VENEVUELAN VICE PRESIDENT RANGEL ON BILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003788

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2014
TAGS: PREL VE US
SUBJECT: VENEVUELAN VICE PRESIDENT RANGEL ON BILATERAL
ACCESS

Classified By: DCM Stephen McFarland


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met December 8 with Vice
President Rangel to get a read on bilateral access.
Stressing he would meet with GOV officials at whatever level
the GOV determined, the Amb noted the relatively restricted
current access to the GOV made it more difficult to address
issues in our bilateral relationship. Rangel initially took
a stand on reciprocity -- Amb Alvarez_ did not have much
access in Washington -- but agreed to facilatate meetings
with the Ministers of Interior/Justice, Foreign Relations,
and Education. The Ambassador also raised the many USG
programs/visits that have been turned down or withdrawn from
by GOV officials; Rangel said this did not reflect GOV
policy, but he agreed to review the list the Ambassador
provided. In subsequent statements to the press, the
Ambassador made clear that the GOV should listen to the
criticisms made by human rights and press freedom NGOs
regarding the new media law. End Summary.


2. (C) The Ambassador, joined by the DCM, met with Vice
President Jose Vicente Rangel and chief of staff Amb Rene
Arreaza on December 8. The Ambassador reminded Rangel that
he had promised to assist the Ambassador in meeting key
members of the GOV. He said that two months after presenting
credentials, he had only met three cabinet ministers, two of
whom had already resigned. The Ambassador stressed that he
did not stand on protocol, and of course would be willing to
meet with vice ministers or office directors -- with whomever
the GOV designated who could speak with authority Did this
situation reflect, he asked, a lack of GOV interest in the
bilateral relationship, or skittishness on the part of
individual ministers? Neither, said Rangel, what it
reflected was the GOV's concern that its Ambassador to the
U.S., Amb. Bernardo Alvarez_, was not received at an
appropriately high level in the USG; reciprocity was very
important, as was rank.


3. (C) The Ambassador responded that Alvarez_ had never
complained to him about lack of access; Rangel said that
Alvarez_ had done so with him. Rangel urged that the USG look
at improving Alvarez_' access within State and other agencies.
The Ambassador repeated that in his case, he was not
insisting on meeting with higher-ranking officials; he only
wanted to be able to meet with officials who could discuss
and act upon our various bilateral issues. Rangel eventually
offered to facilitate meetings for the Ambassador with
Interior Minister Chacon, new Foreign Minister Rodriguez, and
Education Minister Isturiz.


4. (C) The Vice President asked about the recent denial of
visas to a Venezuelan bicycling group; the Ambassador replied
that the denial resulted from fraudulent documents,
apparently on the letterhead of the Vice Ministry of Sports.
The Sports Vice minister has ducked our requests for a
meeting for six months; this incident underscored the need
for bilateral meetings and dialogue. Rangel agreed.


5. (U) In responding to press queries after the visit about
the new media content law, the Ambassador stressed that the
GOV should listen to the observations and criticisms of the
law made public by international human rights and press
freedom groups.


6. (C) Comment: The Ambassador spoke to Amb. Alvarez_ in
Washington after the meeting. Alvarez_ made clear that he and
Rangel had discussed and coordinated the reciprocity argument
before the meeting. The GOV has made its points about
wanting higher level contact in Washington; that said, Rangel
conceded that it would be good to facilitate some additional
Embassy-Gov high level contacts. Rangel is loyal to his
government and is no friend of the U.S., but he probably
prefers more rather than less contact with the US Embassy.

Brownfield


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