TO THE MAT: CHAVEZ TAKES ON INSULZA AND CHURCH

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM VE
SUBJECT: TO THE MAT: CHAVEZ TAKES ON INSULZA AND CHURCH
OVER RCTV

REF: CARACAS 15

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Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(b).


1. (C) SUMMARY In a blustery January 8 address to
commemorate the swearing-in of his new cabinet (septel),
President Chavez again declared that the non-renewal of
RCTV's broadcast license was "irreversible." Chavez lashed
out at two actors who urged reconsideration of the RCTV
decision, OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza and the
Church, churlishly insulting Insulza and calling for his
resignation, and telling the Church to mind its own business.
Chavez's new Vice President, Jorge Rodriguez, similarly
endorsed the impending closure of RCTV in his first address
in his new position. Chavez's decision continues to meet
with vocal and vehement opposition, with the OAS and the
Church only the loudest of many detractors. RCTV executive
Marcel Granier took his case to the public on January 9,
giving an interview in El Universal in which he remained
defiant and indicated a legal counterattack. END SUMMARY


2. (U) President Chavez's January 8 speech delineated his
plan to further consolidate his "Socialist Revolution"
(septel). Chavez continued his fiery rhetoric toward Radio
Caracas Television (RCTV),insisting that his decision not to
renew the opposition-aligned privately-owned television
station's broadcasting license is irreversible. Chavez said
"no individual nor entity" will prevent the inevitable. RCTV
is the oldest operating television channel in Venezuela and
has been a thorn in Chavez's side since silently allying
against Chavez during the short-lived April 2002 coup.
President Chavez first targeted opposition media outlets
during last year's presidential campaign, and recently honed
in on RCTV individually (reftel).


3. (U) Chavez's newly sworn in Vice President Jorge
Rodriguez quickly backed the party line. In his first speech
as Vice President, Rodriguez disputed that the BRV was
violating freedom of expression. He reiterated that the
government was not revoking anybody's license, nor closing
any channel; RCTV's license was simply expiring. Rodriguez
added that the airwaves belong to the people, and that they
shall be administered by the government elected by the
people. Setting the tone for his administration with respect
to media relations, Rodriguez said to the cabinet that the
more the media insults and slanders you, the better you are
doing your job.

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BATTLE ROYALE: BRV VS. OAS; CHAVEZ VS. INSULZA
-------------- -


4. (U) On January 5, OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel
Insulza called on the BRV to reconsider its decision to
shutter RCTV. Insulza indicated that the closure of such a
major media outlet is unprecedented in the last several
decades in the democratic world and warned of the political
repercussions of such a decision. He also said that if RCTV
had violated a law, and the government had a legal case
against the media outlet, it should pursue its grievance
through the country's judicial system. Insulza regretted
that Chavez's decision goes against the spirit of dialogue
initiated when the opposition recognized Chavez's electoral
victory on December 3. Finally, Insulza called on other
media outlets not to be cowed into silence and to continue
exercising its right and duty to inform the people in a free,
truthful, and objective manner.


5. (U) Chavez clearly took Insulza's comments personally
and responded with personal, juvenile attacks in return.
Chavez called on Insulza to resign his position as Secretary
General of the OAS, suggesting that after such an
intervention in the domestic affairs of a country, Insulza
lacked the moral fiber to lead the organization. Chavez
interpreted Insulza's comment regarding "political
repercussions" as a threat to his country and called Insulza
a "pendejo" - a term that can be loosely translated as
"idiot," but is in fact much more vulgar. Chavez continually
played on words with Insulza's name, connecting it to the
Spanish word "insulso," which translates to "insipid" or
"tasteless." Finally, Chavez said "don't mess with us," and
indicated he would object to the OAS's interference and lack

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of respect in all forthcoming OAS meetings and would "put him
(Insulza) in his place." Chavez added he would confront
Insulza on January 10 at the swearing-in of new Nicaraguan
President Ortega.

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CHAVEZ TO THE CHURCH: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS
--------------


6. (U) Chavez saved no kind words for the Church and the
position it has taken on RCTV. Referring to Cardinal Jorge
Urosa Savino's and the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference's
(CEV) calls on Chavez to reconsider his decision, Chavez
called on the Church to "mind its place." Saying "to the
shoemaker goes the shoe," Chavez exhorted the Church to
address only issues of the Church and not to make public
statements outside its bailiwick. Monsignor Ovidio Perez,
permanent member of the CEV's Secretariat and President of
the CEV's Plenary Council, responded to Chavez's comments,
saying that the Church would continue to defend
reconciliation and peace instead of exclusion and disunity.
Perez said it is outside the scope of political power to
dictate which direction the Church will or will not take. He
also said that the media is "penetrated and dominated" by the
BRV and "intends to eliminate" the few objective voices that
remain.

