RCTV CLOSURE: PROTESTS ENDURE, TEST BRV

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 001055

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: RCTV CLOSURE: PROTESTS ENDURE, TEST BRV

REF: CARACAS 01016

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Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES FOR 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary: Pro-RCTV marches have continued since May 27
as university students and other RCTV supporters have held
protests around the country, blocking major roads. While
typically not large--up to several thousand participants--the
demonstrations are widespread, occurring in Caracas and in
outlying states. The Metropolitan Police, with help from the
National Guard, used water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets
and bean bags to disperse marches on March 27-29, resulting
in several serious injuries. Almost 200 people have been
detained in relation to the protests, including 100 minors
and one Amcit. After two days of silence, President Chavez
in a televised May 29 speech called out his supporters to
"defend the revolution" and threatened to crack down on the
opposition cable station Globovision and other media. More
opposition and student demonstrations are scheduled
throughout the country for the afternoon of May 30. End
Summary.

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RCTV Protests Continue and Grow
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2. (U) Protests for and against the closure of RCTV
intensified from May 25 to 29, resulting in a few injuries
and several arrests. The BRV beefed up security in and
around Caracas May 25, bringing in National Guard units and
armored trucks to back up the Metropolitan Police in
anticipation of further demonstrations. Emboffs witnessed
generally peaceful marches in Caracas, some of which were
forcefully dispersed by BRV authorities:

--May 25: Students from several universities held isolated
protests in Caracas. The Metropolitan Police attempted to
disperse crowds. That evening, the pro-Chavez group that
vandalized Fedecamaras May 24 (Reftel) struck again, this
time targeting opposition-oriented cable news station
Globovision. No injuries were reported. In fact, the group
openly allowed their activities to be recorded and did not
threaten Globovision's cameramen. Police and National Guard
arrived after the radicals had completed their work.

-- May 26: The opposition National Resistance Movement led
the largest solidarity march to date on RCTV, and the largest
opposition demonstration since the December 2006 presidential
election. Thousands of RCTV supporters gathered at Plaza
Morelos near downtown Caracas and marched to RCTV
headquarters in the western part of the city. Local
entertainers and prominent opposition politicians addressed
the crowds. After the march, some participants proceeded to
Globovision to repair damages from the night before. At 8 pm
that night, RCTV supporters initiated cacerolazos (pot
banging protests) that have since continued every night at
the same time.

-- May 27: Thousands of participants (though not as many as
the day before) met in three different areas and marched to
the Ministry of Telecommunications (Conatel) in the upscale
Las Mercedes neighborhood, where they held a vigil. The
demonstration was peaceful and Metropolitan Police and
National Guard officials with whom PolCouns talked at the
scene did not appear concerned or threatened. As the crowd
was beginning to thin out, however, authorities apparently
received the order to disband the crowd, which they did using
water canons, tear gas, and according to at least one report,
rubber bullets. Several people were injured trying to flee
the scene, including one of the rally's organizers, Antonio
Ledezma, who as of May 29 was still in intensive care. Local
press reports say five people were arrested in connection
with the demonstrations.

Remnants of the crowd convened in Altamira, some distance
from Conatel, after the vigil. BRV security forces also
forcefully dispersed that group. Unlike in Las Mercedes,
there were reports of burning barricades and of unidentified
elements allegedly throwing debris at BRV authorities, which
may have triggered the heavy-handed response.

-- May 28: University students in several cities held
peaceful rallies to protest the BRV's use of force the night
before and the closure of RCTV, resulting in some injuries
and road closures. In Caracas, there were sporadic
encounters between Metropolitan Police backed up by the
National Guard as students attempted to join forces and the

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police tried to keep them dispersed. Police used tear gas
and fired rubber bullets/bean bags to prevent University of
Simon Bolivar students from leaving campus. Perhaps more
than ten thousand students from the other major universities
managed to meet at Brion Plaza in Chacaito in Caracas. The
event appeared to be peaceful until mid-afternoon when
police, claiming that students were throwing things at them,
moved in with tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the
crowd. Within 20 minutes the students returned to continue
their peaceful demonstration, only to be forcefully dispersed
again a couple hours later.

Protests outside of Caracas continued. In Carabobo State,
pro-government supporters reportedly attacked a group of
students protesting RCTV's closure. Several injuries were
reported. Students in Maracay, Anzoategui, Zulia, and
Bolivar states blocked main traffic arteries. Clashes
between protesting students and state police in Tachira
resulted in about 25 injuries, according to state
authorities.

