RCTV PROTESTS ENTER SECOND WEEK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 001086

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: RCTV PROTESTS ENTER SECOND WEEK

REF: A. CARACAS 1082 AND PREVIOUS

B. CARACAS 1068

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Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON FOR 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary: Peaceful pro-RCTV protests continued into
their second week. The students' medium term ability or
desire to sustain the demonstrations remain unclear. Up to
10,000 students marched to the Supreme Court without incident
June 4 and are planning to march to the National Assembly
June 5. The government organized a June 2 mass rally in
support of Chavez. In his fiery and shorter-than-usual
speech to the crowd, Chavez threatened to eliminate the
Catholic Church, the media, and educational institutions, if
they continued trying to "undermine" his socialist
revolution. Meanwhile, the Inter-American Human Rights Court
may consider a petition for temporary protection for student
leaders arrested the week of May 27. President Chavez
continues to try to reframe the RCTV issue as an opposition
effort to topple him, but his decision to close RCTV remains
unpopular. End summary.

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Chavistas Toy with Students
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2. (SBU) University student-led protests continued into
their second week without incident and attracted a sizable
crowd (Ref A). Pro-Chavez Mayor of the "Libertador" borough
of Caracas Freddy Bernal granted permission for a June 4
march to the Supreme Court, then attempted to change the
march route on June 3. After some negotiation, the students
secured permission to stick to their original route. Up to
10,000 students participated in the march. Workers in
buildings along the route came down from their offices to
support the students. To underscore the peaceful nature of
their protests, students handed roses to the Metropolitan
Police units guarding the front of the Supreme Court.

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Chavistas' Anti-Imperialism, Anti-RCTV March
--------------


3. (SBU) The Chavista political machinery organized a mass
rally June 2 for a march against imperialism and RCTV,
although the crowd paled in comparison to those at the end of
the December 2006 presidential election campaign. Posts
estimates that there were between 100,000 and 200,000
participants, well below BRV claims of one million attendees.
Using the themes, "Great anti-imperialist march," "Respect
Venezuela," and "Now Freedom of Expression Belongs to All,"
Chavez supporters gathered at two different locations in
Caracas--Parque del Este in the pro-opposition Altamira area
and La Bandera bus terminal--and marched toward Bolivar
Avenue, where they were eventually addressed by President
Chavez. Marchers included students from public and private
universities, social missions, labor unions, and community
councils. A considerable number of people were bused in from
as far away as Bolivar, Anzoategui, Barinas, and Nueva
Esparta states. Anecdotal reporting indicates some marchers
were paid as much as 200,000 Bolivars, or USD 93 at the
official rate.


4. (SBU) Prominent BRV officials in the crowd included Vice
President Jorge Rodriguez, former VP Jose Vicente Rangel,
Minister for Communication William Lara, Minister for High
Education Luis Acuna, and Governors from Anzoategui, Guarico,
Cojedes, and Miranda states, as well as Libertador Mayor
Freddy Bernal, and Sucre Municipality Mayor and son of the
former VP, Jose Vicente Rangel Avalos. A significant number
of BRV employees also participated. According to one local
press report, some Metropolitan Police officials at the march
wore red shirts as part of their uniform.


5. (SBU) President Chavez delivered a fiery 90-minute speech
to his red-shirted followers June 2 in front of a large
banner emblazoned with the slogan "Freedom of Speech Now
Pertains to Everyone." Chavez characterized ongoing
demonstrations against his decision to close RCTV as the work
of "oligarchs" and accused university student protesters of
being misguided "lackeys of the empire." After a long
explanation of Italian political theorist Antonio Gramsci,s
ideas on "cultural hegemony," Chavez accused the Catholic
Church, the media, and educational institutions of
threatening the interests of his "socialist revolution." He
warned that he would start eliminating these bastions of
"bourgeois civil society," which he derided as retrograde and

CARACAS 00001086 002.2 OF 003


elitist, "one by one," if they continued to challenge his
government. In a warning directed at opposition cable
station Globovision, he specifically said he would consider
pulling broadcasting licenses before the government
concession period is over. Chavista supporters responded by
chanting, "Now it's Globovision's turn."

