MFA REJECTS NEGROPONTE'S COMMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000215 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV VE SUBJECT: MFA REJECTS NEGROPONTE'S COMMENTS REF: CARACAS 00090 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES, REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (SBU) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a January 30 press release criticizing Deputy Secretary-designate Negroponte's remarks to the Senate SIPDIS Foreign Relations Committee earlier the same day. The MFA release states that Negroponte "represents a real threat to peace and democracy." Once again mischaracterizing Negroponte's service as Ambassador to Honduras from 1981-85 (reftel),the MFA labels Negroponte as "an instrument of genocidal and imperialist policies in Central America." ¶2. (SBU) The MFA press release also questions the credibility of USG efforts to promote a new policy in Latin America when "officials like Negroponte...continue to operate under the imperialist and interventionist mentality of the Cold War." The MFA release and Negroponte's remarks expressing concern over President Chavez's influence in the region are receiving wide play in the local media. Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro personally insulted Negroponte following the latter's testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (reftel). ¶3. (C) COMMENT: BRV officials appear to be operating under the assumption that any and every perceived criticism merits a quick and vitriolic rebuttal. Press statements, like the one mentioned here, present additional opportunities for BRV officials to expound on the need to accelerate and "deepen" the "socialist" phase of President Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution. BROWNFIELD