NEW TRIBES MISSION COMPLYING WITH WITHDRAWAL ORDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 000484 SIPDIS SIPDIS DRL/IRF FOR LISTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2021 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF KDEM CACS VE SUBJECT: NEW TRIBES MISSION COMPLYING WITH WITHDRAWAL ORDER REF: A. 05 CARACAS 3561 ¶B. 05 CARACAS 3757 Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(b). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The New Tribes Mission (NTM) has removed all of its personnel from indigenous tribal areas in compliance with the February 12 deadline given by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV). The Supreme Court (TSJ) on February 3 denied NTM's request for a stay of the Interior Ministry's November resolution ordering the withdrawal. However, the Court accepted NTM's case alleging they had been denied the constitutional right to freedom of expression. NTM has had to abandon some 25 houses in the jungle areas, but hopes to sell its properties elsewhere in Venezuela where title is clear. At least two other mission groups associated with NTM have either left the country or have reduced their staff in Venezuela. The group is holding talks with local Evangelical leaders to develop plans for a Venezuelan successor organization that can build on NTM's 59 years working in Venezuela. NTM has asked that the Embassy maintain its low profile on the issue while the court case proceeds, but we may need to speak out if other groups are put at risk. End summary. -------------- NTM Complies But Appeals -------------- ¶2. (C) The NTM President told Poloff February 15 the Evangelical mission organization had pulled all of its personnel out of the indigenous areas by February 9. NTM announced publicly it had complied with the Ministry of Interior's November 14 resolution rescinding, with 90 days' notice, permission granted in 1953 for the group to operate freely among indigenous tribes. NTM reported that the majority of its missionaries had left the country on furlough, though it was likely most would be reassigned. About half a dozen missionaries resigned and left the country, the NTM President added. He noted that NTM had borne all costs associated with the withdrawal, receiving no assistance from the military units that regularly visited NTM sites to monitor NTM's compliance. (Note: Press reporting on the issue has consistently confused the order to leave indigenous areas with an expulsion order to leave the country. President Chavez announced October 12 that the group was spying on behalf of the USG and would have to depart the country. No expulsion order was given, however, though obviously an organization specializing in indigenous work would eventually leave the country if it is denied access to indigenous areas.) 3.(C) The TSJ on February 3 rejected NTM's motion for a stay of the withdrawal order while its appeal of the ministerial resolution is pending. NTM had argued that as a duly registered religious organization in Venezuela, it enjoyed freedom of religious expression rights, which were violated by the ministerial resolution. On February 13, the Court assigned NTM's case to a magistrate in the Administrative Policy Chamber. NTM officials had no indications from the Court whether the case would be disposed of more rapidly than the six months to a year normally expected of such cases. The NTM President had little hope the TSJ would side with them, however. CARACAS 00000484 002 OF 003 -------------- 25 Missionary Houses Abandoned -------------- ¶4. (C) In complying with the order, NTM was forced abandon some 25 houses in the indigenous areas. NTM constructed the houses in jungle areas where proper land titling procedures were not practiced, NTM officials said. One key exception is NTM's facility at Tamatama in Amazonas State, where the group has more than a dozen modern homes and other buildings. The NTM President said the governor of Amazonas had, in fact, offered the group US$700,000 for the facility with the intention of converting it into a Bolivarian University for the indigenous. NTM officials quickly added, however, that the governor's offer was a low-ball and had not yet materialized in writing. In addition to this property, NTM owns some houses and apartments in Caracas, Puerto Ayacucho, and Puerto Ordaz (its headquarters),to which the organization has clear title and would presumably be allowed to sell at its leisure. In all, the NTM President estimated that all of its real estate holdings in Venezuela exceeded US$2 million. NTM has also removed two Cessna airplanes from the country, though one remains stuck in Venezuela due to paperwork difficulties. -------------- Other Groups Leaving -------------- ¶5. (C) Separately, Post is aware of two other indigenous missionary groups that have drawn down personnel. An NTM offshoot called Mision Padamo sent most of its missionaries back to the United States, effectively abandoning its Esmeralda base. Recent e-mails from the group indicate that at least one Amcit missionary had stayed behind as a caretaker for fear of being accused of abandoning the property. There was a report that military units in the area had temporarily denied gasoline purchases for the Esmeralda base. Also, Mission Aviation Fellowship, known locally as "Alas de Socorro" and Mision Paramo's only air-bridge to Puerto Ayacucho, reportedly left the country with its two aircraft and will re-assess its continued presence in Venezuela in the coming weeks. -------------- Bolstering NTM's Venezuelan Face -------------- ¶6. (C) NTM is now in talks with leaders of the Venezuelan Evangelical Council (CEV) over how to continue its mission work in the indigenous tribes. Local Evangelical leaders had criticized the organization for maintaining heavy foreign-missionary presence even after similar allegations of cultural interference were made in the 80s. The NTM President said their plan now is to disband NTM quietly for the next two years while founding a new organization under Venezuelan leadership that can continue where NTM left off. The NTM President expressed some concern about being seen as associating closely with the Embassy, given Chavez' recent accusations that Embassy personnel were engaged in espionage. (Note: The NTM President, in fact, had agreed to see the Ambassador on February 15 but backed out at the last minute at his lawyer's suggestion for fear of being accused of conspiring with the USG. Poloff met with NTM officials instead at a discreet location.) -------------- Comment -------------- CARACAS 00000484 003 OF 003 ¶7. (C) The message here is that the BRV, offering little explanation or evidence of wrongdoing, is cutting off yet another societal contact between the United States and Venezuela. Given NTM's nervousness, we have not called the BRV out on this apparent violation of religious expression, though the opportunity will present itself when the TSJ decides against them. WHITAKER