CHANGES IN GOV FOREIGN MINISTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000251

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL VE
SUBJECT: CHANGES IN GOV FOREIGN MINISTRY


CLASSIFIED BY: ABELARDO A. ARIAS, POLITICAL COUNSELOR,
FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) FOREIGN MINISTER ROY CHADERTON CONFIRMED REPORTS ON
JANUARY 20 THAT ADAN CHAVEZ, PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S OLDER
BROTHER, WILL BE THE NEW GOV AMBASSADOR TO CUBA. SOURCES AT
THE MFA CONFIRM THAT CHADERTON WILL BE REPLACED BY JESUS
ARNALDO PEREZ, CURRENT GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, AND RUMORED
TO BE CHAVEZ'S ILLEGITIMATE HALF-BROTHER. CHADERTON IS ALSO
RUMORED TO REPLACE PEREZ AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE. END
SUMMARY.

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ANOTHER CHAVEZ IN HAVANA
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2. (U) ON JANUARY 20, ROY CHADERTON CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT
ADAN CHAVEZ, BROTHER OF PRESIDENT CHAVEZ, WILL BE THE NEW GOV
AMBASSADOR TO CUBA, REPLACING JULIO MONTES, WHO HAS BEEN IN
HAVANA SINCE 2000. ADAN CHAVEZ IS A FORMER UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR, HAS HAD HIGH POSITIONS IN THE RULING PARTY MVR,
AND HAS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BROTHER. HE WILL LEAVE
HIS JOB AS THE PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF STAFF, WHICH HE ASSUMED
IN 2003, AFTER 1 1/2 YEARS AS HEAD OF THE NATIONAL LAND
INSTITUTE (INTI). PRESIDENT CHAVEZ ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 25
THAT MONTES WILL FILL A NEW ROLE IN MIRAFLORES AS COORDINATOR
FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS.

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FLIPPING CHADERTON FOR PEREZ
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3. (C) JESUS ARNALDO PEREZ, GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, AND ROY
CHADERTON, GOV FOREIGN MINISTER, WILL EXCHANGE JOBS. PEREZ
HAS BEEN POSTED IN PARIS SINCE JUNE 2002, WITH A PREVIOUS
POSTING AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO ALGERIA FROM 2001 TO 2002.
BEFORE JOINING THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, PEREZ SERVED AS MINISTER
OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES FROM 1999 TO 2000.
PEREZ, AN ACADEMIC, RECEIVED HIS PH.D. IN GEOGRAPHY IN 1994
AND TWO MASTER'S DEGREES IN THE 1980S. HE HAS HAD JOBS IN
ACADEMIA AS A PROFESSOR AND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS AN
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT. HE HAS LIVED IN FRANCE FOR MORE
THAN 20 YEARS, AND ONLY BRIEFLY IN VENEZUELA WHEN HE WAS
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT. ANOTHER MFA OFFICIAL TOLD US THAT
PEREZ IS, AS RUMORED, CHAVEZ'S ILLEGITIMATE HALF-BROTHER.
CHADERTON TOLD DAS DESHAZO ON JANUARY 22 THAT HE WILL REPLACE
PEREZ AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE.

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COMMENT
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4. (C) ADDITIONAL MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE FURTHER UPHEAVAL IN
GOV MINISTRIES, INCLUDING THE ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND LABOR MINISTRIES. CHAVEZ IS ARRANGING OFFICIALS TO
CREATE A LOYAL MINISTRIES DURING UPCOMING DOMESTIC AND
INTERNATIONAL BATTLES. WITH BROTHER ADAN IN HAVANA AND PEREZ
AS GOV FOREIGN MINISTER, CHAVEZ IS MOVING THE FOREIGN POLICY
MACHINERY CLOSER TO HIM, WITH PEOPLE HE TRUSTS AND WHOSE
LOYALTY IS FAMILIAL; HE IS ALSO STRENGTHENING THE TIES TO
CUBA.
SHAPIRO

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