-- May 29: Chacao Mayor Leopoldo Lopez told reporters that 97
protests were officially reported nationwide. Post received
reports of pro-RCTV student marches in Aragua, Zulia,
Anzoategui, Carabobo, Barinas, Tachira, Trujillo, and Nueva
Esparta States. Some student leaders have reportedly called
for a nationwide student strike. A pro-RCTV group returned
to Chacaito intending to march to the nearby OAS office and
were tear gassed and shot at. Some 100 minors and 80 adults
have been arrested, including an Amcit, who said he was
beaten after informing authorities that he was a U.S.
citizen. One human rights contact told us that some of those
arrested claimed that they were doing routine errands and
were not marching at the time of their arrest. They may be
arraigned May 30. Popular Power Minister of Interior and
Justice Pedro Carreno met with Miranda State Governor
Diosdado Cabello, Caracas Mayor Juan Barreto, Baruta Mayor
Henrique Capriles, and Chacao Mayor Lopez that night to
coordinate police response to future protests.

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Pro-Government March
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3. (U) The BRV sponsored a May 27 rally in support of closing
RCTV, busing in thousands for a march from Plaza Morelos to
Teresa Carreno Performing Arts Theater, where TVes'
inauguration was to occur. Although the theater set-up
suggested that President Chavez would appear, he was
conspicuously absent. The BRV also set off massive fireworks
displays at midnight throughout the city to celebrate the new
channel's debut. Meanwhile, on May 29 PolCouns saw
Bolivarian University students who were protesting the
opposition's alleged destabilizing activities and vandalism
marching towards Miraflores Presidential Palace in support of
Chavez.

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BRV Press Coverage Spotty
--------------


4. (SBU) Government coverage of the protests since May 27 has
been uneven. State-run VTV covered the May 27 demonstrations
and police reaction. However, neither it nor the new channel
2 (TVes) reported on the May 28 protests, but played cultural
events instead. On May 29, VTV covered a small opposition
march and the pro-BRV march to Miraflores. There were
unsubstantiated reports that the entire news team of private
broadcaster Venevision submitted their resignations over the
station's alleged refusal to let them cover the story.
Venevision began broadcasting reports on the student/police
encounters in Chacaito again around 5pm on May 28, and
continues to cover BRV and opposition protests May 29. Some
of its reporters and producers have also appeared on
Globovision to express their solidarity with RCTV.

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Chavez: You want another April 13?
--------------


5. (U) After a two-day absence from public view, Chavez
initiated an uncharacteristically short nationwide daytime
broadcast May 29 in which he addressed student protesters and
the opposition. Dismissing the May 28 and 29 student marches
as small isolated groups, Chavez accused the opposition of
trying to manipulate students into creating massive unrest
they could use to trigger a coup, similar to the protest of

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April 2002. Referring to the May 27 incident at Conatel,
Chavez alleged that the Metropolitan Police were force to
react after being attacked with bottles and rocks. Chavez
warned that "if the opposition wants an April 13, I will lead
it myself," in an allusion to the massive pro-Chavez
demonstrations that followed Chavez' return to power after
his temporary ouster in 2002.


6. (U) He then called on his supporters "in the hills of
Caracas and in Petare to be alert" and prepared to "defend
the revolution." He warned pro-opposition cable news channel
Globovision and radio stations not to continue "playing with
people's emotions," fomenting unrest, or "advocating his
assassination." Noting that he was prepared to "die for the
revolution," Chavez rhetorically asked if opposition leaders
were willing to risk their lives. Addressing Globovision,
Chavez warned "If you continue in the same direction (as
RCTV),you can end up like them." Chavez also pronounced
that Venezuela cannot accept calls to "murder the president"
or "anarchy in the street." In what could be a sign of an
imminent crackdown, Poloff saw paddy wagons positioned near
the Central University of Venezuela and we have heard others
were moved to Petare. We have also heard that pro-Chavez
supporters in Petare may be planning a counter-demonstration
to "defend the revolution." The police and National Guard
continue to maintain a very visible presence throughout
Caracas during the demonstrations.

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Comment
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7. (C) Although not large--from dozens to a few thousand
participants--the student and opposition protests against the
BRV's closure of RCTV have been surprisingly widespread,
energetic, and sustained. The clashes between the National
Guard/Metropolitan Police and demonstrators mark the first
time in at least two years that law enforcement officials in
Caracas have resorted to the use of tear gas and plastic
bullets to disperse crowds. The police actions also appear
to be orchestrated, rather than reacting to provocation. At
both the May 27 night time action at Conatel and the May 28
action to break up students at Brion Plaza the police appear
to have been ordered to disperse the peaceful demonstrations.
Chavez' threat to both call out his supporters to "defend
the revolution" and crack down on the few opposition media
outlets remaining could foreshadow further confrontations
between the BRV and pro-democracy groups, and shows Chavez'
bullying, uncompromising approach to the current unrest.

BROWNFIELD