BRV "REJECTS" USG DESIGNATION OF BRV AS MAJOR DRUG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001307

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018
TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV VE
SUBJECT: BRV "REJECTS" USG DESIGNATION OF BRV AS MAJOR DRUG
TRANSIT COUNTRY

REF: CARACAS 1225

CARACAS 00001307 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ
REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary: Senior Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV)
officials publicly "rejected" the USG designation of the BRV
as one of the countries that failed to carry out its
international counternarcotics obligations. Minister of
Justice and Interior Tarek al Aissami and National Anti-Drug
Agency (ONA) Director Nestor Reverol both appeared on
national television September 17 to criticize the move. BRV
officials, presumably expecting the designation for the
fourth consecutive year, began defending the BRV's
counterdrug track record in earnest over the last few weeks.
Highly sensitive to criticism of its counter-drug record, the
BRV continues to attack the messenger, rather than the
message. The BRV shows no sign of renewing any aspects of
bilateral counternarcotics cooperation that it discontinued
starting in 2005. End Summary.

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A CONCERTED PR CAMPAIGN
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2. (C) The BRV has made a concerted public relations effort
over the last several weeks to prove it is making progress in
fighting narcotrafficking. On August 31, during his weekly
"Alo, Presidente" talk show, Venezuelan President Chavez
showed a series of charts, allegedly based on international
sources, that he claimed proved Venezuela was among the top
five most active countries in counternarcotics seizures since

2006. Later in the show, he called ONDCP Director Walters a
"stupid gringo" after Walters faulted BRV counterdrug
efforts. On September 1 during a press conference, BRV Vice
President Carrizalez said Venezuela was a victim of bad
geography, being placed between a large producer (Colombia)
and a big consumer (the United States). Carrizalez claimed
Venezuela had interdicted large quantities of drugs from
Colombia. He then accused the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
of being part of an international drug cartel (Reftel).


3. (C) During a September 11 press conference, ONA Director
Reverol said that the United States would maintain an
"ambiguous" position on Venezuela's counternarcotics efforts.
Reverol said the USG would criticize Venezuela's
cooperation, but would not "decertify" the BRV because doing
so would mean the "U.S. Senate would have to suspend economic
aid to opposition non-governmental organizations." Any
criticism of the BRV, he said, would be limited to
Venezuela's lack of cooperation. Reverol appears to have
been referring to President Bush's decision in the past to
waive certain foreign assistance prohibitions for reasons of
national interest. (Comment: It is unclear whether Reverol
was purposefully obfuscating in order to downplay the
importance of the decision, or whether he simply did not
understand the national interest waiver of penalties. End
Comment).

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BRV REACTION
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4. (C) During their televised September 17 press conference,
both Aissami and Reverol assailed the characterization of
Venezuela as having "failed demonstrably." Reverol called
the decision, "unilateral, coercive, and arbitrary." Reverol
said USG wanted to, "coerce Venezuela to make it subordinate
in the exercise of its sovereign rights," and that the
"Yankee government...clearly violates international legal
arrangements." Aissami followed up saying, "we reject the
immoral accusations made yesterday by the government of the
United States." The new Minister of Justice and Interior
also said the BRV, "does not expect less from a government
that has failed before the whole world."

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COMMENT
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5. (C) The BRV remains highly sensitive to criticism of its
counternarcotics efforts. BRV officials, however, continue
to respond to such criticisms by attacking the messenger, not
the substance of the message. BRV sensitivity may stem from
unease about the prospects of Chavista candidates in state
and local elections to be held in November, although most
Venezuelans do not appear to connect Venezuela's soaring

CARACAS 00001307 002.2 OF 002


crime problem with illicit drugs transiting the country.
Unlike the OFAC designation of three BRV officials, the BRV
did not try to spin the designation of Venezuela for the
fourth consecutive year as a retaliatory measure by the USG
to President Chavez's September 11 expulsion of the
Ambassador. The BRV will almost certainly continue to eschew
any counternarcotics cooperation with the USG, just as it has
done in large part since 2005.

CAULFIELD