PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES HUGO CHAVEZ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001572

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION ADDED

NSC FOR JUDY ANSLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2016
TAGS: PO VE
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES HUGO CHAVEZ
WITH AMBASSADOR

REF: A) LISBON 1511 B) LISBON 408 C) LISBON 391

LISBON 00001572 001.3 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: MATT HARRINGTON, POLITICAL OFFICER, STATE
DEPARTMENT, REASON: 1.4 (B) & (C).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) The Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Luis Amado
to get a readout of Prime Minister Socrates's July 23 meeting
with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, which occurred during the
latter's refueling stopover at the Lisbon Airport. The
Ambassador expressed strong concern about Venezuela's
military buildup and noted that the optics of the July 23
meeting were unfortunate -- particularly since Chavez was
visiting Belarus, Iran, and Russia on the same trip. The GOP
believes engaging Chavez is more effective than isolating
him, and that hearing a common-sense message from countries
such as Portugal will offset the populist nonsense he hears
from leaders like Belarus President Lukashenko and Iranian
President Ahmadinejad. Portugal treads very carefully in its
relationship with Chavez, since 600,000 citizens live in
Venezuela, the largest Portuguese community outside Europe.
Socrates delivered some tough messages and underscored
Portugal's strong relationship with the United States.
According to press reports, the Prime Minister also discussed
boosting economic ties, including the possibility of mutual
oil interests. End Summary.


2. (C) Amado told the Ambassador that Prime Minister
Socrates learned late on Friday, July 21, that Hugo Chavez
would be making a refueling stop at the Lisbon Airport two
days later and had requested a meeting with Socrates. The
Prime Minister felt obligated to meet him and asked Amado to
give the Ambassador a heads-up, as he expected the meeting
would be viewed with suspicion in Washington. "I completely
forgot," Amado claimed, and "the Prime Minister even asked me
when I arrived at the airport (to join the meeting) whether I
had spoken with you."


3. (C) Amado said Socrates and Chavez had met several times
before at multilateral meetings and enjoy a friendly rapport.
The Prime Minister delivered some tough messages, according
to Amado, on the importance of regional stability and
political dialogue, and he emphasized the importance of
transatlantic relations. Socrates also underscored to Chavez
Portugal's strong alliance with the United States, and
offered to help address difficulties in the U.S.-Venezuela
relationship. Chavez, Amado recalled, immediately dismissed
that offer, saying that many people had tried in the past and
implying that his differences with the U.S. were not so easy
to resolve. Chavez told Socrates that he previously had
enjoyed a good relationship with President Bush, Sr., who
used to go on fishing expeditions in Venezuela.


4. (C) Amado said the presence of 600,000 Portuguese
citizens in Venezuela, the largest community of Portuguese
outside Europe, requires the GOP to pay very close attention
to that bilateral relationship, which is marked by periodic
tensions. The Ambassador recalled Socrates's comment to
President Bush, Sr. in March (ref C) that it is important to
keep Chavez engaged, and the former president's response that
Chavez's intensely personal rhetoric against U.S. leaders
makes engagement difficult. The Ambassador said he
understood Portugal's position but noted that the optics were
strange, as Portugal was one stop for Chavez in a trip that
included Belarus, Iran, and, originally, North Korea. The
timing of the meeting was unfortunate, as well, as it
occurred the day before the Ambassador called the National
Security Council to discuss PM Socrates's interest in a
meeting with President Bush.


5. (C) Chavez, the Ambassador said, has chosen to make the
U.S. his enemy and his effort to build up a major military
capacity raises troubling questions about his intentions.
Yes, absolutely, Amada agreed. "We definitely need to deal
with this personality very carefully." He said Portugal's
only intention is to be an honest broker. Someone "from our
side" has to talk to him from time to time; he needs to hear
messages from those who think like we think. Otherwise,
Amado cautioned, Chavez will develop a skewed perception of
reality if he only has contact with people like Lukashenko
and Ahmadinejad. Chavez is "a smart guy, populist, and
emotional, but I don't see him as irrational," Amado
commented. His actions are in fact very rational. Amado
contended that Chavez's criticisms of the United States are
grounded in the reality of recent political trends in South
America, particularly a growing anti-Americanism. Amado
expressed his view that Europe has a role to play in that
region in softening that political dynamic.


LISBON 00001572 002.3 OF 002


Comment
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6. (C) We have had many discussions with senior Portuguese
officials about Venezuela, and it is clear they share our
concerns about his domestic policies and the threat he poses
to regional stability. That said, the GOP is very careful to
avoid taking any actions it believes might affect the
well-being of the large Portuguese community in Venezuela.
For instance, Portugal has decided to support Guatemala over
Venezuela in the upcoming election for a UN Security Council
seat and to encourage -- very quietly -- its former African
colonies to do the same, but it is very nervous about the
potential impact of that decision on its citizens in
Venezuela. We suspect that concern was the primary reason
Socrates agreed to Chavez's request for a meeting, and not
any desire to cozy up to a leader he considers unpredictable
and potentially dangerous. Although Amado did not mention
it, media reports indicated that Socrates and Chavez
discussed the possibility of boosting economic ties,
including in the oil sector.

HOFFMAN