Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS2643
2004-08-17 22:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

VENEZUELA REFERENDUM UPDATE: AUGUST 17

Tags:  PGOV KDEM PHUM 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 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
-------

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.

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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


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2004CARACA02643 - CONFIDENTIAL