CNE DIRECTOR MEJIAS INVOLVED IN NATIONAL GUARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000527 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2014 TAGS: PGOV PHUM VE SUBJECT: CNE DIRECTOR MEJIAS INVOLVED IN NATIONAL GUARD SCUFFLE Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) An alleged attack on a National Assembly (AN) Deputy Edgar (Democratic Action) Zambrano and National Electoral Council (CNE) Director Sobella Mejias (pro-opposition) by National Guard (GN) troops as the two dined on February 7 created a political firestorm. At issue is whether GN Gen. Marcos Rojas, who was at the restaurant, ordered the supposed attack. Rojas claimed opposition-aligned Zambrano scuffled with photographers and that the GN was never involved. Some pro-GOV AN Deputies attempted to shift attention to the meeting, implying Zambrano and Mejias were conspiring to influence the CNE to accept signatures calling for a recall of President Hugo Chavez. The GN, national investigative police, AN, and Public Prosecutors Office are all investigating the incident. End Summary. -------------- Entering the Lion's Den -------------- ¶2. (C) National Assembly (AN) Deputy Edgar Zambrano (Democratic Action) accused National Guard (GN) Gen. Marcos Rojas of orchestrating an attack on himself and National Electoral Council (CNE) Director Sobella Mejias. The alleged attack occurred February 7 at the El Faro restaurant in Catia La Mar, Vargas state (near the Maiquetia International Airport). Zambrano told poloff February 10 that he and Mejias entered the restaurant at approximately 9 p.m. precisely because the presence of National Guardsman posted in the parking lot reassured them it would be safe. They sat at a table in the opposite corner from the Gen. Rojas, who was dinning at a large table with a mix of officers and civilians. Rojas confirmed February 9 that he was at the restaurant at the same time as Zambrano and Mejias. -------------- Deputy Zambrano: General Rojas Behind Attack -------------- ¶3. (C) At about 9:20 p.m., two civilian-clothed men approached their table and started taking photos. Zambrano claimed Rojas, a supporter of President Hugo Chavez, sent the men from his table to "harass and intimidate" Zambrano and Mejias, who are linked to the opposition. Zambrano explained that Gen. Rojas was baiting him into a trap, which he admitted falling into by trying to take away one of the cameras. Zambrano said the photographers asked no questions, did not identify themselves, and did not attempt to explain why they were taking the photographs, proving, Zambrano claimed, that they were civilians working for Rojas, not media photographers or concerned citizens. As he struggled with the two men for the camera, four or five National Guardsmen joined the brawl. Although Zambrano said during television interviews that he was immediately overwhelmed in the conflict, he boasted to poloff that he "got a few blows in." Zambrano leaped over a counter to get to the General's table and "plead with him to stop this barbarity." Zambrano said Rojas ignored him completely and his entourage left while National Guard troops pummeled him to the ground, handcuffed him, and lead him to the GN pickup parked outside the door. Zambrano claimed the Guardsmen beat him and called him an "enemy of the state" and accused him of conspiring with Mejias to "set a trap for the president." The Guardsmen then allegedly moved him to a truck with a canopy to conceal the continued assault before dumping him, still handcuffed, in the parking lot and departing. Zambrano estimated the confrontation took about 10 to 15 minutes. ¶4. (C) Zambrano said Mejias told him that immediately after the fight broke out, two or three members of the wait staff led her behind a cashier's counter and stood "valiantly" between her and the troops. However, armed troops eventually grabbed her by the arms, took her to the parking lot, and held her there until they dumped Zambrano and drove away. (Note: The language used to describe Mejias' treatment in media reports, for instance claiming she was "shoved" or "attacked" seemed slightly exaggerated compared to Zambrano's account. End note.) Zambrano claimed Mejias repeatedly yelled at the troops to respect Zambrano's immunity as a member of the National Assembly. She claimed after they took Zambrano out of the restaurant, the customers started singing the opposition anthem "se va, se va, se va, se va" ("he (Chavez) is going"). -------------- Uncuffed and Angry, Zambrano Strikes Back -------------- ¶5. (C) Mejias drove Zambrano back to Caracas to GN headquarters in El Paraiso. (Note: he was not arrested or taken to El Paraiso by the GN as reported initially. End Note.) There he was treated "respectfully" by two Colonels (Jaime Franklin Marquez_ and Jose Rafael Sequera Cohen) and taken to the GN's Intelligence Division where the handcuffs were finally taken off. He spent from 11:30 p.m. to 4 or 5 a.m. providing his complaint to GN officials and demanding "justice." Sunday evening Zambrano filed a complaint with the federal investigative police (CICPC),where Zambrano also received a medical examination to document a black eye, cuts and bruises on his hands and wrists (which he showed to poloff),and alleged bruises covering most of his body. Zambrano is accusing Gen. Rojas of: assault, injury, abuse of power, instigation of violence, intent to kidnap, violation of parliamentary and CNE immunity, violation of freedom of movement, violation of freedom of expression, and abuse of authority. Zambrano asserted "this is one person's fault, that animal (Rojas). I will not press charges against the soldiers for the orders of their commander." The Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Publico) announced its own investigation February 10, although Zambrano did not request it. -------------- Denials and Innuendo: Rojas "Outraged" -------------- ¶6. (C) Gen. Rojas told reporters February 9 he was "surprised and outraged" by the allegations. He said he was on his way out of the restaurant when he observed Zambrano and Mejias "arguing with some photographers" and denied that Guardsmen were involved. Rojas speculated that the