SPAIN: EU TO BACK OAS POSITION ON VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000618 SIPDIS EUR/WE FOR J. ZIMMERMAN AND M. JOSLIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2014 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM VE SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: EU TO BACK OAS POSITION ON VENEZUELA REF: STATE 36977 Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick, reasons 1.4(B) and (D). (C) Embassy made reftel points February 23 to Ernesto de Zulueta, the MFA's Deputy Director General for Andean Community Countries. Zulueta said Spain was fully in agreement with all points in demarche but believed a Government of Spain statement on the issue would only inflame GOV sentiments against the OAS and Carter Center positions. Instead, Spain was pushing for a common EU position which Zulueta believed the Irish EU Presidency would issue in a declaration February 23. Zulueta read us a draft of the EU declaration -- the EU declaration tracked completely in substance with reftel points. Zulueta promised to inform us if it appeared the declaration would be changed in any significant way before issuance. MANZANARES