SPAIN/EU SUPPORT FOR THE VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003066 SIPDIS FOR WHA/AND AND WHA/PDA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2014 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM VE KPAO SP SUBJECT: SPAIN/EU SUPPORT FOR THE VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL REFERENDUM REF: A. (A) MADRID 2958 ¶B. (B) STATE 168747 Classified By: Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor. Reasons 1.4 (B) & (D) ¶1. (C) Following up on USOAS Ambassador Maisto's strong pitch to the GOS on the Venezuelan presidential referendum (ref a),Poloff delivered ref b points on August 10 to Javier Ignacio Martinez del Barrio, Technical Advisor to the Deputy Director for Countries within the Andean Community. Martinez told Poloff that Spain has made numerous statements in support a free and fair recall referendum in Venezuela. Martinez said that the European Union was unable to reach an agreement with the Government of Venezuela (GoV) because the EU felt the GoV did not meet EU requirements on when to pre-position monitors before the referendum and whether to give them unrestricted access to conduct monitoring activities. However, the EU decided last week to send five technical experts to assist the Venezuelan referendum under the umbrella of the OAS, Martinez explained. The EU would announce its participation in Venezuela referendum this week. Martinez added that Spain fully supports for the OAS's and Carter Center's initiatives in Venezuela. ¶2. (C) Working with Embassy Madrid's PAS, Ambassador Maisto conducted an active outreach program with the Spanish media during his late July visit. Maisto urged strong public support for a free and fair referendum in Venezuela. Media activities included: (A) El Pais interview with Ambassador Maisto on August 5. (B) Spanish National Radio (RNE) 5 network interview with Ambassador Maisto on August 5, rebroadcast on RNE Foreign Radio, heard principally in Latin America. (C) Antena 3 TV interview with Ambassador Maisto, recorded July 29 and expected to be rebroadcast on Antena 3 just before the Venezuela referendum and during the Spanish Program "Seven Days" news analysis show in mid-August. ¶3. (C) The Spanish business daily "Business Gazette" published August 11 a strongly worded editorial supporting the efforts of the opposition to save Venezuela from "the despotism colonel Chavez runs." However, we do not expect the Spanish media to report Venezuelan reaction until just before and just after the referendum. PAS will look for appropriate material from the Washington file, which we can use to develop an op-ed under the byline of the Charge or another senior USG official. MANZANARES