Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CARACAS1649
2007-08-20 13:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:
VENEZUELA: FEEDBACK ON WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
how-toVZCZCXRO4678 PP RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC DE RUEHCV #1649 2321300 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 201300Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9518 INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001649
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017
TAGS: KSUM KPAO VE
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: FEEDBACK ON WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
REF: STATE 108659
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001649
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017
TAGS: KSUM KPAO VE
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: FEEDBACK ON WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
REF: STATE 108659
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)
1. (C) Per reftel, Poloff met August 18 with Fredery Calderon
(protect throughout),president of the NGO "For the Caracas
That's Possible" (Por la Caracas Posible),to solicit
feedback regarding his participation in the July 9 White
House Conference on the Americas. Calderon's organization
coordinates workshops and seminars to educate Caracas
residents on effective ways to lobby municipal authorities
for better public services. Calderon was the only Venezuelan
invitee who accepted Post's invitation to attend the
conference.
2. (C) Calderon said he found the conference incredibly
helpful because it allowed him to interact and exchange ideas
with regional colleagues. He also appreciated the
opportunity to discuss the current administration's
relationship with Latin America. Calderon also greatly
appreciated the opportunity to discuss the situation in
Venezuela with fellow democracy promoters. He noted that
many regional NGO representatives expressed overly
sympathetic views of the Chavez government.
3. (C) That said, Calderon offered suggestions on how future
conferences could be improved upon. Calderon suggested a
multi-day conference with smaller, more subject specific
break-out groups would have been more effective. He also
proposed more interaction with Washington-based NGOs working
on Latin American issues, and raised the possibility of
drafting a conference resolution or recommendations that
could be taken up in follow-up conferences.
4. (C) Separately, Calderon told Poloff that during a
cocktail reception hosted by the Inter-American Development
Bank (IADB) following the conference, he was harassed by the
IADB's Venezuelan representatives and by Venezuelan officials
accredited to the BRV's Embassy in Washington who questioned
his participation in the conference. Calderon believes
DISIP, Venezuela's intelligence police, probably informed BRV
officials in Washington of his visit. Calderon feared he
would be harassed upon his return to Caracas, but that has
not occurred thus far.
FRENCH
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017
TAGS: KSUM KPAO VE
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: FEEDBACK ON WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
REF: STATE 108659
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)
1. (C) Per reftel, Poloff met August 18 with Fredery Calderon
(protect throughout),president of the NGO "For the Caracas
That's Possible" (Por la Caracas Posible),to solicit
feedback regarding his participation in the July 9 White
House Conference on the Americas. Calderon's organization
coordinates workshops and seminars to educate Caracas
residents on effective ways to lobby municipal authorities
for better public services. Calderon was the only Venezuelan
invitee who accepted Post's invitation to attend the
conference.
2. (C) Calderon said he found the conference incredibly
helpful because it allowed him to interact and exchange ideas
with regional colleagues. He also appreciated the
opportunity to discuss the current administration's
relationship with Latin America. Calderon also greatly
appreciated the opportunity to discuss the situation in
Venezuela with fellow democracy promoters. He noted that
many regional NGO representatives expressed overly
sympathetic views of the Chavez government.
3. (C) That said, Calderon offered suggestions on how future
conferences could be improved upon. Calderon suggested a
multi-day conference with smaller, more subject specific
break-out groups would have been more effective. He also
proposed more interaction with Washington-based NGOs working
on Latin American issues, and raised the possibility of
drafting a conference resolution or recommendations that
could be taken up in follow-up conferences.
4. (C) Separately, Calderon told Poloff that during a
cocktail reception hosted by the Inter-American Development
Bank (IADB) following the conference, he was harassed by the
IADB's Venezuelan representatives and by Venezuelan officials
accredited to the BRV's Embassy in Washington who questioned
his participation in the conference. Calderon believes
DISIP, Venezuela's intelligence police, probably informed BRV
officials in Washington of his visit. Calderon feared he
would be harassed upon his return to Caracas, but that has
not occurred thus far.
FRENCH