LITHUANIA CONCERNED ABOUT VENEZUELA, BUT UNLIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000826 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM LH VE SUBJECT: LITHUANIA CONCERNED ABOUT VENEZUELA, BUT UNLIKELY TO SPEAK OUT ON ITS OWN REF: SECSTATE 154674 Classified By: Charge Damian Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) We delivered reftel points to Darius Staniulis, Head of the MFA's Human Rights and NGOs Division, on November 15. He agreed that some of the proposed constitutional changes were troubling and some were "totalitarian." He said, however, that the GOL is not very active in Latin America and is unlikely to make a statement of concern on its own. Nonetheless, he said he would discuss this issue with colleagues at the MFA. He added that an EU member state more involved in the region, such as Spain, would be a more likely initiator of a statement condemning the proposed changes. Comment -------------- ¶2. (C) We consistently encourage the GOL to be more active within the EU on issues similar to this. The GOL's default reaction on issues not directly affecting it, however, is to follow the lead of larger EU countries. We will continue to press the GOL to speak out more on issues where its voice could reinforce USG interests. LEADER