THE HEIGHTS OF THE VENEZUELAN ANDES - AMBASSADOR'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001951 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON HQ USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF VE SUBJECT: THE HEIGHTS OF THE VENEZUELAN ANDES - AMBASSADOR'S TRIP TO MERIDA Classified By: DCM STEPHEN G. MCFARLAND FOR REASON 1.4 D -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) During a visit to the Venezuelan state of Merida on June 9 and 10, the Ambassador met with the governor, a close ally of President Hugo Chavez. This was the first time a pro-GOV governor has agreed to meet with him in 2005. The conversation was cordial, with the Governor offering to help provide insight into how Chavez thinks, as well as back-door communication. The Ambassador also had a frank conversation with the Archbishop of Merida (the leading church figure in Venezuela),as well as members of the press, the business community, opposition politicians, and the acting mayor of the city (also MVR). Press coverage of the trip was positive, including two interviews and reports on commemorating USAID donations to a center for street children and a Church-supported school for low-income children. END SUMMARY. -------------- POLITICS -------------- ¶2. (C) Governor Florencio Porras (MVR, Fifth Republic Movement) agreed to meet with the Ambassador on short notice - after his arrival in Merida June 9. The meeting took place in his residence (adorned with a portrait of Che Guevara) and was cordial, with Porras (a former Army Captain) reminiscing about a pair of military visits to the U.S. several years prior. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of open communication and offered to assist the Governor's staff in finding cultural and work exchanges, through the USG or universities. Porras acknowledged that he was close to Chavez, and offered a back-door means of communication with him, as well as a sounding board to help understand how Chavez thinks. While discussing the economy, Porras mentioned the importance of high-tech sectors in the state, and said the ambassadors of several countries had visited to explore investment in that area (though apparently, no investment has yet to materialize). Ruben Avila, Electoral Policy Director of the MVR, in comments published in "Pico Bolivar" June 14 called it a "secret meeting." Avila editorialized that he was certain the Governor had told the Ambassador not to intervene in Venezuelan internal affairs (NOTE: he did not),and that the purpose of the trip to Merida was "to strengthen an opposition that doesn't exist or to create one." ¶3. (C) The Ambassador also met with local opposition party representatives: Ramon Guevara of Accion Democratica (AD), Carlos Masini of Primero Justicia, and William Davila of Movimiento Federal. (A COPEI member was invited but did not attend.) They noted that Merida, though not a border state, had many of the problems associated with the border, such as drug trafficking, contraband, and armed groups. Even with such problems, they observed that Merida tended to be ignored by the central government. Davila (former Accion Democratica governor of Merida) said problems had been increasing in Merida since Porras took office, citing crime (including kidnappings in the western part of the state) and economic difficulties. Davila said there has also been harassment, such as tax authority SENIAT ordering hotels not to rent space for opposition parties to hold events. Carvajal said Merida was essentially an opposition town, but they weren't united enough at present to have a chance against anyone from the MVR in elections. ¶4. (SBU) There was also a brief meeting with Manuel Briceno, acting mayor (MVR) of Merida. The Ambassador floated the idea of finding a sister city in the U.S., and offered assistance in finding one, such as Santa Fe, New Mexico, because of its similarities. (Note: the Mayor, Carlos Leon, was in Spain, where according to local press he had signed an agreement with a Spanish university for an educational exchange.) Briceno, attired in a natty, bright red, MVR revolutionary T-shirt, presented the Ambassador with a Merida city pin. A meeting with the local military commander was requested, but no response was received. (Ambassador's note: I am now 0 for 14 with the military. End note.) -------------- CHURCH AND CHARITY -------------- ¶5. (C) Archbishop Baltazar Porras, the highest-ranking figure in the Catholic Church in Venezuela, offered some frank insights to the Ambassador. He compared the current situation in Venezuela to that of Nicaragua in the early Sandinista period, and said that members of the Church in Bolivia had "convincing proof" that the GOV had provided support to "Evo Morales and his group." Ambassador offered Embassy assistance to collaborate on charitable projects, not just in Merida but throughout the country, and asked for help in identifying worthwhile projects. Porras expressed his willingness to work with the Embassy. ¶6. (U) The Ambassador also visited two charitable projects. The first was an activity center for street children, which received brand-new kitchen equipment. There was massive press coverage. One of the staff told Emboff that the donation would allow them to greatly increase the number of children the center could handle on a daily basis. The second donation was to a Catholic school for low-income children run by the Jesuit NGO Fe Y Alegria. The contribution was to increase poultry and milk production, both to aid the school's self-sufficiency and to provide skill training for its students. -------------- PRESS AND THE UNIVERSITY -------------- ¶7. (U) The trip received positive press coverage, with two dailies providing extensive reports on the donation to the street children's center. The Ambassador also gave interviews to "Diario Frontera" (considered an opposition newspaper) and "Pico Bolivar" (thought to be pro-GOV - a principal owner was an MVR congressman until his recent appointment to the Supreme Court) which were published nearly in their entirety. (NOTE: Frontera was attacked late June 12 by a group of students from the local university. It appears to have been incited by anger over Frontera's report of a student's shooting death, which was accompanied by his police record, and not associated with the Ambassador's visit. END NOTE.) Pro-Chavez website aporrea.org, however, published an opinion piece June 16 that linked the violence to the Ambassador's visit, calling the trip a "bald-faced political tour." ¶8. (C) In a meeting with the Vice-Rector of Administration at the University of the Andes (ULA),Mario Bonucci, the Ambassador encouraged ULA staff and students to participate in more educational and cultural exchanges with U.S. universities. He also expressed a desire to discuss U.S.-Venezuelan relations with ULA students. Ambassador noted we had a longstanding relationship with ULA but had to avoid the violence that greeted former Rep. Klug's visit early this year if it was to continue. One of the deans present suggested arranging a DVC for that purpose, which post will explore. (NOTE: ULA students have a strong reputation for favoring left-wing ideas. Archbishop Porras called ULA "a pressure cooker ready to explode" from the growth of "Marxist thought.") -------------- DOING BUSINESS IN MERIDA -------------- ¶9. (U) The Merida Chamber of Commerce and the Merida FEDECAMARAS (joint association of all business chambers) co-hosted a lunch for the Ambassador, attended by about 50 members of the business community. Some present expressed the opinion that Merida was ignored by the central government, and the need for increased investment in the region was raised several times. The problems in Merida are similar to those faced throughout Venezuela, though perhaps worse due to the geographical isolation. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) The meeting with the Governor was a surprise, given the reticence of previous pro-Chavez governors to meet the Ambassador, as was the positive tone. It has, however, created at least a small stir within the MVR, which may not be a bad thing. The visit was positive, giving the Ambassador numerous opportunities to express - publicly and privately - the themes of increased communication and exchange between the two countries. Brownfield NNNN 2005CARACA01951 - CONFIDENTIAL