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).

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Summary
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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.

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NTM Complies But Appeals
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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


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25 Missionary Houses Abandoned
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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.

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Other Groups Leaving
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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.

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Bolstering NTM's Venezuelan Face
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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.)

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Comment
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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