Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LISBON1593
2006-08-02 15:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lisbon
Cable title:  

CHAVEZ PLANS OFFICIAL VISIT TO PORTUGAL

Tags:  PREL PGOV VE PO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8479
RR RUEHAG
DE RUEHLI #1593/01 2141550
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021550Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5039
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0052
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001593 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE PO
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ PLANS OFFICIAL VISIT TO PORTUGAL

REF: LISBON 1572

Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol/Econ Officer, State Department
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001593

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE PO
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ PLANS OFFICIAL VISIT TO PORTUGAL

REF: LISBON 1572

Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol/Econ Officer, State Department
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: On July 28, local daily "Diario de Noticias"
reported Venezuelan Ambassador to Portugal, Lucas Rincon
Romero's comments that President Hugo Chavez is making plans
to travel to Portugal on an official visit sometime before
the end of October. Pol/Econ Officer paid a call MFA Latin
American Affairs Director Helena Coutinho on August 1 to
discuss further and relay U.S. concerns. Coutinho stated
that the visit, arranged during a July 23 meeting during a
refueling stop in Lisbon, had been the result of ongoing,
monthly requests from the Venezuelans since 2005. She
indicated that the GOP planned to host the visit to maintain
a working bilateral relationship with Venezuela. End
summary.

Persistence Pays Off
--------------


2. (C) Subsequent to the July 23 meeting (reftel) between
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez during a refueling stop in Lisbon,
Portugal acquiesced to Chavez's request for an official visit
to Portugal, suggesting sometime between August and late
October. MFA Latin American Affairs Director Helena Coutinho
emphasized that all meeting requests, both with the current
and past administrations, had come from the Venezuelans. She
reported that the Chavez Administration had repeatedly
requested an official meeting -- as frequently as once a
month. President Sampaio denied the requests in 2005 due to
Portugal's annoyance over the house arrest in Caracas of a
Portuguese pilot accused of drug trafficking. Sampaio
granted Chavez a pull-aside at the Ibero-American Summit in
Salamanca in October 2005, only for the opportunity to press
for a hearing on the pilot's case, according to Coutinho.
Since then, however, the Portugal-Venezuela relationship has
normalized when the pilot was acquitted and returned to
Portugal in December 2005. When Chavez requested a meeting
with either the Portuguese President or Prime Minister; PM
Socrates agreed to meet on July 23.


3. (C) Coutinho reported that both the July 23 meeting and
the planned official visit were approved in an effort to

maintain the bilateral relationship and thereby protect the
interests of the roughly 400,000 Portuguese nationals and
another 100,000 dual nationals in Venezuela. Coutinho stated
that the Venezuelan government had submitted most of its
requests through the Portuguese embassy in Caracas.

Second Official Visit for Chavez
--------------


4. (C) The Portuguese President's office and Protocol handle
the details for official visits and will schedule the timing,
agenda, and duration of the visit, according to Coutinho.
MFA will provide political background information and
"deliverables." As of right now, we have no information on
either the timing or which members of the GOP will
participate in the visit. Coutinho noted that Chavez first
traveled on an official visit in October 2001 for two days
and signed a few "low level" agreements for bilateral
cooperation. Coutinho was asked to review the current
bilateral agreements with Venezuela and list the possible
agreements that could be signed or renewed during the
upcoming visit. She said most of the bilateral agreements,
signed in the 1950s or 1960s, were no longer in force,
including air transportation, economic cooperation, cultural
exchange agreements. Portugal signed counternarcotics,
financial, and double taxation agreements with Venezuela in
the 1990s and a bilateral agreement regarding diplomatic
passports in 2001. Coutinho envisioned a similar
non-controversial agreement as part of the fall visit. "We
just want something that makes him feel good, but we don't
have anything in the pipeline, so it will probably be a
relatively unimportant document."

Media Attention Likely
--------------


5. (C) When asked about the usual media coverage for official
visits, Coutinho replied that the media usually settled for
perfunctory coverage, even with a joint press conference.
However, she expected keen interest by both the official
press pool and the general media for a Chavez visit. She
noted that Chavez was well known to have a dramatic
presentation style and would draw additional attention.

Portugal Aware of U.S. Concerns

LISBON 00001593 002 OF 002


--------------


6. (C) Pol/Econ officer reiterated the Ambassador's July 27
message to FM Amado (reftel) -- the United States is
concerned with Chavez and his political actions, both
domestic and international. Pol/Econ officer raised the
USG's concerns with Chavez' denouncements against the United
States and its allies and his praise for known human rights
violators and weapon proliferators. In particular, Pol/Econ
officer pointed out that on the same trip that Chavez met
with Socrates, he hailed Belurus as a model state and praised
Iran, demonstrating his interest in supporting nations that
Portugal strongly criticizes. In addition, Pol/Econ officer
offered the anti-NGO legislation as an example that Chavez is
undermining democratic and civil society institutions inside
Venezuela. Coutinho acknowledged that this visit could be "a
tough one" but said the interest in protecting the well-being
of Portuguese citizens in Venezuela had worn down the GOP's
resistance to hosting Chavez.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) Coutinho's candid comments indicate that Portugal is
viewing the visit as a necessary evil rather than a welcome
enhancement of relations. She acknowledged U.S. concerns
regarding Venezuela, which were stressed both by the
Ambassador and at the working level, but Coutinho implied
that the GOP has reached a point where it must accede to the
request or risk alienating Chavez. Nevertheless, it is
curious that Portugal chose to have the Prime Minister meet
with Chavez rather than selecting President Cavaco Silva, who
has the title but limited influence over Portuguese politics.
For the next visit, the GOP is likely to attempt to balance
Chavez's desire to visit with U.S. concerns. End comment.

Hoffman