Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MADRID3014
2006-12-07 17:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
SPAIN/VENEZUELA: ETA ISSUES SPARK SPANISH ANGER
how-toVZCZCXRO9382 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHMD #3014 3411744 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 071744Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1428 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5068 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0299 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1051 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0567 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 0987 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 1271 RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2280 RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0170 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0276
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003014
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/VENEZUELA: ETA ISSUES SPARK SPANISH ANGER
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003014
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/VENEZUELA: ETA ISSUES SPARK SPANISH ANGER
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Only hours after Spanish President Jose Luis
Rodriquez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos had called to congratulate Hugo Chavez on winning
his second presidential term on December 4, all major Spanish
media outlets seized on a report from Basque news agency
Vasco Press that Venezuela would extend citizenship to four
Spanish members of the terrorist group ETA in order to
prevent their extradition to Spain. Further, Venezuela would
pay two other Spaniards 325,000 Euros each for emotional
damages resulting from Venezuela's 2002 extradition of the
two members to Spain to face terrorism charges. The 6
individuals are collectively suspected in connection with 40
ETA-sanctioned murders and dozens of terrorist attacks in
Spain.
2. (U) Caught completely off guard, the Spanish Foreign
Ministry issued a statement December 4 saying it had no
knowledge of such an arrangement and would be in contact with
the GOBRV. The announcement came at a particularly difficult
time as President Zapatero faces mounting criticism for his
management of the still nonexistent ETA peace negotiations.
It provoked outrage and disbelief in Spain across the
political spectrum.
3. (U) By the evening of December 5, Spanish media outlets
were reporting from Caracas on the GOBRV's announcement that
it had been unaware of the agreement that, it claimed, had
been brokered unbeknownst to Chavez between a civil servant
and the attorney of the ETA members. A December 6 MFA
communique stated that no such agreement would be made, and
the responsible civil servant would be fired. Spanish media
attributed the Venezuelan about-face to strenuous lobbying by
Spanish Ambassador to Caracas Raul Morodo.
4. (U) The four ETA-members who were to receive citizenship
are Eugenio Barrutiabengoa, Lorenzo Ayestaran, Jesus Ricardo
Urteaga, and Miguel Angel Aldana. The two members extradited
in 2002 are Sebastian Etxaniz Alkorta and Juan Victor
Galarza. A 1990 extradition agreement between Venezuela and
Spain stipulates that either nation may refuse to extradite a
suspect if the suspect is a nationalized citizen.
//COMMENT//
5. (C) Spanish authorities have been working for years to
win the extradition of certain ETA members in Venezuela
(other "retired" ETA members are in Venezuela with the
agreement of the Spanish government). While Ministry of
Justice sources have previously insisted that the problems
were technical in nature and related to inefficiencies in the
Venezuelan justice system, this incident will feed suspicion
in many quarters here that Chavez is aiding active ETA
members.
Llorens
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON AND PDAS SHAPIRO
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/VENEZUELA: ETA ISSUES SPARK SPANISH ANGER
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Only hours after Spanish President Jose Luis
Rodriquez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos had called to congratulate Hugo Chavez on winning
his second presidential term on December 4, all major Spanish
media outlets seized on a report from Basque news agency
Vasco Press that Venezuela would extend citizenship to four
Spanish members of the terrorist group ETA in order to
prevent their extradition to Spain. Further, Venezuela would
pay two other Spaniards 325,000 Euros each for emotional
damages resulting from Venezuela's 2002 extradition of the
two members to Spain to face terrorism charges. The 6
individuals are collectively suspected in connection with 40
ETA-sanctioned murders and dozens of terrorist attacks in
Spain.
2. (U) Caught completely off guard, the Spanish Foreign
Ministry issued a statement December 4 saying it had no
knowledge of such an arrangement and would be in contact with
the GOBRV. The announcement came at a particularly difficult
time as President Zapatero faces mounting criticism for his
management of the still nonexistent ETA peace negotiations.
It provoked outrage and disbelief in Spain across the
political spectrum.
3. (U) By the evening of December 5, Spanish media outlets
were reporting from Caracas on the GOBRV's announcement that
it had been unaware of the agreement that, it claimed, had
been brokered unbeknownst to Chavez between a civil servant
and the attorney of the ETA members. A December 6 MFA
communique stated that no such agreement would be made, and
the responsible civil servant would be fired. Spanish media
attributed the Venezuelan about-face to strenuous lobbying by
Spanish Ambassador to Caracas Raul Morodo.
4. (U) The four ETA-members who were to receive citizenship
are Eugenio Barrutiabengoa, Lorenzo Ayestaran, Jesus Ricardo
Urteaga, and Miguel Angel Aldana. The two members extradited
in 2002 are Sebastian Etxaniz Alkorta and Juan Victor
Galarza. A 1990 extradition agreement between Venezuela and
Spain stipulates that either nation may refuse to extradite a
suspect if the suspect is a nationalized citizen.
//COMMENT//
5. (C) Spanish authorities have been working for years to
win the extradition of certain ETA members in Venezuela
(other "retired" ETA members are in Venezuela with the
agreement of the Spanish government). While Ministry of
Justice sources have previously insisted that the problems
were technical in nature and related to inefficiencies in the
Venezuelan justice system, this incident will feed suspicion
in many quarters here that Chavez is aiding active ETA
members.
Llorens