TAIWAN CLAIMS VENEZUELA AND CUBA SUPPORTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004225

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CLAIMS VENEZUELA AND CUBA SUPPORTING
LEFTIST GROUPS IN NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR


Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials
assert, based on information from Central American leaders,
that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President
Fidel Castro are covertly funding opposition parties in El
Salvador and Nicaragua in hopes of replacing pro-USG
administrations with leftist governments. MOFA Latin America
Director-General Jaison Ko confidentially told AIT that
during Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's September visit to
Central America, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro reported
to Taiwan officials that Chavez is using Cuba's intelligence
network to fund Sandinista presidential candidate Daniel
Ortega in Nicaragua and the Farabundo Marti Front for
National Liberation (FMLN) opposition party in El Salvador.
Ko said that in addition to President Maduro's information,
El Salvador's former President Flores separately told Taiwan
officials that Chavez and Castro were cooperating in
Nicaragua and El Salvador.


2. (C) Ko told AIT that Taiwan is very concerned that
Sandinista and FMLN candidates will be elected president
because they are more sympathetic to the PRC and would likely
switch diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing. Ko said
that Taiwan's primary concern is Nicaragua because the
presidential election will take place in 2006 while the
election in El Salvador will not occur until 2008.
Nicaragua's Ambassador in Taiwan Luis Wong told AIT that the
pro-PRC Sandinista party has been gaining clout and could
very well win next year's election. He added that if they do
win, it is likely that they will switch ties to the PRC.
(Note: The previous Sandinista government recognized Beijing
from 1985-1990. End note).


3. (C) Ko noted that according to President Maduro and former
President Flores, high oil prices have enhanced the clout in
the region of Chavez, who has increased the flow of money and
support to anti-USG groups. Ko said that Chavez is also
providing "friendship" oil at 50-60 percent of the market
price to the Dominican Republic, another of Taiwan's
diplomatic partners. Ko said that Dominican Republic
President Fernandez is close to Chavez, who Ko maintains is
using the cheap oil to pressure Santo Domingo's ties to
Taipei. Ko also noted that Chavez is funding leftist
political parties in Bolivia.


4. (C) Comment: We do not know how original or valid these
observations are. For its part, Taiwan considers Central
America and the Caribbean to be its most important diplomatic
region and actively monitors any political movements or
activities (such as by Venezuela and Cuba) that could
jeopardize its diplomatic relationships and give the PRC the
advantage. While Taiwan does have an agenda in Central
America and is seeking closer ties with the USG, Taipei is
well positioned to glean information that is of interest to
Washington. AIT will continue to discuss such topics with
Taipei and report any information that is provided during
subsequent meetings with Taiwan officials though it is
impossible for AIT to assess their accuracy. End comment.
PAAL