KILLING OF POLITICAL PROSECUTOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003577

SIPDIS


NSC FOR C. BARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2013
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM VE
SUBJECT: KILLING OF POLITICAL PROSECUTOR

Classified By: Political Counselor Abelardo A. Arias for reason 1.4 (d)
.

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Venezuelan prosecutor Danilo Anderson was killed the
night of November 18, according to press reports and the GoV,
as he traveled home in his personal vehicle. More than a
dozen GoV officials and government supporters, among them
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, went to the site of the
incident while investigators scoured for evidence. President
Hugo Chavez scrubbed his attendance at San Jose's
Ibero-American Summit, citing the seriousness of the
incident, which opposition and government supporters have
repudiated. As the GoV's leading prosecutor on political
cases, Anderson was pursuing cases against some 400 persons
for the April 2002 events, including most recently charging
the former Mayor of Caracas and his police chiefs for murder.
The GoV is likely to use the incident to further tar Chavez
opponents as violent and to press for greater U.S.
cooperation, with a dose of criticism, on doing something
about foes in our country. End Summary.


2. (U) At approximately 11:00 p.m. November 18, according to
press reports, the car in which Venezeulan prosecutor Danilo
Anderson was driving exploded on the streets of Caracas'
Santa Monica neighborhood. Anderson was the government's
leading prosecutor on political cases. He had pressed the
case against Baruta Mayor Henrique Capriles for allegedly
failing to protect the Cuban Embassy during the events of
April 2002. He subsequently began investigating some 400
persons for their alleged support of the short-lived
government of Pedro Carmona in April 2002. Most recently,
Anderson had begun to prosecute former Caracas Mayor Alfredo
Pena and his two highest ranking police officials, alleging
that they were responsible for the deaths of demonstrators at
the hands of the Metropolitan Police in April 2002.


3. (U) GoV authorities initially only speculated that the
victim was Anderson, and more than half a dozen officials
visited the site of the incident. Among the officials
present were Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, Ministers
Andres Izarra (Communication and Information),Rafael Ramirez
(Energy) and Jesse Chacon (Interior),Attorney General Isaias
Rodriguez, National Electoral Council director Jorge
Rodriguez, Mayors Juan Barreto and Freddy Bernal, Miranda
State Gov. Diosdado Cabello and numerous pro-GoV National
Assembly deputies. An official at the capital's morgue
confirmed that the victim was Anderson nearly twelve hours
after the incident.


4. (U) President Hugo Chavez decided to cancel his trip to
San Jose, Costa Rica to attend the Ibero-American Summit,
Communications Minister Izarra told reporters. Izarra did
not comment on whether the President intended to cancel the
rest of his foreign travel itinerary. Chavez is scheduled to
also travel to Spain, Russia and Iran on this jaunt out of
the country.


5. (U) Pro-government and opposition figures alike
repudiated the incident. Spokesperson for various political
parties called on Venezuelans to reject violence. Caracas
Mayor Juan Barreto, who had gathered a group of supporters in
front of the Public Ministry to call for a full investigation
of the incident, congratulated the opposition for condemning
the violence. VP Rangel said the GoV would investigate the
case to its fullest capacity, and called for the people to
remain serene. Rangel called the killing a brutal act of
terrorism, against dialogue and the rule of law.


6. (C) The Ambassador spoke with VP Rangel at noon November
19 to express condolences and offer any information we might
develop on the incident. Rangel asked that any communication
be through the state intelligence service (DISIP),and asked
why the U.S. had taken no steps against Orlando Urdaneta, a
Venezuelan citizen who reportedly made threatening remarks
against President Chavez on a Miami television station in
October. Ambassador responded that we so far had only
received a diplomatic note of protest on the Urdaneta matter;
should the GoV seek specific operational information or
assistance, we would respond accordingly.

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COMMENT

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7. (C) Initial reactions across the Venezuelan political
spectrum appropriately repudiate and reject this act of
violence. Unfortunately, it will likely only be a matter of
time before the GoV turns its sights to political enemies to
blame for Anderson's killing regardless of the evidence.
Anderson himself had certainly made many enemies in his
investigations, so many that conducting any full professional
investigation in itself would be daunting work. Easier
targets for the government, for example, are the dissident
military officers that have been in hiding for weeks and
months. Certainly we can expect pro-government voices to
begin chastising opponents, alleging that their desire to get
rid of President Chavez at whatever cost led to Anderson's
demise. We can also expect the GoV to set its sights on us,
directly or indirectly, pressing with a dose of criticism for
greater cooperation from us to do something about their foes
-- all who they allege to be terrorists -- in our country.


8. (C) This act of terrorism will heighten the GoV and
Chavez's fear that there are opponents who will try to kill
them. The murder also presents the GoV with an opportunity
to seek ways to crack down on all opponents, including
continuation of the cases Anderson has been prosecuting.
Brownfield


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2004CARACA03577 - CONFIDENTIAL