DAS DIRECTOR PENATE ON VENEZUELA

S E C R E T BOGOTA 000435 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2016 TAGS: PINR PREL CO SUBJECT: DAS DIRECTOR PENATE ON VENEZUELA REF: BOGOTA 11814 Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, Reason 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (S) At a British Embassy dinner on January 14, Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS, roughly the FBI equivalent) Director Andres Penate told polcouns that Hugo Chavez's entourage remains convinced there is a U.S.-directed conspiracy to kill Chavez with support from Colombia. Penate said he found the views of GOV officials on U.S. assistance to Colombia, internal Colombian politics and other matters alarmingly skewed. Much more so than he expected. Penate, who is strongly pro-American, has advocated an enhanced U.S.-Colombia defense relationship, and believes Chavez is dangerous and potentially destabilizing, acknowledged that Colombians and Venezuelans "behind closed doors" cannot help but like each other. "This sometimes gets in the way," he said. He suggested that the ambivalence is not too different from the way many Latins feel about Fidel Castro. While most know intellectually that Castro is a dictator, human rights abuser and international criminal, they remain awed by him and cannot help but like Cubans personally. ¶2. (C) When Penate visited Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Jesse Chacon in late December to discuss GOV charges that GOC military officials were working with former Venezuelan military officers to overthrow Hugo Chavez (reftel),two things struck him about Chacon: (1) While subordinates put the finishing touches on a document, Penate suggested that he and Chacon go off and eat at a nearby, well-known restaurant. Chacon begged off, saying he was reluctant to visit restaurants these days. Customers tended to verbally abuse him --"break plates and yell at me" about various government-related issues. Penate told polcouns his experience in Bogota restaurants was just the opposite. When people recognized him, they sent over bottles of wine or approached his table with expressions of praise or gratitude. (2) Penate was also struck by how Cuba-oriented Chacon was. Chacon had never visited Bogota but could not count how many times he had been to Cuba. The walls of Chacon's office were covered by Cuban memorabilia, including pictures with this or that Cuban government official. Penate said he learned that promising young Venezuelan diplomats now travel to Havana for three months of training and then return to take up posts reserved for senior diplomats. Many senior Venezuelan diplomats are on extended leave, said Penate. The GOV is careful not to fire them for fear foreigners would interpret it as politically-motivated. But they are effectively sidelined. ¶3. (U) Penate said Chacon is scheduled to visit Bogota the week of January 16, for follow-on discussions regarding the security situation on the border. Penate said the binational security project would focus on fighting drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion as well as the detection and elimination of illicit crops. WOOD