in danger of being fired by President Kirchner,
thanked the Ambassador and said supporting Molina's request
to visit her son and his family was "the right thing to do."
When the Ambassador noted that human rights was something
that cannot be applied selectively, Bielsa concurred adding
"we'll see how much more President Kirchner can bear."


4. (U) For other Embassy Buenos Aires reporting, please
visit our classified SIPRNET website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a>
GUTIERREZ