SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR VENEZUELA MCCARTHY'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 002626

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SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016
TAGS: PREL SNAR ECON PGOV AMGT VE
SUBJECT: SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR VENEZUELA MCCARTHY'S
MEETING WITH MFA VICE MINISTER HERNANDEZ - AUGUST 28

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Classified By: COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ROBERT DOWNES,
REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary. Special Coordinator for Venezuela McCarthy
and Charge called August 28 on MFA Vice Minister for North
America Mary Pili Hernandez. McCarthy pressed the BRV for
counter-narcotics and counterterrorism cooperation and urged
the BRV to promote continued strong bilateral commercial
ties. They also raised reciprocity issues, including the
pending U.S. request to open an American Presence Post in
Maracaibo as well as the need for an immediate solution to
the diplomatic cargo the BRV seized on August 24. Charge
also raised the importance of Venezuela playing a useful role
in Cuba's democratic transition. Making few promises in
response, Hernandez instead blamed BRV inaction on domestic
political constraints. She did pledge to ask the Ministry of
Interior and Justice about CT data-sharing and to try to seek
the release of the U.S. diplomatic cargo from the Defense
Ministry. End Summary.


2. (U) Special Coordinator for Venezuela McCarthy called
August 28 on Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Vice Minister
for North America Mary Pili Hernandez. McCarthy was joined
by the Charge, Venezuela Desk Officer Cue, and Poloff for the
one-hour meeting. Hernandez was accompanied by MFA Desk
Officer Isaedul Hernandez.

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Counternarcotics
--------------


3. (C) McCarthy urged the BRV to do more with regional
partners to counter drug-trafficking, stressing our common
law enforcement interests. Hernandez responded that the BRV
is committed to cutting off the flow of drugs into and
through Venezuela, but said Venezuela's efforts are
complicated by surrounding drug producing countries and
Venezuela's geography. The MFA Vice Minister claimed,
without command of details, that the BRV was working well
with regional and European partners and is making important
seizures inside Venezuela.


4. (C) McCarthy raised the importance of signing the addendum
to our counternarcotics agreement, explaining that we need to
work together against narco-traffickers. Hernandez said she
had hoped that the BRV would have been able to sign as a
practical reality, but said the U.S. announcement of the new
DNI manager for Cuba and Venezuela makes it politically
impossible for the BRV to sign right now. McCarthy disputed
the linkage. Hernandez punted, noting that she hoped the BRV
would find the "political space" to sign at an unspecified,
"less strident" time. Charge also raised the importance of
issuing a visa to the incoming DEA Chief, noting that
National Anti-Drug Chief Luis Correa suggested no visa would
be issued until the addendum was signed.

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Counterterrorism Data-Sharing
--------------


5. (C) McCarthy raised ongoing U.S. concerns that BRV law
enforcement authorities do not respond to U.S. data requests
regarding the movements of suspected terrorists and other
persons on the USG's "no fly" list. McCarthy underscored
that Venezuela should share a common interest in combating
international terrorism. Charge raised a specific, recent
case of BRV lack of cooperation with respect to an individual
on the no-fly list to illustrate the severity of the problem.
Noting that she was not aware of any BRV instructions to
stop the flow of such information to U.S. officials,
Hernandez said she would raise the issue with Interior and
Justice Minister Jesse Chacon.

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Commercial Relations
--------------


6. (C) McCarthy also underscored the importance the United
States attaches to its commercial relations with Venezuela.
She highlighted the USG's efforts to reach out to private
companies doing business in Venezuela and urged the BRV to do
the same with Venezuelan firms doing business in the United
States. MFA Vice Minister for North America Hernandez said

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the BRV is interested in promoting commerce between Venezuela
and the United States, despite "our political differences."
Noting that politics, "so far," had not interfered in the
bilateral economic relationship, Hernandez praised Amb.
Brownfield for averting a potential commercial airline trade
war.