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Anti-RCTV Caravan
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6. (SBU) On June 3, a pro-Chavez car caravan traveled
throughout Caracas in response to Chavez' call to be on alert
against any destabilization plan and prepare a
"counter-attack." Chavista legislator and march coordinator
Dario Vivas said the action was part of their plan to
maintain a pro-Chavez "presence in the street." In
Anzoategui state, Governor Tarek William Saab also headed a
pro-Chavez march June 3. During his speech, Saab
disqualified pro-RCTV student protesters as "destabilizers
and coupsters," yet also reportedly called for compromise and
peaceful coexistence.

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RCTV Marches Continued
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7. (SBU) Though much smaller than the BRV rally, opposition
and civil society groups held a sizable and peaceful pro-RCTV
march June 3. Protesters marched from the Chacao section of
Caracas to the Human Rights Ombudsman's office, where they
presented a document demanding respect for freedom of
expression. Shouting "Pueblo, madura, este es dictadura,"
("People, mature, this is a dictatorship") marchers also
protested in support of opposition cable news station
Globovision and the Church in response to Chavez' June 2
threats, as well as police mistreatment of student
protesters. One march organizer, Antonio Ledezma, claimed
that in contrast to the Chavista march, the group came mostly
from Caracas and was not paid. He vowed the protests would
continue until RCTV returned to the air. Fellow organizer
Oscar Perez announced another demonstration June 7, and said
the group would also accompany Globovision president Alberto
Federico Ravell and talk show host Leopoldo Castillo when
they testify at the Attorney General's office June 6 and 7
(Ref B).


8. (SBU) In addition to participating in the opposition
march, students held two other events on their own. In one
event, a group gathered on the Cota Mil highway that borders
the Avila mountain where they formed a human chain to spell
out the word "Liberty." A small group also visited the
headquarters of private broadcaster Venevision to protest the
station's self-censorship in covering last week's pro-RCTV
protests. In several press interviews over the weekend,
student leaders continued to assert that they are not seeking
the government's overthrow and that they are not working in
concert with or as proxies for the traditional opposition
political parties.

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Inter-American Commission to Weigh in Again?
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9. (SBU) Local daily El Nacional reports that the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IACHR) may soon
consider a petition for temporary protection filed by a group
of students protesters arrested during the week of May 27.
According to the article, the BRV has until June 4 to respond
to the IACHR's request for information on the detainees.
According to Ombudsman German Mundarain, and Supreme Court
Justice Eladio Aponte Aponte, who earlier this year
"temporarily" assumed control of the Caracas penal court
system, only students caught committing violent acts during
the previous RCTV marches remain in custody. The rest have
either been released or will be pending the posting of bail.

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Comment
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10. (C) It remains unclear how long students can sustain
their demonstrations against the BRV shutdown of RCTV.
Contrary to the BRV,s heavy-handed efforts to disperse
demonstrators last week with tear gas and plastic pellets,
the BRV appears to be trying to avoid confrontations, at
least during the immediate run-up and during the OAS General

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Assembly in Panama. Demonstration leaders and local and
police officials now appear to be working in concert to avoid
street clashes, and recent protests have occurred without
violence or arrests. President Chavez has virtually conceded
the unpopularity of his decision to close RCTV and instead
continues to try to reframe the RCTV issue as an opposition
effort to topple him. The BRV's Orwellian assertion that
freedom of expression now "pertains to everyone" does not
appear to be resonating politically. By virtue of the vast
government resources at their disposal, Chavez and his
supporters managed to mobilize a significant show of support
on June 2, but even the so-called "anti-imperialist" march
paled in comparison with other recent pro-Chavez rallies in
Caracas.

BROWNFIELD