CITIZENS ASSEMBLIES: CIVIL SOCIETY GETS ORGANIZED

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002389 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: CITIZENS ASSEMBLIES: CIVIL SOCIETY GETS ORGANIZED Classified By: A/DCM ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Venezuela's Asambleas de Ciudadanos (Citizen Assemblies),as outlined in Article 70 of the 1999 Constitution, are a means through which civil society can organize itself to address political concerns and attempt to establish government accountability. The opposition's answer to President Chavez's grassroots organizing, the Asambleas have become a functional component of the Coordinadora Democratica's (CD) campaign to recall President Chavez in the August 15 referendum. The Red de Asambleas (Network of Assemblies),the central leadership structure for the Asambleas de Ciudadanos, is currently working to marshal opposition support for the recall referendum. End Summary. -------------- FORM AND FUNCTION -------------- ¶2. (C) Article 70 of Venezuela's 1999 Constitution provides the legal foundation for the creation of Asambleas de Ciudadanos (Citizen Assemblies). Maxim Ross, editorialist for "El Universal" and key founding organizer for the Asambleas told poloff July 16 that the Asambleas de Ciudadanos were designed to serve as an instrument through which civil society could attempt to establish government accountability. Asambleas exist predominantly in the major metropolitan areas throughout Venezuela. There are approximately 130 to 150 Asambleas in Caracas. While there are no prerequisite conditions to start an Asamblea de Ciudadanos, each Asamblea produces a charter to formalize its existence. An elected coordinator and alternate coordinator head each Asamblea. The general agenda for an Asamblea meeting is one hour of comments by guest speakers followed by one to two hours of open floor dialogue. ¶3. (C) Thus far, opponents of President Hugo Chavez have been the only sector of the population to invoke the constitutional right to organize Asambleas de Ciudadanos. Irene Romanchuck, the Red de Asambleas representatives to the Coordinadora Democratica (CD),told poloff July 22 that the Asambleas are the opposition's counterpart to Chavez's Circulos Bolivarianos and grassroots organizing. While Asambleas are political entities, they are not dominated by any one political party. The Asambleas organized mobilization campaigns for the opposition signature drive and the appeals process, and are currently working to marshal electoral participation for the August 15 recall referendum. -------------- RED DE ASAMBLEAS -------------- ¶4. (C) The Red de Asambleas (Network of Assemblies) is the central leadership structure for the Asambleas, and is comprised of the coordinators from each of the Asambleas. The Red meets weekly and collectively works to set the thematic agenda of the individual Asamblea meetings. The Red serves as an intermediary between civil society and the CD and the government. The Red has one official representative in the leadership structure of the CD. Maxim Ross told poloff that the Red also has lobbied members of the National Assembly on behalf of civil society to protest the new organic law governing Venezuela's Supreme Court. -------------- ASAMBLEAS AND THE CD -------------- ¶5. (C) The relationship between the CD and the Asambleas de Ciudadanos is strong but unbalanced. Irene Romanchuck told poloff that the Coordinadora Democratica continuously uses the Asambleas as an audience for opposition leaders and a forum to disseminate information and propaganda, but does not permit the Asambleas representation to have a voice in opposition's campaign agenda. Romanchuck also commented that the Asambleas are committed to opposition's campaign to recall President Chavez, but tensions exist between the Red de Asambleas and the leadership of the CD. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) The Asambleas are valuable to the CD as a means to publicize and generate grassroots support for its campaign to recall Chavez. While the Asambleas tend to only attract those individuals who were already faithful to the opposition's agenda, they are still provide a legion of willing volunteers who will take the campaign to the streets to rally participation for the recall effort. McFarland NNNN 2004CARACA02389 - CONFIDENTIAL