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Cuba
--------------


7. (C) Citing A/S Shannon's recent statements on Cuba,
McCarthy underscored that a democratic transition has started
in Cuba and stressed that such a transition must be allowed
to take place. Charge added that Venezuela has an
opportunity to play a helpful role in promoting and defending
the same democratic rights that Venezuelans hold dear.
Hernandez responded that Cuba and Venezuela have an "entirely
different" conception of democracy than the United States and
that Venezuela does not "want an attack from Miami."


8. (C) Charge rejected Hernandez's suggestion that there are
different notions of democracy; the region had agreed on what
democracy is, and that Cuba has a dictatorship. He further
rejected Hernandez's suggestion that there was a threat of
attack from Miami. The real issue at stake in Cuba, he said,
is whether the Cuban people will get the freedoms they
deserve, and the freedoms that we in this hemisphere have
determined are their rights: the freedom of expression, the
freedom to form political parties, the freedom to choose
their own leaders, and the freedom not to be jailed for their
political beliefs. As a journalist, Charge noted, Hernandez
should be especially sensitive to the lack of such freedoms
in Cuba. Charge said that our position is that this is a
unique opportunity for Venezuela, which has a long tradition
of a free press and of democratic government, to play a
useful role in the transition to democracy in Cuba.


9. (C) Asserting that Venezuela would never be able to
"repay" the health and education support provided by the
Cuban government, the MFA Vice Minister predicted the BRV
"would be with the Cuban people under any circumstance." In
the event of a crisis, Hernandez said Venezuela would
"alleviate suffering." She opined, however, that the death
of Castro would not create a crisis, as the "people of Cuba"
would sustain their government under "new leadership."
Charge repeated that Cuba did not need a succession of the
same dictatorship, but rather a democratic transition.

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Reciprocity Issues
--------------


10. (C) Regarding the USG's pending request to open an
American Presence Post in Maracaibo, Hernandez once again
blamed BRV inaction on "internal politics." She stressed
the BRV's sensitivity to the fact that Maracaibo is a
stronghold of unity opposition candidate and Zulia Governor
Manuel Roseles. McCarthy reminded Hernandez that Venezuela
currently maintains eight consulates in the United States.
Charge also requested resolution of the BRV's August 24
search and seizure of diplomatic cargo and the household
effects of a diplomat. Noting that President Chavez was
involved in this issue, Hernandez pledged to try to secure
the Ministry of Defense's support for a diplomatic solution.
Hernandez then engaged in a lengthy soliloquy on the
importance of handling such matters through diplomatic
channels, and not as a media show. Charge agreed, but noted
that sometimes circumstances force one's hand. (Note: For
all her impassioned plea for discretion, as we left the
meeting we learned that Hernandez had just issued a press
release on her protest note to the Embassy on this incident.)


11. (C) Hernandez lamely blamed previous accreditation delays
on staffing gaps, but assured McCarthy and the Charge that
the MFA is "caught up." Charge urged Hernandez to dig
deeper; the backlog, while reduced, continues. Hernandez
noted that the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington received a
U.S. diplomatic note August 28 in which the U.S. announced
its intention to delay the accreditation of Venezuelan
diplomatic officials in the United States by eight weeks.
McCarthy noted that the diplomatic note "crossed in the
mail." The USG will not enforce the measure if not merited,

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but implementation depends on continued expeditious
functioning of the MFA's visa and accreditation process.

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I'm Your Friend, Really
--------------


12. (C) Hernandez concluded the meeting by affirming her
commitment to improve bilateral relations. "Someone with my
high profile," she continued, "is in this job to resolve
problems, not to break relations." Asked about the literal
writing on the wall ("Uh, Ah, la Vice no se va" or "Hey, Hey,
the Vice Minister is here to stay!," was written and left on
the meeting room white board),Hernandez looked embarrassed
and half-heartedly chocked the note up to an over-exuberant
office birthday party. She gave no indication that new
Foreign Minister Maduro intended to move or release her, but
strongly implied that anyone coming behind her would be even
more hardline.


13. (U) Special Coordinator for Venezuela McCarthy did not
have an opportunity to review this cable before departing
Caracas.

WHITAKER