OAS SYG INSULZA ON VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001379

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE AR
SUBJECT: OAS SYG INSULZA ON VENEZUELA


Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne

HARDER TIMES AHEAD IN VENEZUELA
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1. (C) On July 18, Ambassador met over breakfast in Buenos
Aires with visiting OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel
Insulza. Insulza told Ambassador that, as Secretary General,
he feels it important to show the OAS is making every effort
to work with Venezuela at this time. He said he believes
there are "harder times" ahead for democracy in Venezuela and
that, eventually, the OAS will have to weigh in, perhaps
heavily. At that moment, Insulza said, he will need to bring
more hesitant countries along and he hopes his current
forbearance will make that a bit easier.


2. (C) Insulza also relayed that, during this visit to the
region, he had noted that Argentina and Brazil seemed much
less certain that they can successfully embrace and contain
Chavez. He said he sensed more concern from discussions with
GoB and GoA interlocutors that the policy of "holding Chavez
close" is not working. His interlocutors, he said, privately
noted their concern that Chavez was becoming more radical in
his intentions as well as his words, and they were worried.

FOR KIRCHNER, ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL
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3. (C) Insulza shared his analysis that President Kirchner is
the perfect example of "all politics are local." Kichner's
policy toward Chavez, he said, is driven largely by financial
concerns, i.e. that he is using Chavez as the channel to
float Argentine bonds and that the relationship is mutually
beneficial. This explains, as well, the GoA's reluctance to
speak out on troubling developments in Venezuela and
elsewhere. At the OAS, Argentina is often very strong on the
principles of the Democratic Charter and the importance of
the OAS issuing reports. In practice, however, when pressed
to comment on specific situations, the Argentines are more
likely to defend the record of democracy in the region as
among the strongest in the world.


4. (C) Insulza noted that Argentina's bilateral dispute with
Uruguay over the papermill is a good example of Kirchner
using foreign policy for domestic purposes. Insulza said "no
way" this dispute should be in its current state, but that
Kirchner had been playing it up for local political gain. He
also noted from his long experience working bilateral and
regional issues that the Argentines in general tend to be
overly sensitive to perceived insult and slight, that they
(especially the press) tend to exaggerate conflictive issues,
and therefore one has to be careful in how one deals with
them.
WAYNE