NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SWEARS-IN NEW LEADERSHIP, FLORES

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000021

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV VE
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SWEARS-IN NEW LEADERSHIP, FLORES
MAINTAINS POSITION


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. The National Assembly (NA) swore-in its new
leadership team January 6. Cilia Flores, the current NA
president, will serve out another term. Roberto Hernandez of
the pro-government Communist Party (PCV) replaces Desiree
Santos Amaral as First Vice President, while Jose Albornoz,
Secretary General of the pro-government party Patria Para

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Todos (PPT),was named Second Vice President. The election
of Albornoz to the directorate and the elevation of Hernandez
may be an attempt to make amends with dissenting voices
within pro-government circles, such as PPT and the PCV. END
SUMMARY.

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Flores Will Lead NA for Another Term
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2. (SBU) Cilia Flores first assumed the National Assembly's
(NA's) presidency in August 2006 after her common-law husband
Nicolas Maduro was named Foreign Minister. Flores is a
staunch Chavista and one of the Venezuelan president's most
trusted implementors. She is often criticized by the
independent media and the opposition for her unwavering
loyalty to President Chavez. Flores pushed Chavez's package
of constitutional reforms through the NA quickly in 2007. A
lawyer by training, Flores defended military personnel and
civilians who participated in a Chavez-led coup in February
1992 and a second attempted coup in November 1992, directed
by others.


3. (SBU) Roberto Hernandez of the Communist Party (PCV) moved
up to become First Vice President of the NA. Hernandez was
appointed Second Vice President in August 2006. (Note: The
PCV, a pro-government party, has thus far refused to join
Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV),but
supported the pro-Chavez "Yes" camp during the failed
constitutional reform campaign. End Note). He is a former
president of the PCV and a former legal advisor to the NA.
He maintained a relatively low profile as NA Second Vice
President.


4. (C) Jose Albornoz is the newest member of the directorate
and was appointed Second Vice President. He is the Secretary
General of Patria Para Todos (PPT) and a deputy from Guarico
state. He is an anthropologist by training. Albornoz has
continued to meet with Embassy officials over the past few
years even when Podemos officials declined to do so. He told
Poloff on November 14, 2007 that he secretly hoped Chavez
would lose the December 2 constitutional referendum
(Protect).


5. (SBU) Unlike Podemos, the pro-government party that worked
openly against the referendum, PPT and Albornoz in particular
have been trying to curry favor with Chavez. Albornoz
publicly speaks in favor of the PSUV, although his party has
not yet joined its ranks. In 2006, he led a NA witch hunt
investigation of the opposition NGO Sumate.

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Comment
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6. (C) Because the opposition boycotted the 2005
parliamentary elections, only pro-government politicians were
elected to the NA. Nevertheless, the election of the new NA
leadership team was reportedly contentious and lasted until
the early morning hours of January 6. Following the
swearing-in ceremony, several party members from PCV, PPT,
and Podemos criticized Flores' re-election, citing rampant
corruption within the NA, her inability to push through
important legislative measures, and her outspoken political
loyalty to Chavez. Given this infighting, the election of
Albornoz could signal an attempt by the government to reach
out to dissenting voices within pro-Chavez circles, such as
PCV and PPT.

DUDDY