FIFTH DAY OF NATIONWIDE RCTV SOLIDARITY MARCHES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001062

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HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV SCUL SOCI VE
SUBJECT: FIFTH DAY OF NATIONWIDE RCTV SOLIDARITY MARCHES

REF: CARACAS 01055

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


1. (C) Summary. On the fifth day of widespread and peaceful
demonstrations, students and opposition groups took to the
streets to register their displeasure with the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela's (BRV's) decision to close independent
broadcaster Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). The government
continues its arrest of marchers, including more than 100
minors. Local human rights defenders and opposition
political parties called on government security forces to
ensure the safety of protesters. Pro-government officials,
however, continued to deny that marches were tied to popular
discontent over RCTV and, instead, insisted protesters were
being manipulated by opposition forces. End Summary.

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Marches and Arrests Continue
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2. (SBU) Several small marches - registering up to several
thousand participants - were reported throughout the capital
city Caracas May 30. The largest demonstration included
students from the Catholic University, Central University of
Venezuela, Santa Maria University, Jose Maria Vargas
University, and Metropolitan University, which gathered in
the Chacaito neighborhood and marched to the Public
Defender's Office. Embassy contacts report that up to 100
minors were arrested during the last 24 hours and were being
moved from a holding station to a hearing room in the
Ministry for Popular Power of Interior and Defense. As in
previous days, the marches caused congestion and heavy
traffic on the cities highways and major avenues. Similarly,
various marches took place nationwide, most notably in
Tachira, Lara, Zulia, Bolivar, Carabobo, Anzoategui, Aragua,
and Monagas states. All marches appear to have been
peaceful, and organizers have insisted that all activities be
non-violent.

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Requests for Police Restraint
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3. (C) Local human rights defenders issued statements in the
press and asked for police restraint and responsibility in
dealing with the protesters.

-- Prominent local human rights defender and Director of the
NGO COFAVIC, Liliana Ortega, reminded the government and its
security forces of its obligation to protect demonstrators.
She added that "human rights cannot and should not be
repressed as a excuse to establish public order."

-- In her morning radio talk show, Monica Fernandez, Director
of the judicial watchdog NGO Foro Penal, commented on lack of
available information pertaining to the number of arrested
and/or injured protesters. Fernandez' NGO visited one police
station in Caracas May 29 where several students protesters
were being held (reftel).

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BRV Accuses Students of Unrest
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4. (SBU) Pro-government officials, however, maintained that
protesters were deliberately fomenting unrest and discredited
their motives for demonstrating.

-- Gian Carlo Di Martino, pro-government mayor of Maracaibo,
Venezuela's second largest city, convoked a news conference
May 30 and accused protesters of using RCTV's closure as an
excuse to foment violence and civil unrest. Di Martino
called on university students to renounce efforts to
"manipulate" the student movement. The local media reports a
substantial increase in the presence of Zulia state police
and National Guard in the region.

-- Separately, Chavez' brother and Minister of Education,
Adan Chavez, alleged that the violent demonstrations taking
place in Venezuela were planned in the United States. The
Minister denounced the "imperialist tendencies that want to
manipulate our youth under the pretext of the lack of freedom
of expression" in Venezuela.


5. (C) Comment: The BRV's unilateral decision to take RCTV

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off the airwaves hit a raw nerve with Venezuelan students.
University students from across Venezuela continue to take to
the streets despite violent confrontations with national
security forces, demanding that the BRV respect freedom of
expression and their right to protest. More pro-government
and opposition marches are scheduled in the coming days
(reftel).

BROWNFIELD