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

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2004CARACA01748 - CONFIDENTIAL