VENEZUELA: CNE VERSUS OAS-CARTER CENTER OBSERVERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001748 SIPDIS FROM AMBASSADOR FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA AND USOAS MAISTO NSC FOR C. BARTON, TSHANNON, USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2013 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: CNE VERSUS OAS-CARTER CENTER OBSERVERS CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. CHARLES S. SHAPIRO FOR REASON 1.4 (D). ¶1. (C) CONTRARY TO HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS MAY 20, OAS CHIEF OF STAFF FERNANDO JARAMILLO TOLD ME AND OTHER AMBASSADORS FROM THE GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT HIS AND FRANCISCO DIEZ,S MEETING WITH CNE DIRECTORS MAY 20 HAD BEEN TENSE AND DIFFICULT. CNE DIRECTOR JORGE RODRIGUEZ, HE SAID, ACCUSED THE OAS AND CARTER CENTER (TCC) OBSERVER MISSIONS OF BEING TOTALLY BIASED IN FAVOR OF THE OPPOSITION. JARAMILLO CHARACTERIZED RODRIGUEZ'S LITANY OF COMPLAINTS AS A MEMORANDUM OF AFFRONTS. ¶2. (C) JARAMILLO SAID RODRIGUEZ INSISTED THAT THE OAS/TCC HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO REJECT THE RESULTS OF THE APPEALS PROCESS. RODRIGUEZ QUESTIONED THE OBSERVER MISSIONS' INTEGRITY, LOYALTY, MORALS AND ABILITY TO DO THEIR WORK. THE CNE DIRECTORS, JARAMILLO SAID, HAD TOLD THEM THAT THE OAS/TCC SHOULD MAKE NO STATEMENTS, AND SHOULD THEY WISH TO MAKE ANY THEY WOULD NEED TO CLEAR THEM WITH THE CNE BEFOREHAND. JARAMILLO SAID HE REJECTED THE "ULTIMATUM." NONETHELESS, JARAMILLO SAID, THE CNE HAD CONCLUDED THAT IT IS POLITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE OAS AND THE CARTER CENTER TO STAY IN COUNTRY AND WAS NOT READY TO EJECT THEM. ¶3. (C) JARAMILLO EXPLAINED TO US THAT IF THERE IS INDEED "BIAS" IN THEIR WORK, IT IS THE PRODUCT OF FACTS AND THE DECISIONS MADE BY THE CNE. HE QUESTIONED THE CNE'S ABILITY TO RUN THE APPEALS PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY, SAYING THE CRISIS IN THE CNE IS MUCH MORE DEEP THAN MANY IMAGINE. HE TOLD US THAT THE OAS/TCC OBSERVERS DO NOT HAVE EXPLICIT AGREEMENT FROM THE CNE ON THE TCC/OAS PLAN FOR OBSERVING THE REPAROS PROCESS. RATHER THEY ARE TAKING THE CNE,S LACK OF RESPONSE TO THE OAS/TCC LETTER OF MAY 10 OUTLINING THEIR PLANS AS AN ABSENCE OF OBJECTION AND ARE PROCEEDING ON THAT BASIS. JARAMILLO QUESTIONED IF THE OBSERVERS WOULD IN FACT BE GIVEN THE ACCESS THEY NEED WITHIN THE CNE HEADQUARTERS TO DO THEIR WORK PROPERLY. ¶4. (C) ILLUSTRATING THE FLAWS IN THE APPEALS PROCESS, JARAMILLO SAID THE CHECKING OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS WOULD LIKELY PROVE TO BE A DISASTER. THE FORMULA OF HAVING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO SIDES AGREE ON THE VALIDITY OF INDIVIDUAL VOTERS, NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD WAS A RECIPE FOR PHYSICAL CONFLICT AT THE SIGNATURE CENTERS. JARAMILLO WAS LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPUTER FRAUD, SAYING THAT THE CERTIFICATIONS (ACTAS) WOULD SERVE AS COUNTER BALANCE. HE CALLED THE POSSIBLE DETENTION OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NGO SUMATE DIRECT AND CLEAR INTIMIDATION. ¶5. (C) I ASKED JARAMILLO AND THE AMBASSADORS IF THE OAS AND OTHER FOREIGN MINISTERS HAD RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE GOV SIMILAR TO THE MAY 18 LETTER FROM VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR BERNARDO ALVAREZ TO THE SECRETARY. NONE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF WHETHER SUCH A LETTER HAD BEEN SENT TO THEM. JARAMILLO NOTED THAT THE CNE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SEEKING A BLANK CHECK FROM THE OAS/TCC IN THE MAY 20 MEETING, SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE ALVAREZ LETTER. (IN AN EARLIER MEETING CARTER CENTER REPRESENTATIVE AMB. GORDON STREEB, HE TOLD ME THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER HAD RECEIVED A SIMILAR LETTER FROM ALVAREZ.) ¶6. THE GOV APPEARS TO BE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK TO DISQUALIFY THE CARTER CENTER AND OAS OBSERVER MISSIONS IF THEY USE THEIR INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT TO QUESTION OR CRITICIZE THE CNE, ITS DECISIONS, OR THE REPARO PROCESS. THE LETTERS TO THE SECRETARY AND PRESIDENT CARTER HAVE THE SAME GOAL, OBTAINING SIPDIS ADVANCE APPROVAL NO MATTER HOW DEVELOPMENTS UNFOLD. THE GOV NEEDS THE PRESENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TO GIVE CREDIBILITY TO A DEEPLY FLAWED PROCESS. THE REPARO PROCESS CAN WORK ONLY IF BOTH SIDES PLAY BY THE RULES IN GOOD FAITH. THE OAS AND THE CARTER CENTER OBSERVERS QUESTION WHETHER THE GOV WILL DO SO. SO DO I. SHAPIRO NNNN 2004CARACA01748 - CONFIDENTIAL