Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS3373
2004-11-01 12:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR'S TRAVEL TO MARACAIBO

Tags:  PGOV PREL ECON PHUM KDEM VE 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003373 

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PHUM KDEM VE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S TRAVEL TO MARACAIBO

Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(b).

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003373

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PHUM KDEM VE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S TRAVEL TO MARACAIBO

Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(b).

--------------
Summary
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1. (C) The Ambassador visited Maracaibo, Zulia State, October
26-27, to meet with U.S. organizations, local leaders, and
the press. He called on Governor Manuel Rosales, Maracaibo
Mayor Giancarlo DiMartino, and San Francisco Mayor Saady
Bijani. The Ambassador attended a lunch with business
leaders hosted by Venamcham and a reception hosted by the
binational center (CEVAZ). Chevron-Texaco received the
Ambassador at two of its social development projects, a
public children's hospital and a boys' orphanage. The
Ambassador visited the editorial boards of Maracaibo dailies
"Panorama" and "La Verdad" and gave several press interviews.
There is general optimism that the economy is rebounding in
Zulia, a state that manifests a historic autonomous streak
and, to a lesser extent, resistance to President Hugo Chavez.
End summary.

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Zulian Politicos See Pains and Progress
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2. (C) The Ambassador visited Zulia State capital Maracaibo,
Venezuela's petroleum center and a key enclave of U.S.
economic and social interests, on October 26-27. Governor
Manuel Rosales, who was in the midst of campaigning for
re-election on October 31, told him the national government
had given practically no support to his administration, and
often worked at cross-purposes via Corpozulia, the GOV-run
development corporation there. Rosales said the GOV is
operating under the guise of democracy and is run by people
"with very different concepts of freedom of expression and
human rights." Rosales attributed President Hugo Chavez's
victory in Zulia during the recall referendum to Colombians,
some living in Zulia and some in Colombia, who received
Venezuelan identity cards and were illegally permitted to
vote. Rosales also complained that ELN, FARC, and Colombian
paramilitaries crossed freely into Venezuela, often to buy
supplies, with the tacit approval of the Venezuelan military.

The Ambassador expressed his desire to boost the U.S.
profile in Zulia using the bi-national center (CEVAZ),the
Venamcham, and the Maracaibo Consular Agency. Rosales
encouraged the Ambassador to bolster relations with Zulia,
noting possibilities in educational exchanges.


3. (C) Maracaibo Mayor Giancarlo DiMartino, whom Chavez
endorsed for re-election, recounted the achievements of his
administration. He noted that the Maracaibo police force had
been re-designed via a strategic alliance with the Miami-Dade
Police in Florida. DiMartino acknowledged that border crime,
namely kidnapping and contraband, has grown more serious
because of Colombian guerrilla and paramilitary groups. He
also noted the problems with illicit drug use in Maracaibo,
including ecstasy. The Ambassador offered to collaborate on
counternarcotics matters, including investigation,
interdiction, and education.


4. (C) The Ambassador met with Saady Bijani, mayor of San
Francisco (to the south of Maracaibo municipality) and
president of the Venezuelan Mayors' Association (ADAVE).
Bijani warned of GOV social programs with Cuban assistance,
especially the medical program Barrio Adentro. Bijani
claimed that each Cuban "doctor" (often nurses, med students,
or residents) has up to three other Cubans in charge of
indoctrination of a specific poor neighborhood covered by the
clinic. Regarding election fraud, Bijani said that before
the presidential recall referendum, the GOV added 43,000 new
voters to his constituency, a 30-pct. increase over the
150,000 voters previously registered. Bijani said the GOV
had done this around the country to make it numerically
difficult for more than 100 opposition mayors to be
re-elected. Bijani also complained that the GOV is
intentionally cutting off or delaying payments of legally
entitled revenues to states and municipalities to weaken
elected officials who oppose Chavez. The Ambassador assured
Bijani the USG would continue to stand by its principles of
supporting democratic institutions and promoting human rights
in Venezuela.

