VENEZUELA REFERENDUM UPDATE: AUGUST 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002643 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2014 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA REFERENDUM UPDATE: AUGUST 17 Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor for Reason 1.4 (d ). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Violence in Altamira Plaza in Caracas left one dead and 10 injured when a group of opposition demonstrator?T?Qi"QQ\s August 16, President Hugo Chavez said the attack was orchestrated by the opposition to destabilize the country. Chavez once again invited the opposition to a dialogue and announced the GoV would propose an agenda for talks. Venezuelan Catholic Cardinal Jose Castillo Lara called on the opposition to accept the results for the sake of peace even though a "gigantic fraud" had been perpetrated by the GOV. Primero Justicia deputies rejected the results and told poloff the opposition should force an institutional crisis to overturn the election. End summary. -------------- Shooting Leaves One Dead, Recriminations -------------- ¶2. (U) The August 16 shooting at Plaza Francia in the Altamira section of Caracas left one dead and ten injured. Solidaridad National Assembly Deputy Ernesto Alvarenga was among the persons shot during the incident. Nearly all Caracas daily newspapers (the exception was the pro-Chavez Diario Vea) had a front-page picture of the gunmen firing into the crowd. The small group of Chavez opponents had gathered to protest the results of the recall referendum announced August 15 by the National Electoral Council (CNE). ¶3. (U) President Chavez, giving a press conference to international reporters late August 16, blamed the violence on the opposition, suggesting the attack was staged by anti-Chavez radicals. He said that if the gunmen were in fact Chavistas, then they should be punished. (Comment: We are sure that if the GoV wanted to, it could identify the gunmen.) Chavez wondered how all news television channel Globovision was always on hand to witness the violence and accused the news station of trying to destabilize the country. He called for action on the proposed media law that would make private media outlets like Globovision "more responsible to the people." Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel told reporters August 17 the shooters at Altamira are "killers, criminals, and terrorists" and said the President had ordered a complete investigation. Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of Chacao municipality where the plaza is located, rejected Chavez's allegation of opposition complicity. The mayor, whose 89-year-old grandfather was among the demonstrators, said it made no sense to think Chavez's opponents would deliberately put their relatives in harm's way. -------------- Chavez Offers Olive Branch -------------- ¶4. (U) During his press conference, Chavez called the opposition's 40-percent showing "respectable" and once again invited opposition leaders to negotiate with the GOV. He said the opposition should accept his offer for their own good and for the good of all Venezuelans. He said Vice President Rangel is preparing a paper for the opposition proposing a dialogue. Chavez also predicted an overwhelming victory in the upcoming regional elections (currently scheduled for September 26) and announced the CNE would at the same time hold recall referenda on nine opposition deputies. -------------- Catholic Cardinal Urges Reconciliation -------------- ¶5. (U) Catholic Cardinal Jose Lara Castillo reportedly told Vatican Radio August 16 that the opposition should accept the results of the referendum, though a "gigantic fraud" had been perpetrated by the GOV. Lara said the referendum results contradicted various exit polls indicating that the "Yes" option had won. Lara accused the GoV of paying $60 to poor people for their votes. The Cardinal said, however, the opposition should move one in the interest of soci1SQgp`lts -------------- ¶6. (C) Primero Justicia Deputy Liliana Hernandez August 17 said the results of the recall referendum were fraudulent, and that Primero Justicia would not accept them. She said international observers should safeguard the voting tickets, which are stored in the regional military commands at the moment. Fernandez noted that in past elections requiring recounts, the ballots have been found in very poor condition, because there are no special storage locations and they are often exposed to the elements. Primero Justicia Deputy Ramon Jose Medina suggested the opposition should attempt to create an institutional crisis, using mayors and governors, to force the Electoral Council to allow a manual recount of the ballots. He compared the situation in Venezuela today to that in Peru following the fraudulent 2000 election. Shapiro NNNN 2004CARACA02643 - CONFIDENTIAL