HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS OUTLINE GROWING CONCERNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001191 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2017 TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV SOCI VE SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS OUTLINE GROWING CONCERNS CARACAS 00001191 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT RICHARD DOWNES FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. WHA Special Coordinator for Venezuela Deborah McCarthy met June 13 with human rights defenders, representing various prominent local NGOs. The participants outlined the particular challenges Venezuelan NGOs face compared to other human rights organizations in the region; discussed the difficulties of working in a polarized political environment; expressed their views on the Inter-American system and EU cooperation; and discussed the BRV's heavy-handed reaction to recent student-led demonstrations in support of freedom of expression. The human rights defenders are worried that the BRV's authoritarian tactics will further complicate their ability to operate in their respective sectors. -------------- Local NGOs Give Overview -------------- ¶2. (C) WHA Special Coordinator for Venezuela Deborah McCarthy met June 13 with prominent human rights defenders. Meeting participants included Carlos Ayala, lawyer and President of the Andean Commission of Jurists; Andres Canizales, a researcher and journalist for Reporters without Borders; Carlos Correa of Espacio Publico, an NGO dedicated to freedom of expression; Jose Gregorio Guarenas, director of the Vicaria of Human Rights for the Catholic Church; Liliana Ortega of Cofavic, a long-standing human rights organization; and Rocio San Miguel of the NGO Citizens for Security. All meeting participants are currently USAID partners, except for Canizales, who is a former partner. ¶3. (C) Participants began by outlining particular challenges Venezuelan NGOs face compared to other human rights organizations in the region. Most local NGOs are small, based in Caracas (none of the organizations present have branch offices in the interior of the country),have small operating budgets, lack regional and international connections, and have difficulty securing funding to travel abroad. As that point, McCarthy reiterated the USG's interest in empowering NGOs in Venezuela as much as possible and within the USG's budget constraints. The human rights activists then contrasted their experiences with that of Colombian human rights organizations which have established important links with European partners, have branches offices nationwide and abroad, and have gained important victories in their sectors. The Venezuelan NGOs' relatively small size also makes human rights defenders easily identifiable for BRV harassment. As a result, local NGOs often must exhaust valuable resources to combat BRV allegations and intimidation. ¶4. (SBU) Human rights defenders noted that the highly polarized political environment further complicates their work. They expressed a lack of confidence in all levels of the Venezuelan judicial system, particularly in the Chavista-controlled Supreme Court. As a result, NGOs seek recourse in the Inter-American system and other international bodies. This often leads to increased harassment of NGOs by the BRV and places further strain on their already limited resources. -------------- Views on the OAS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The meeting participants then expressed their views on the OAS. In general, these local leaders possess a good understanding of how the Inter-American system works. Ayala, for instance, served as a commission on the IACHR from 1996 to 1999 and as its president during his last year. Ortega has presented several cases before the OAS. Although, local NGOs refer cases to the OAS, several participants described the organization as "weak" and ineffective. Ortega claimed the organization is bogged down by bureaucracy and noted that it has become increasingly difficult to move cases forward. She later mentioned the need to diversify and present future human rights cases to other international bodies, such as the UN. Other human right defenders expressed concern over the recent appointment of Luz Patricia Mejias, former legal consultant to the public prosecutor's office, to the IACHR. -------------- On European Cooperation -------------- CARACAS 00001191 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Next, the human rights defenders discussed recent cooperation with the European Union (EU) mission and expressed concerns about incoming leadership. The participants highlighted their positive working relationship with the Finns' mission, which held the EU presidency until January. Local NGOs particularly welcomed the Finnish's outspoken defense of human rights and freedom of expression. Several participants noted a constructive relationship with the German mission, which currently occupies the presidency. They, however, were visibly uneasy about the Portuguese mission assuming the presidency in July as the local mission is perceived to be sympathetic to the government. Participants feared a shift in EU policy could undermine months of cooperation. ¶7. (C) Several participants also commented on the difficulties they encountered when presenting grant proposals to EU missions. Recently, it appears that several EU missions have hired locally employed staff to receive and review grant proposals. Many of these reviewers were perceived to be pro-BRV and the participants feared their proposals were not being fairly assessed. Moreover, the issue is a source of frustration because local NGOs depend greatly on EU funding opportunities. -------------- Student protests -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Lastly, the human rights defenders discussed the BRV's heavy-handed reaction to pro-RCTV and freedom of expression student-led protests. According to the human rights defenders, the BRV arrested over 200 students, including minors, May 27-28 in spite of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations. Ortega noted that the majority of those arrested, if not all, have been released. Human rights organizations have encountered difficulty in collecting information from victims and their families, who fear government retaliation. Ortega noted that many of those arrested May 27-28 remained incommunicado for 24 to 48 hours, while other were deprived of meals and access to legal representation. ¶9. (SBU) San Miguel and Guarences expressed concern for the 29 individuals facing charges of civil unrest, a serious political crime under Venezuelan law. Currently, the above-mentioned individuals are free, but must come before a judge every fifteen days. In addition, the NGO leaders were concerned about the psychological toll the arrests would have on those affected. San Domingo said, for example, that students feared they would no longer be eligible to receive government benefits, were worried about their status as students, and feared their future employment opportunities might be hindered. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) The human rights defenders highlighted the increasing constraints and pressures they face even without the BRV-proposed NGO law that would affect their international funding opportunities. While these prominent NGOs have no intention of throwing in the towel, they remained worried about the BRV's relentless efforts to close the small space they NOW occupy. BROWNFIELD