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

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Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(b).

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Summary
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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

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USAID PROJECTS IN BARINAS
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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).

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AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH CIVIC LEADERS
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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.

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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).

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THE BISHOP OF BARINAS
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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.

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DAMN YANKEES!
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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.

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SECURITY...NO THUGS
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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

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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.

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COMMENT
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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