PRO-CHAVEZ MEDIA ESCALATE RHETORICAL ATTACKS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002094

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV VE
SUBJECT: PRO-CHAVEZ MEDIA ESCALATE RHETORICAL ATTACKS ON
JEWISH COMMUNITY AND CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADERS

REF: CARACAS 002089

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


1. (C) Summary. A pro-government daily accused Jewish rabbis
and Mossad agents October 29 of conspiring against the Chavez
government. These unfounded assertions come on the heels of
a government-run television network talk show asserting
without proof that Jewish businessmen are funding student
demonstrations against Chavez' proposed constitutional
reforms. The same pro-government daily also published an
October 29 headline accusing Catholic bishops of being
"owned" by opposition political parties. While
pro-government media attacks on the Jewish community and
Catholic bishops are not new, these incendiary attacks appear
to be aimed at discrediting criticism of Chavez'
constitutional package and intimidating independent religious
leaders in the run-up to the early December referendum. End
Summary.

--------------
Anti-Semitic Attacks
--------------


2. (SBU) The daily "Marciano" op-ed in the October 29 edition
of the pro-government daily "Vea" accuses Jewish rabbis and
Mossad agents of engaging in a conspiracy against President
Chavez. (Note: former Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel is
widely believed to be the author of the "Marciano" column.
End Note.) Specifically, the column claims rabbis
"stimulated the aggressive action of fascist groups in the
streets" during the October 23 university student march on
the National Assembly. The op-ed also asserts without proof
that Mossad agents encouraged the students to try to break
through police cordons and of seeking "contacts with military
officers."


3. (SBU) During the October 26 airing of the stridently
pro-Chavez talk show "La Hojilla" on government run VTV, host
Mario Silva asserted without evidence that "Jewish
businessmen" are financing student demonstrations against
Chavez' proposed constitutional reforms. Silva claimed that
Jewish community leaders, specifically Rabbi Jacobo Ban Zaken
and Rabbi Pinchas Brenner, played a key role in the
short-lived April 2002 coup against Chavez and are once again
conspiring to "destabilize" Chavez' government.

--------------
Discrediting Catholic Bishops
--------------


4. (SBU) The October 29 edition of "Vea" also took aim at
Catholic bishops for their criticism of Chavez'
constitutional reform package (Reftel). The paper's headline
reads: "Bishops Owned by AD and COPEI." (Note: AD and COPEI
are the two opposition parties that dominated Venezuelan
politics for 40 years prior to Chavez' election in 1998).
Drawing on former VP Jose Vicente Rangel's October 28 TV
interview with a pro-Chavez priest from Maracaibo, the
article accused the Catholic bishops of protecting the
"privileges and interests of the rich" and of "turning their
backs on the people." "Vea" front-page attack comes on the
heels of President Chavez' and other senior government
leaders' rhetorical attacks on the Catholic bishops (Reftel).

--------------
Embassy Action
--------------


5. (C) Embassy meets regularly with religious leaders to
discuss issues related to international religious freedom.
The Ambassador met October 23 with 17 visiting delegation
members of the American Joint Distribution Committee; the
group expressed concern about growing, government-fanned
anti-Semitism in Venezuela. We are seeking follow-on
meetings for the Ambassador with the Confederation of
Israelite Associations in Venezuela (CAIV) as well as with
Caracas Cardinal Jorge Urosa.

DUDDY