NEW CHILEAN AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001110

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/AND, INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL CI VZ
SUBJECT: NEW CHILEAN AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA


Classified By: Ambassador Craig A. Kelly. Reasons: 1.4 (b and d).


1. (U) The Chilean press reported on May 23 that the
Venezuelan government had extended agrement to Claudio Huepe,
Chile's ambassador-designate to Venezuela. Huepe, a member
of Chile's centrist Christian Democrat party and a government
spokesman under former President Lagos (2000-02),lived in
Venezuela for five of his eleven years in exile (1980-84)
during the Pinochet era. There, he worked as a UN advisor to
the Venezuelan Planning Ministry and the National Commission
for Scientific and Technological Research, according to past
Embassy reporting. Huepe is not a career diplomat and has
not previously served as an ambassador. His experience in
Venezuela, including relations with members of the Chavez
government (including Jorge Giordani) and the Venezuelan
opposition, were factors in his appointment, according to
press reports.


2. (C) Outgoing Christian Democrat party international
relations director Tomas Jocelyn-Holt characterized Huepe to
Poloff on May 23 as "pro Chavez." He said that Foreign
Minister Foxley had appointed Huepe because of his personal
relationship with Foxley (who is also a Christian Democrat),
Huepe's past experience in Venezuela, and his relations with
members of the Chavez administration. Jocelyn-Holt said he
was unaware of any business experience (e.g., energy) that
Huepe might possess that might also have qualified him for
the position. (Note: Because Jocelyn-Holt is partially
disgruntled that he did not get the position in the
administration he had hoped for after working on Bachelet's
campaign, we take his comments about Huepe and Venezuela with
a grain of salt. End note.)


3. (U) Bio note: Huepe was born in 1939. He received a
degree in civil engineering from Chile's Catholic University,
and a master's degree in economic development from Williams
College. During the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva,
Huepe served as governor of Arauco province before being
elected deputy in 1969. He was re-elected to Congress in
1973, but following the military coup was detained for three
months. In 1975, he went into exile, first to the United
Kingdom and then to Venezuela. In 1984, he returned to Chile
and emerged as a leader of the Democratic Alliance, a
coalition of political parties that led the opposition to the
Pinochet government. Huepe also served as vice president of
the Christian Democrat party during this time. In 1989,
Huepe was elected a deputy in Congress. He served as deputy
minister under former President Frei from 1997-2000, and as
Lagos' first spokesman from 2000-2002. Huepe is married and
has three children.
KELLY