FINANCE MINISTER ACCUSES FEDECAMARAS OF SUBVERSION

UNCLAS CARACAS 002188 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PGOV VE SUBJECT: FINANCE MINISTER ACCUSES FEDECAMARAS OF SUBVERSION REF: A. CARACAS 2013 ¶B. CARACAS 2124 ¶C. CARACAS 2140 ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified, please treat accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Finance Minister Rodrigo Cabezas went on the offensive November 14 and publicly accused FEDECAMARAS,the country's largest umbrella business organization, of "subversion" for its opposition to the BRV's constitutional reform project. Cabezas was reacting to a five-page report issued by the organization on November 13 calling on civil society to reject the project and laying out why it was reiterating its rejection (ref. c). The starkly worded document which is available on the FEDECAMARAS website underscores the continuing deterioration of the country's productive sectors and international competitiveness (in spite of high oil-fueled, consumption-led growth rates),the failure of BRV economic production schemes, skyrocketing crime, the erosion of the nation's institutions, laws and social comity, and the consolidation of power into the hands of one individual. ¶3. (SBU) Cabezas in a hastily convened press conference (where reportedly no questions were permitted) challenged the FEDECAMARAS position that the reform project was illigitimate by noting that articles 342 and 344 of the current constitution provided for constitutional reform and established the mechanics for doing so. He also defended the BRV's economic record by claiming, inter alia, that there still were "large opportunities to invest (in Venezuela)" and argued that "it was impossible to explain 15 quarters of economic growth without the expansion of investment and newly productive plants." DUDDY