AMBASSADOR VISITS CHAVEZ'S HOME STATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 001680 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD COPENHAGEN FOR DLAWTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2031 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC ECON EAGR EIND VE SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS CHAVEZ'S HOME STATE REF: CARACAS 1037 CARACAS 00001680 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(b). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Ambassador traveled to Barinas on May 18, visiting two USAID projects and a radio station, and meeting with the local bishop and civic leaders. Surprisingly, no untoward incidents marred the visit of the Ambassador to the heart of chavismo, Chavez's home state. The Ambassador requested audiences with both the state's governor - President Chavez's father - and the city's mayor, as well as the local garrison commander of the Venezuelan National Guard. As expected, none of these requests was granted. The Ambassador met with various sectors and political party representatives in Barinas, although it appears certain groups did face intimidation and chose not to meet with the Ambassador. Accusations that a DISIP (Venezuelan intelligence) agent had infiltrated a press event spiced up press coverage of the visit. END SUMMARY -------------- USAID PROJECTS IN BARINAS -------------- ¶2. (U) The Ambassador visited the southeastern "plains" state of Barinas - President Chavez's place of birth - on May ¶18. He visited a child care center that is the beneficiary of a $24,000 USAID grant for the rehabilitation of two community nurseries in Barinas. While there, the Ambassador met with approximately a dozen staff members and 25-30 children, and unveiled a commemorative plaque marking USAID's donation. (NOTE: The Ambassador was unable to visit the second nursery because the state government chose that day and time to forcibly remove a group of squatters from an adjacent building.) The second USAID event on this trip involved a children's baseball complex, where the Ambassador presided over a ceremony inaugurating the newly-rehabilitated facility for the baseball academy. USAID provided $19,000 for the rehabilitation of the facility and the donation of baseball equipment. Nearly three hundred children benefit from this funding. (NOTE: The baseball academy consists of five children's teams. Only three of the five teams participated in the Ambassador's visit; the two remaining teams appear to have succumbed to pressure not to participate). -------------- AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH CIVIC LEADERS -------------- ¶3. (C) A local NGO leader in Barinas assembled a gathering of approximately 30 civic leaders to receive the Ambassador in a closed-door session. The gathering included representatives from several political parties, including the ruling Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) and opposition parties Primero Justicia and COPEI. The leaders unanimously praised the efforts of local NGO Centers for Local Development Initiatives (CIDEL) to gather civic leaders at various roundtables to discuss and strengthen citizen participation. During this session elements of dissent within chavismo were strikingly evident. A state MVR representative addressed the Ambassador, emphatically stating he was a Bolivarian, while at the same time, in a most non-Bolivarian fashion, appealed to the Ambassador for continued support of citizen participation and municipal oversight programs. Based on the numbers of participants and the frankness of their comments, this forum was clearly seen as an opportunity to air concerns and observations. It was evident that the primary target of these leaders' messages was their fellow leaders. CARACAS 00001680 002.2 OF 003 ¶4. (C) The Vice President of the federal cattlemen's association, Manuel Cipriano, hosted the Ambassador for a working lunch at his home. Cipriano gathered a half-dozen representatives of the Barinas cattle industry to share their views on the current state of the cattle industry in Barinas. Given this opportunity to speak freely with the Ambassador, the cattlemen expressed genuine concern that their livelihood exists at the mercy of the local government. They operate in constant fear that their land will be the next target of expropriation in the name of the "revolution." (NOTE: This lunch was originally to include local business leaders, as well, but the Barinas chapter of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce begged off due to fears of repercussions.) ¶5. (C) Civic leaders from all sectors expounded on the numerous municipal construction projects throughout Barinas. One day's journey through Barinas was enough to see that there was very little economic foundation to provide the resources to support the myriad projects briefed to the Ambassador. The state of Barinas's lack of a solid economic base suggests significant political backing and funneling of funds from Barinas's favorite son currently residing in Miraflores (the presidential palace in Caracas). -------------- THE BISHOP OF BARINAS -------------- ¶6. (C) The local bishop, Monsignor Ramon Linares, received the Ambassador at the Episcopal Palace of Barinas. The Ambassador and the bishop discussed their concerns about the waning viability of various democratic institutions in Venezuela. The Ambassador conveyed a belief that over the next half-decade, the Church is likely to assume the role of one of the very few remaining independent institutions. The Ambassador expressed his willingness to serve as a conduit to reach out to the community and collaborate with the Church on any number of social programs. The two also discussed the possibility of a papal visit to the BRV, perhaps as part of the Pope's scheduled visit to Brazil in 2007. -------------- DAMN YANKEES! -------------- ¶7. (C) A local radio station besieged the Ambassador with an impromptu press conference. During this event, he jokingly stated he would not take any questions from a cameraman wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap (NOTE: The Ambassador's jocular demeanor was aimed at the apparent cameraman's choice of teams.) Unbeknownst to the traveling party, local reporters uncovered the individual as a DISIP (secret police) agent. One paper distorted the Ambassador's comments to make it seem as though he was singling out the individual as a spy. In fact, the local press uncovered the impostor, and if anybody demonstrated any rancor with the situation, it was the press, not the Ambassador. -------------- SECURITY...NO THUGS -------------- ¶8. (C) From a security perspective, Post planned for the worst on this trip to Chavez's home state. If the chavistas wanted to send another message like that delivered in Coche on April 7 (reftel),a visit to the cradle of Chavismo might be the place. Accordingly, some concern was raised the evening before the visit, when the governor's office indicated to the A/RSO that it was not going to provide any police support for the Ambassador's travel, so that we would have to rely on DISIP (Venezuelan intelligence) for support. Coincidentally, the Ambassador met with Vice Minister for North American and Multilateral Affairs Maria Pilar CARACAS 00001680 003.2 OF 003 Hernandez, at her request, the evening before traveling to Barinas. The Ambassador noted that his experiences from previous visits suggested that when state governments have eschewed responsibility, violent protests have been organized. Hernandez said that she could not give orders to the state government, but would work through other channels to ensure there were no incidents. Concurrently, the DCM reiterated concerns in a call to the Vice President's Chief of Staff, who indicated he would approach the state government on this issue. As it turned out, police support provided was minimal; the Ambassador was escorted by two motorcycle municipal police officers over the course of the day. We encountered no demonstrations or government-organized protests. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) The state of Barinas is unquestionably in the hands of Chavez and his ruling MVR. The state is Chavez's birthplace; his father is the governor; a brother is the state's secretary of state; yet another brother is mayor of one of the state's eleven municipalities. While the MVR clearly runs this state, there are indicators that their hold is less than ironclad. As seen in the Ambassador's meeting with civic leaders, there are dissenting voices willing to stand up and be heard (at least behind closed doors with no press present). That nothing untoward happened on the security front appears to be the result of a conscious chavista apparatus decision. Whether they realized things went too far in Coche, or that they were embarrassed internationally by those events, or both, the chavistas have at this point moved away from this tactic. WHITAKER