photographers were likely interested in why a National Assembly deputy and a CNE director were dining together, implying that they could be plotting to influence CNE acceptance of signatures calling for Chavez's recall. Although Rojas made no direct accusation, he added that it was suspicious that Zambrano and Mejias waited two days after the incident before denouncing it. He also found it "curious" that Zambrano did not have a hoarse throat or a black eye on television Sunday night, but developed both by Monday morning, implying that Zambrano beat himself up or had someone inflict the wounds Sunday night to make his story more believable. -------------- -------------- National Assembly to Investigate Politicized Attack -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The National Assembly agreed to open an investigation of the incident during its February 10 session. "The only information we have to date has come from the media," said AN Vice President Ricardo Gutierrez, who demanded an "exhaustive" report from the Ministry of Defense. Zambrano told poloff before the session he expected Chavista support for the investigation because "they respect me" and "this was over the line." Although Gutierrez and other pro-GOV legislators expressed disdain for any "form of aggression against legislators," respect for Zambrano seemed lacking as some GOV-aligned Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) firebrands, such as Iris Valera, fiercely attacked the motives for the meeting. Valera waved copies of the photographs and demanded that the opposition "explain what is going on here." She claimed the two had previously dined on February 6 in the Caracas Hilton and claimed such meetings violated Article 294 of the Constitution, affirming CNE independence and impartiality. Zambrano replied that he met with Mejias "because I wanted to and because we live in a free and democratic country." Ultimately the AN agreed to confine the investigation to the confrontation, not the content of the meeting, however, the AN commission will consist of a majority of pro-GOV deputies, not an even split as proposed by the opposition. A proposal by Deputy Gerardo Blyde (Justice Fist) to suspend Rojas pending the outcome of the investigation was also defeated. ¶8. (C) MVR Deputy Luis Velazquez told poloff February 11 he disagreed with his colleagues' "infatuation" with the meeting. "Clearly everyone can meet with each other, I met with the old CNE directors." He added that Zambrano and Mejias were only guilty of "a lack of sense" for giving MVR extremists an opportunity to criticize the meeting at a "time of extreme tension" and that Zambrano overreacted by attacking the photographers. "People take our picture all the time in the Assembly, he should be used to it." He suspected that the photographers were indeed employees or friends of Rojas, but that they acted on their own behalf, not under the General's direction. -------------- Motives: Why Meet? Why Beat? -------------- ¶9. (C) Zambrano said he met Mejias at a restaurant precisely because "I have nothing to hide." As the opposition Assembly representative to the CNE Restructuring Committee (Deputy Willian Lara is the pro-GOV representative) he had legitimate CNE business to discuss and, in any event, there's nothing wrong or illegal about CNE directors meeting with deputies. Zambrano claimed he heard a rumor that CNE President Carrasquero meets with pro-GOV deputies Willian Lara and Luis Tascon and that it did not bother him. Velazquez confirmed that MVR leaders do met with CNE officials "as you would expect." ¶10. (C) Zambrano said Rojas wanted to scare them and symbolically intimidate the opposition, a strategy that will backfire and give the opposition a clear example of GOV bullying to rally against. He said the set-up was an impromptu brainchild of Rojas and discounted anything more organized or sinister. Both Mejias and Zambrano have spoken out publicly and often about the incident, claiming it has only galvanized their opposition to President Chavez. "I have an obligation to the Venezuelan people, and I will not allow this to intimidate me," Mejias said February 9. -------------- National Guard Accounts Schizophrenic -------------- ¶11. (C) GN Adjutant General Luis Mota told DAO Officer February 9 that it was the intelligence police (DISIP) that fought with and handcuffed Zambrano. He claimed the GN had nothing to do with the incident and that Gen. Rojas just "was in the wrong place at the wrong time." He confirmed that the GN took Zambrano's handcuffs off later, but that the handcuffs had a DISIP serial number. Mota also alluded that Zambrano may be blaming the GN to cover up an indiscretion with Mejias under investigation by the DISIP. However, another military source close to the case told DAO Officer that members of the GN company stationed in Vargas were indeed involved and accosted Zambrano. He added that one of the "photographers" was a colonel from Gen. Rojas' table who "was attacked and that is why he defended himself." -------------- Media "Testimony" Support Zambrano -------------- ¶12. (C) According to media reports February 11, employees at a pharmacy next to the restaurant claim they sold disposable cameras to two men around 9 p.m. They claim the men then rushed back into the restaurant. A anonymous witness at the restaurant backed Zambrano's story during a call-in television program February 10. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶13. (C) Clearly, Zambrano or Rojas is lying, a gutsy act considering a restaurant full of people witnessed the incident. We tend to believe Zambrano, although he is likely exaggerating and embellishing details. Rojas' argument that Zambrano waited "two days" to complain is weak. Rojas complained about the attack officially the same night (and has the documents to prove it) and went public less than a day after the attack. Because the event took place on a Saturday night, it was not in the newspapers until Monday. The fact that Iris Valera had copies of the photos February 10 and knowledge of another dinner the two had suggests there is more to this than a bad dinner. SHAPIRO NNNN 2004CARACA00527 - CONFIDENTIAL