VENEZUELA FAVORS INSULZA OVER FLORES

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000305 SIPDIS NSC FOR CBARTON USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 TAGS: PREL AORC VE OAS SUBJECT: VENEZUELA FAVORS INSULZA OVER FLORES REF: STATE 10956 Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(b ) and (d) (C) Poloff presented demarche regarding USG support for the candidacy of former Salvadoran President Francisco Flores as Secretary General of the OAS per instructions reftel to SIPDIS Venezuelan Foreign Ministry USA desk officer Javier Diaz on January 19. Diaz agreed to pass the information to his colleague, Martha Di Felice, head of the MFA's Organization of American States (OAS) Division. Di Felice told poloff January 24 that Venezuela continues to support Chilean Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza as President Chavez had publicly announced. Di Felice added that Venezuela wants to see the "institutional crisis" resolved as soon as possible and favors having an extraordinary session for the election before the OAS General Assembly in June 2005 in Fort Lauderdale. BROWNFIELD