THE BRV SOAPBOX: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS THREE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 003037

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HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE
SUBJECT: THE BRV SOAPBOX: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS THREE
ANTI-AMERICAN RESOLUTIONS


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Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. The National Assembly has passed three
foreign policy resolutions in the last two weeks to lend
political support to the Chavez administration's ever more
radical foreign policy. On September 26, the National
Assembly passed both a resolution praising President Chavez'
September 20 UNGA speech and a separate resolution protesting
the "aggression" that Foreign Minster Nicolas Maduro
"suffered" September 23 at JFK (Reftel). In addition, on
October 3 the National Assembly approved a resolution
"rejecting" U.S. plans to enhance security on the border with
Mexico. With almost all important legislation on hold until
after the December 3 presidential elections, the 100 percent
pro-Chavez National Assembly is serving as an echo chamber
for Chavez' virulent anti-Americanism. End Summary.

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Praise for Chavez at UNGA
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2. (SBU) The National Assembly unanimously passed a September
26 resolution expressing full support for President Chavez's
President Chavez's infamous September 20 UNGA speech in which
he referred to President Bush as "the devil." The resolution
appears to be a reflexive defense of Chavez in the wake of
widespread international criticism of Chavez' UNGA theatrics.
The resolution specifically "rejects" the efforts of
unspecified persons to "distort" Chavez's message to the UNGA
by categorizing it as "bellicose and isolationist." MVR
Deputy Carlos Escarra introduced the resolution, stressing
that President Chavez in his UNGA speech supported a
"socialist" vision for the world to "combat the hegemony that
the United States wants to impose."

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Protesting FM's Treatment at JFK
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3. (SBU) The National Assembly also passed on September 26 a
unanimous three-page resolution "repudiating" the "outrageous
arbitrary detention (sic)" of Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro
at JFK airport on September 23 (Reftel). In addition, this
particular resolution exhorts the international community to
consider moving UN Headquarters to a "country more respectful
of international law." National Assembly President Cilia
Flores sent a signed informational copy of the resolution
printed on ceremonial letterhead to the Ambassador. In
addition, the NA resolution states that copies will be sent
to the UN Secretary General and to the U.S. Congress.

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Condemnation of U.S. Border Security Measures
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4. (SBU) On October 3, the National Assembly passed a
resolution "rejecting" the U.S. intention to construct a wall
on the southern border with Mexico. The resolution calls the
border security measure an "affront" to Mexico and all of
Latin America and expresses concern that it will foment
"xenophobia, racism, discrimination, and violations of human
rights and international law" in the United States. National
Assembly President Flores and National Assembly Foreign
Policy Commission President Saul Ortega publicly compared
wall construction along the U.S. border with Mexico to the
creation of ghettos in Nazi Germany (sic). In addition, the
same resolution urges the U.S. Congress to compensate victims
of "the war in the Middle East" and denounces the
"self-inflicted attack" ("auto atentado") on the Twin Towers
and the Pentagon (sic).

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Comment
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5. (C) In the wake of the opposition's December 2005
parliamentary election boycott, Chavez's Fifth Republic
Movement (MVR) party and its coalition partners assumed
complete control over the legislature. The 100 percent
pro-Chavez National Assembly has drafted a number of
wide-ranging proposals to assert greater control over
autonomous Venezuelan institutions and the private sector,
but is not expected to pass most, or any, of these measures
until after the December 3 presidential election. In the
interim, the "do-nothing" National Assembly is ever ready to

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parrot President Chavez' virulent anti-American rhetoric.
The fact that new National Assembly President Flores is the
common-law wife of new Foreign Minister Maduro may also be
expediting the National Assembly's cheerleading for Chavez'
ever more radical foreign policy positions.

BROWNFIELD