Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS2009
2004-06-17 16:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

PARAMILITARIES UPDATE

Tags:  PGOV KDEM VE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002009 

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2014
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: PARAMILITARIES UPDATE


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (d
)

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002009

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2014
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: PARAMILITARIES UPDATE


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (d
)

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. The May 9 discovery of alleged Colombian paramilitaries,
replaced in national headlines by the appeals process and the
announcement of the recall referendum, remains a salient
issue. The National Assembly has convened special
investigative commission, which has already interviewed the
Minister of Defense and has plans to interview several other
high-ranking government officials. The GOV has also issued
detention orders for four senior military officers for
alleged connections to the paramilitaries case. Ten military
officers and civilians have already been detained for alleged
connections to the paramilitaries, and trials begin for first
cases in the next two weeks. End Summary.

--------------
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION
--------------


2. (U) The National Assembly (NA) has convened a Special
Parliamentary Commission to investigate the case of the
alleged Colombian paramilitaries discovered on the outskirts
of Caracas on May 9. The NA appointed Nestor Leon Heredia, a
Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) deputy and former military
officer, as president of the Commission. On June 7, the
Commission "privately" interviewed Minister of Defense Jorge
Luis Garcia Carneiro. The Commission plans to conduct
additional interviews with Minister of Interior and Justice
Lucas Rincon and Army Commander Gen. Raul Baduel, as well as
the directors of DISIP (security police) and the Directorate
of Military Intelligence (DIM).

--------------
TARGETING THE MILITARY
--------------


3. (U) As of June 1, the GOV had issued detention orders
for four retired military officers in connection with the
paramilitaries case; Gen. Nestor Gonzalez Gonzalez, Gen.
Felipe Rodriguez, Gen. Ovido Poggioli and Col. Julio
Rodriguez Salas. On June 6, the GOV publicly offered a
reward of twenty-five thousand dollar for information leading
to the arrest of each of the four military officers. In
addition to links to the paramilitaries, the reward
advertisements allege three of the officers are guilty of
&military rebellion,8 a reference to their involvement in
the October 2002 civil disobedience at Plaza Francia.


4. (U) On June 8, Gen. Ovido Poggioli, a former director of
the DIM, voluntarily presented himself to the Military
Prosecutor,s Office, claiming that he had nothing to fear
from the government,s accusations. DISIP took Poggioli in
custody for forty-eight hours following his appearance at the
Military Prosecutor,s Office. He is currently being held at
a military detention center in Caracas.


5. (C) On June 14, poloff met with Alonso Medina, a defense
lawyer specializing in military cases. In addition to
Poggioli, according to Medina, seven military officers and
three civilians have been detained for alleged involvement in
the paramilitaries case. Medina noted that the first
paramilitary involvement cases are scheduled to go to trial
in the next two weeks.

--------------
MORE PARAMILITARIES TO COME?
--------------

(U) On June 14, Eliecer Otaiza, MVR party figure and former
director of DISIP, also currently president of the National
Institute of Educational Cooperation, alleged that the
paramilitaries detained at El Hatillo merely represent the
&tip of the iceberg8 and that there are between four and
five thousand paramilitaries currently in Venezuela. Otaiza

repeated the assertion that these alleged paramilitaries are
seeking to assassinate President Chavez and other political
leaders, and are a threat to Venezuelan sovereignty, the
democratic process and the Bolivarian revolution.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------

(C) The targeting of numerous military officers for alleged
connections to the paramilitaries case is part of an
increased GOV campaign to persecute military officers it
considers disloyal, including officers connected with the
October 2002 Plaza Francia incident and the events of April

2002. Allegations that there are between four and five
thousand additional paramilitaries currently in Venezuela,
however implausible, could produce a new set of the
distractions for the GOV to use in the period leading up to
the referendum. The commencement of trials in the next two
weeks will provide insight into how the GOV plans to use the
paramilitaries issue.
SHAPIRO


NNNN

2004CARACA02009 - CONFIDENTIAL