REVOLUTIONARY SOAP OPERA BUBBLES OVER FOR GOV

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002089 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2014 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM VE SUBJECT: REVOLUTIONARY SOAP OPERA BUBBLES OVER FOR GOV Classified By: Mark A. Wells, Acting Political Counselor, for Reasons 1 .4(b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) "Amores de Barrio Adentro (Love Inside the Neighborhood)," a state-sponsored soap opera, premiered on national television on June 22 after a two-hour national premiere party. "Amores" is filled with pro-Chavez rhetoric, GoV propaganda, and attacks on the opposition, while providing the class rich boy/poor girl love story which is the staple of Latin American "telenovelas." The soap opera is a joint effort between the GoV, state-sponsored media, and the Ministry of Culture to create one more pro-Chavez propaganda tool. End summary. -------------- The Revolution Will Be Televised -------------- ¶2. (U) The first episode of "Amores de Barrio Adentro (Love Inside the Neighborhood)" debuted on state-owned station Venezolana de Television (VTV) on July 22. It contained standard soap opera plots and characters, mixed with GoV rhetoric and propaganda. (Note: The title is a play on words of the GoV's "Barrio Adentro" program, which brings Cuban doctors into poor neighborhoods. End note.) VTV hosted a two-hour television premiere event from a Caracas theatre. During the premiere, the introductory speeches took a clear political bent. The President of VTV, the President of Cineastas (film producers association),and the Minister of Culture all stressed how the show exposes "the enemies of the revolution" and "resists the oligarchy." When "Amores" director Roman Chalbaud spoke, the crowd erupted in Chavista cheers after Chalbaud's declaration that "we are going to vote NO!" (a reference to the presidential recall referendum). Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel also attended the premiere. ¶3. (U) The storyline begins in December 2001 and features two families, one Chavista and one "esqualido" (middle and upper-class opposition),as the central actors. The Chavista father (Juan) works in a factory and the daughter (Lucinda) is a university student, who actively participates in pro-Chavez marches. The opposition father is a psychologist, who is depicted as a coup plotter, and the son (Alfonso) is a university student. Both the opposition son and mother appear to have pro-Chavez sympathies, if not outright tendencies. The connection between the two families will be the Romeo-and-Juliet romance between Lucinda and Alfonso. In a moment of true romance, the two embrace and kiss after Alfonso is shot in the neck by (the opposition controlled) Metropolitan Police at a Chavista rally. After a trip to the hospital and speedy recovery, the first episode ends outside Alfonso's house as Lucinda proclaims her love for Alfonso. -------------- GoV Propaganda Bubbles Over -------------- ¶4. (U) Political commentaries filled the soap opera. "Amores" ran one hour, but contained many commercials featuring GoV missions and other projects. Juan, the Chavista father and factory worker, is promised by the opposition factory manager that he and his workers will receive their salaries during the upcoming December 2001-February 2002 national strike in an effort to allay Juan's concerns. The opposition father and his family appear to have prominent roles as coup plotters and dissidents. They roll tires through the living room, presumably to be burned in a street demonstration similar to the real events of March 2004. The father and family prepare Molotov cocktails in the living room as they jokingly discuss their "violence in Venezuela" strategy. Pedro Carmona's image is flashed on the television sets of the "esqualidos" on two separate occasions. During a Bolivarian student march, Lucinda is seen having a pleasant, informative conversation with radical Chavista leader Lina Ron, making a cameo appearance. During the same march, the Metropolitan Police fire upon innocent Chavista supporters, injuring numerous people, including Alfonso. ¶5. (U) In the first episode, the characters were developed and storylines were set. Three basic story lines will be engaged in "Amores": 1) the opposition are violent, coup-plotting dissidents; 2) love will unite pro-Chavez supporters, even across socio-economic lines (i.e. Lucinda and Alfonso); and 3) there will be clear divisions within opposition families when some family members support Chavez. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) "Amores de Barrio Adentro" is the first attempt by the Chavistas to put their own spin on Venezuela's problems through the popular "telenovela" format. (Ironically, Venezuela is already a Latin American soap opera leader, with Venevision, owned by Chavez antagonist Gustavo Cisneros, the principal producer of the soap operas.) "Amores" appears to have acting and production levels which meet the genre's standards, but whether Venezuelans want to watch something this close to real life is a question. Nevertheless, it is a promising idea for the Chavistas to get their message out over the upcoming presidential referendum campaign. SHAPIRO NNNN 2004CARACA02089 - CONFIDENTIAL