TWO IVLP CANDIDATES DROP OUT AMIDST BOLIVARIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000756 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2021 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ELAB KDEM SCUL VE SUBJECT: TWO IVLP CANDIDATES DROP OUT AMIDST BOLIVARIAN PRESSURE Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(b). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) A labor leader from the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers (CTV) and one from the National Workers Union (UNT) withdrew suddenly from the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) after one of them received threats from the government. CTV Executive Secretary Antonio Suarez said he learned from indirect contacts with the Venezuelan state security service (DISIP) that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelan (BRV) was planning to use participation in the IVLP to allege illicit links between the CTV leader and the USG. Pro-BRV UNT leader Reyes, meanwhile, used the excuse of being unable to obtain a passport to back out of the program. While we cannot confirm that the BRV was preparing to prosecute Suarez upon his return from the United States, if it is true, it is the first time we have heard of such direct pressure against IVLP participants. We are aware of subtle harassment of participants, however, and will begin tracking such cases. End summary. ¶2. (C) Antonio Suarez is the President of FEDEUNEP, the public workers federation that is affiliated with the pro-opposition CTV, where Suarez serves on the executive committee. Juan Reyes, a national coordinator for the pro-Chavez UNT, is a member of the executive committee of FENTRASEP, the Bolivarian public workers federation. Moreover, the UNT faction that Reyes represents has had a history of disagreements with the BRV, despite its professed support of the revolutionary process (see para 4). Post therefore thought that sending Suarez and Reyes together on an IVLP would provide an opportunity to facilitate dialogue within the fractured labor movement. -------------- CTV's Suarez Receives Threats -------------- ¶3. (C) Suarez told Poloff March 10 he had received word from a friend in DISIP that the BRV was hoping to use his IVLP participation as a grounds for accusing him of conspiracy, similar to the charges leveled against the directors of the NGO Sumate. It should be noted that Suarez solicited this information from his friend, a lawyer who used to work with Suarez in his union duties but now works in DISIP. Suarez added that when he met with Reyes to discuss the details of the trip, Reyes told him that he, too, had heard of the plan to accuse Suarez. Suarez asked Post if his trip could be deferred indefinitely until the political pressure subsided. (Note: It was Suarez who presented the complaint before the International Labor Organization when the government began dismissing thousands of civil servants for having signed the petition against President Hugo Chavez. Suarez expounded on these complaints in a new documentary entitled, "The Tascon List: A People Under Suspicion," which tells of the BRV's persecution of the millions of petition signers.) -------------- UNT's Reyes Goes Quiet -------------- ¶4. (C) Reyes has so far refused to answer our phone calls to confirm his participation. Suarez said Reyes admitted to him, however, that he had been told by his FENTRASEP superiors not to go. According to Suarez, Reyes planned to use the excuse that his passport was not current to bow out of the trip. Suarez said he urged Reyes to make contact with the Embassy, but Reyes said he probably would not. (Note: Reyes was the third choice for the "chavista" slot in this CARACAS 00000756 002 OF 002 IVLP. Original candidate Francisco Torrealba was elected to the National Assembly in December and regretted due to schedules. FENTRASEP President Franklin Rondon expressed interest but later withdrew because his federation announced plans to hold elections. The Torrealba/Rondon faction of UNT, allied with Bolivar State labor leader Ramon Machuca, is in fact increasingly at odds with the BRV because of the group's stand for labor union autonomy. It is possible, therefore, that the faction decided to wave Reyes off the IVLP to avoid an open conflict with the BRV, especially if the latter was preparing a trap for Suarez.) -------------- Other Cases of Harassment -------------- ¶5. (C) It is increasingly difficult to recruit IVLP candidates in Venezuela. Many public sector candidates find that the association with the United States is not career-enhancing. Others have been threatened by their bosses, or just not granted the requisite vacation time. One public sector employer told the IVLP candidate she could have the annual leave, but could not leave the country. We have heard of one case in which an employee of the pork producers federation (not a government entity) learned upon his return from the IVLP that he had been fired, allegedly for misconduct. In addition, we understand that DISIP has been tasked with finding out the names of the Guajiro indigenous people who had received USG scholarships recently. According to the source, DISIP believed that the Guajiros would be trained as information collectors in the United States. (Note: On January 26, the Ambassador presented English language study scholarships to eleven indigenous leaders from Zulia, who were a part of a larger group of microscholarship recipients who will study English at our binational national centers in Venezuela with special funding provided by the embassy. The program is earmarked for young leaders (18-30) in the political, NGO, education, and journalism fields who will benefit themselves and whose communities will benefit from their learning English.) -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) If Suarez' story is true -- and we have no means of confirming it with DISIP -- then it would be the first time that direct judicial retribution has been threatened against someone for participating in an IVLP. Since the IVLP is one of our best public diplomacy tools in the toolbox, it makes sense that the BRV would want to scare people away from the program. We have already begun cataloging harassment, whether direct or indirect, that we hear about in relation to the IVLP. BROWNFIELD