COSTA RICA: DEMARCHE ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 001053

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM MASS MARR PTER IR ECON VE CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: DEMARCHE ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONSHIP

REF: A. STATE 61378

B. SAN JOSE 406

Classified By: ADCM Laurie Weitzenkorn per 1.4 (d).


1. (C) On May 31st, PolCoun and PolOff met with Alejandro
Solano, sub-director of the Foreign Policy Section of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to discuss the growing
Iranian-Venezuelan relationship (Ref a). Solano was receptive
and expressed concerns, particularly in the area of the loose
travel documents practice of Venezuela. Solano indicated
that he would bring these concerns to the Ministry of Public
Security and to the head of the Immigration Department. He
further indicated that the GOCR would raise any issued that
could impact Costa Rica in the proper forum, if needed.
(COMMENT: We will raise the travel documents issue in a
meeting with the Director of Immigration next week.) Solano
also noted (as we have heard from GOCR officials in the past)
that Costa Rica has virtually no ties -private or official-
with Iran.


2. (C) Solano added that Venezuelan actions continued to
concern the GOCR. On the RCTV closure, for example, the MFA
had prepared points and a paper for President Oscar Arias,
who pre-empted the staff work by issuing his own statement on
May 30. Arias's statement expressed hope that Costa Rica
could maintain good relations with Venezuela, but stressed
that "any time a media outlet is closed, it is a mortal wound
for democracy." The President also cited the importance of
"plurality, freedom of expression and many media outlets" as
"essential characteristics" of a democracy. Based on the
regional furor caused by Chavez's action against RCTV, Solano
predicted that the issue would dominate debate at the Panama
OASGA. Recalling Chavez's (as-yet unfulfilled) threat in
February to close the ALUNASA aluminum plant in Esparza (ref
b),Solano cautioned Costa Rica did not want to provoke
Venezuelan backlash, specially with the CAFTA referendum
scheduled for September.


3. (C) COMMENT: The Arias administration continues to walk a
fine line vis-a-vis Venezuela. The GOCR does not want to
draw fire from Caracas (which might include additional
support for the anti-CAFTA forces here),but Arias himself,
to his credit in this instance, cannot remain silent in the
face of what he sees (rightly) as an egregious attack on
democracy. We expect the GOCR's behavior regarding Venezuela
will continue to wobble between caution and criticism until
after the referendum.
LANGDALE