CHAVEZ: NEGROPONTE A "PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN"

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000474 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL VE SUBJECT: CHAVEZ: NEGROPONTE A "PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN" REF: CARACAS 00242 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON FOR REASON 1.4 (b) ¶1. (SBU) President Chavez launched his latest round of anti-American insults March 4 as a special guest on the first edition of former-Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel's new Sunday television talk show, "Jose Vicente, Today." Chavez called the Deputy Secretary a "professional assassin," and accused USG agencies of plotting to destabilize Venezuela. When asked about potential domestic destabilization plots, Chavez dismissed the possibility of a military coup or popular insurrection. Instead, Chavez said the recent confirmation of Ambassador Negroponte as Deputy Secretary posed the real threat to his security. ¶2. (SBU) During the talk show, Chavez made additional unfounded accusations of U.S.-related activities in Venezuela and again connected Jose Posada Carilles, a jailed anti-Castro militant, to the USG. Chavez said he takes seriously the possibility of an assassination attempt now that a "professional assassin, John Negroponte" was sworn in March 3. "They (the United States) have assigned CIA cells and tried and true assassins to Venezuela and Central America, said Chavez." He asserted, without proof, that Posada Carilles' operatives are looking for contacts in Venezuela and are planning to construct a car bomb or use surface-to-air missiles against the presidential plane. Chavez also accused the CIA of collaborating with the Colombian intelligence agency, DAS, to assassinate him. In order to counter these supposed-plots, Chavez announced he met with the chief of the Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP) to launch an offensive. Chavez said, "There might be surprises soon, but I can't comment any further." ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Chavez and other BRV officials' personal attacks on USG officials and accusations of assassination plots, while not new, are becoming more frequent. Minister for Popular Power for Foreign Relations Nicolas Maduro, for instance, insulted Negroponte three times in a span of two weeks (reftel). Moreover, Chavez' elaborate descriptions of supposed-attempts on his life seem to indicate that he is growing increasingly concerned about his personal security. Certainly his public appearances before crowds have diminished since a petition-seeker breached his security cordon during the February 4 commemoration of the failed 1992 coup. END COMMENT. BROWNFIELD