ITALY: CONFIDENT OF EU SUPPORT FOR OAS IN VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001683 SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2014 TAGS: KDEM VE IT PGOV PREL SUBJECT: ITALY: CONFIDENT OF EU SUPPORT FOR OAS IN VENEZUELA REF: STATE 91381 CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) DANIELE RAMPAZZO, MFA SOUTH AMERICA OFFICE DIRECTOR, REPORTED THAT ITALY AND THE EU STRONGLY SHARE USG VIEWS ON THE NEED TO KEEP THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) AND THE CARTER CENTER FUNCTIONING AS OBSERVERS IN VENEZUELA. HE SAID THAT ITALY AND OTHER EU MEMBER STATES ARE URGING THE EC TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND THAT ALTHOUGH THE EC HAD REQUESTED CLARIFICATION ON THE USE OF FUNDS BY THE OAS A FEW MONTHS AGO, HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT FINANCIAL SUPPORT WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. HE DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FIGURES, EXPLAINING THAT THE FUNDING ISSUE WAS BEING DISCUSSED IN BRUSSELS. ¶2. (C) RAMPAZZO WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE RECALL REFERENDUM PROCESS. HE STATED THAT ALL PARTIES HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE ON THE RULES AND PROCEDURES AND WERE IRONING OUT DETAILS ON THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF POLLING STATIONS AND THE VERIFICATION OF SIGNATURES. SINCE MOST OF THE SIGNATURES ARE FROM THE CARACAS AREA, THE OPPOSITION IS CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT STATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE VERIFICATION. RAMPAZZO WAS CONFIDENT THAT THIS ISSUE WOULD BE RESOLVED IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS AND STATED THAT ACCORDING TO THE VENEZUELAN NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL, THE VERIFICATION PROCEDURE WOULD BE COMPLETED BY LATE-MAY AND A VOTE ON THE REFERENDUM WOULD TAKE PLACE IN EARLY AUGUST. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01683 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL