NETHERLANDS/VENEZUELA: NEXT STEPS ON RCTV

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000778 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL CU VE NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/VENEZUELA: NEXT STEPS ON RCTV REF: THE HAGUE 747 Classified By: CDA Chat Blakeman; reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) MFA Director of the Americas Department, Laurent Stokvis, told Charge April 25 that the Dutch expect Venezuelan RCTV to close down. Bilateral and EU approaches have had no impact, he said. He offered, as possible next steps, holding the Venezuelan government to its word and pressing it to offer RCTV's license for competitive bid. Stokvis noted that this was not an EU position - none exists yet - but that it is worth exploring. ¶2. (C) Stokvis said he did not believe Venezuela would go the way of Castro's Cuba. He expressed concern with Chavez's consolidation of power, with the lack of an effective opposition, and with the parliament's grant of emergency powers to the president. Still, he noted, Chavez has not yet presented his new legislative package, so we cannot say what the outcome will be. Also, he noted, Venezuela's new socialism has had some positive impacts for poor Venezuelans - access to health care, for instance. BLAKEMAN