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OTHERS FROM THE OPPOSITION
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7. (U) Manuel Rosales called January 5 on the government to
reconsider its decision not to renew RCTV's broadcasting
license. Rosales indicated that Chavez's decision "intends
to silence sectors of dissent" and seriously undermines
democracy in Venezuela. Rosales views Chavez's decision as a
violation of the Constitution and as a "gigantic step"
towards limiting participation and the discussion of ideas.
Rosales said that while he respects the President's right to
express his views, he asks that Chavez's decisions be legally
sound.


8. (C) Opposition party COPEI has made no secret of its
position on the RCTV issue. Antonio Sotillo Luna, a member
of COPEI's National Political Committee, said "the government
is committing a crime against the freedom of thought, against
the freedom of opinion, against the freedom of information,
and against the freedom of expression." Another leading
party member, Roberto Enriquez, indicated January 8 that
COPEI will present the case to the international
organizations Christian Democrat International (IDC) and the
Christian Democratic Organization of America (ODCA). COPEI
Secretary General Luis Ignacio Planas told PolCouns and

SIPDIS
PolOff January 8 that the RCTV issue and pending legislation
on educational reform will be the top two issues the
opposition will point to in 2007 to demonstrate Chavez's
authoritarian grip on Venezuela.


9. (U) Antonio Ledezma, leader of the tiny, radical
opposition political party Alianza Bravo Pueblo, called
January 8 on the Venezuelan people to express its displeasure
with the government's decision regarding RCTV. He called for
street protests for the coming weekend (January 13-14) and
indicated that a popular assembly was planned for January 13
and a "caravan" march for January 14. Ledezma also proposed
to political, civil, and cultural leaders to mobilize in
support of freedom of expression for the annual January 23
commemoration. Like COPEI, Ledezma also criticized pending
legislation on education reform.

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GRANIER INTERVIEW
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10. (U) RCTV chief executive and President of 1BC
Enterprises, Marcel Granier, reiterated in a January 9
interview with El Universal his argument that RCTV's license
does not expire until 2022. When asked about the
government's position that the license expires this year,
Granier indicated that this is the same government that said
it was going to address the insecurity problems, get children
off the streets, and resolve the penal problems. "Lies, lies
and more lies," said Granier. Granier indicated that RCTV

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has received no official notification that its license will
not be renewed; to the contrary, said Granier, the government
is engaging in a defamation campaign against RCTV. As the
government has done with many critical journalists in the
past, Granier indicated RCTV is going to take legal action
against Information Minister Willian Lara for committing the
crime of slander and impugning the honor and reputation of
thousands of RCTV workers.

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COMMENT
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11. (C) President Chavez's hostile, personal, and very
public stance towards RCTV indicates that this issue
permeates beyond Venezuela and freedom of expression. This
is a long-held grudge match between Hugo Chavez and Radio
Caracas Television. RCTV is the sole remaining free-to-air
broadcaster to maintain a ferocious resistance to the Chavez
regime. As such, it has a broad audience. Other free-to-air
broadcasters have toned down their criticisms over the last
four years, and the equally staunchly pro-opposition
Globovision is available on cable only (but by no means
immune). Granier's threat of legal action against the
government is an interesting role reversal but success on
that front presumes a fair and impartial hearing - something
not likely to occur.


12. (C) Reminiscent of the President Chavez who called
President Bush the devil at the UN General Assembly in
September of last year, Chavez once again has engaged in
outrageous, vulgar personal attacks and unstatesmanlike
rhetoric. The vehemence with which Chavez has pursued the
RCTV issue, while incomprehensible to those who think
logically given his electoral margin of victory, is typical
Chavez behavior when he sets his sights on a potential victim
and is not likely to stop until RCTV is history. That said,
recognizing its limited room to maneuver and likely BRV
attempts to further restrict civil liberties this year, the
opposition and Church leaderships will try to make RCTV's
closure as politically costly as possible to this government
and its international reputation.

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