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Visits To U.S. Organizations

--------------


5. (U) The Maracaibo Committee of the Venezuelan-American
Chamber of Commerce (Venamcham) hosted a lunch for the
Ambassador attended by more than 30 U.S. and Venezuelan
business leaders. Participants expressed concern about
kidnappings and other criminal activities of armed groups
operating on the Colombian border. The Ambassador
highlighted the need to break the nexus between the armed
groups and narco-trafficking, a fundamental tenet of Plan
Colombia. At a meeting with the Venezuelan-American Center
(CEVAZ) board, the Ambassador expressed interest in
augmenting CEVAZ's activities in Maracaibo and offered to
help promote the center. CEVAZ hosted a reception for more
than 100 ex-pats and community leaders as well. The
Ambassador also visited the American school, Escuela Bella
Vista (EBV),addressing high school and elementary students.

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U.S. Corporate Social Projects
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6. (U) The Ambassador visited the sites of two social
development projects sponsored by Chevron-Texaco (CTX). The
Pediatriatrics Specialties Hospital is a free public hospital
operated by Zulia State that CTX helped to complete. The
hospital serves hundreds of patients daily, and has modern
facilities and equipment. The Ambassador also visited the
Simon Rodriguez Orphanage, built by CTX and home to more than
30 orphaned boys. The Ambassador presented a collection of
books on American history and culture to the boys. He
highlighted corporate social responsibility and the strong
relationship between the U.S. and Venezuelan people in his
comments to the press.

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The University of Zulia
--------------


7. (U) Leonardo Atencio, the recently-elected rector of the
state-run University of Zulia (LUZ),hosted a lunch for the
Ambassador. The Ambassador encouraged Atencio to consider
increasing cooperation with U.S. universities (student and
teacher exchanges) and to take advantage of CEVAZ's expertise
in English language instruction. The Ambassador also
highlighted the Fullbright and Cochran fellowship programs as
opportunities for educational exchange. Atencio mentioned
LUZ is in the process of renewing its working agreement with
CEVAZ and would look for ways to improve upon it.

--------------
Press Interviews
--------------


8. (C) Esteban Pineda, Director of the Chavez-leaning daily
"Panorama," told the Ambassador his newspaper made a business
decision in 2002 not to "act like a political party" and
oppose Chavez. Pineda said Chavez has capitalized on a
long-term social movement though he has had problems
converting it into a political movement. Pineda, who also
heads an important business group in Zulia, said there are
strong signs that Zulia's economy is improving. The
Ambassador also met with Juan Carlos Abudei and Luis Perez,
editors of "La Verdad," a pro-opposition newspaper founded in

1998. Abudei said the paper received a boost in circulation
when "Panorama" began to support Chavez. Abudei predicted
fraud in the October 31 elections, claiming that some 176,000
Colombians had been illegally registered to vote in Zulia for
the recall referendum. Asked his impressions of the Social
Responsibility in Radio and Television Law, Perez said the
bill does not currently contemplate print media. He said,
however, he fears that once the law is passed, the courts
could interpret it to apply to newspapers.

--------------
Press Coverage
--------------


9. (U) The trip generated three days of extensive press
coverage in both print dailies as well as television and
radio. In the press encounters, the Ambassador stayed on
message about U.S.-Venezuela relations, noting that the USG
will look to improve cooperation in those areas where we can
(illegal drugs, terrorism, and energy) and disagree where we
cannot (democratic institutions, rule of law, human rights,
etc.). He refused to be dragged into the debate over

regional elections, saying they are an internal affair for
Venezuala. The press took special note of the Ambassador's
Zulia connection (Maracaibo having been his first diplomatic
assignment) and of his sense of humor (legendary throughout
the State of Texas).

--------------
Comment
--------------


10. (C) The Ambassador was well received by the press and
public and was able to present U.S. policy goals in Venezuela
outside of the politicized atmosphere of Caracas. Zulia has
a fierce independence streak and, therefore, instinctive
resentment toward the national government in Caracas. Though
the state broke 51-49 in favor of Chavez in the referendum,
Zulia remains a bastion of opposition to Chavez -- even the
Chavista candidates have to run as moderates. There is
relative optimism in Zulia that the economy is improving.
Opposition politicians, however, are glum about Chavez's
apparent abuse of state authority to dismantle political
resistance in Zulia.


11. (C) Ambassador requested a meeting with Alberto
Gutierrez, the Chavez-backed candidate for governor, but
received no response. Similarly, a request for a meeting
with senior regional military commander Gen. Wilfredo Silva
went unanswered, though Post learned informally that Silva's
commanding officer in Caracas denied permission for the
meeting.
Brownfield


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2004CARACA03373 - CONFIDENTIAL