EMERGING STUDENT LEADERS OUTLINE FUTURE STRATEGIES

S E C R E T CARACAS 000223

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2028
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM VE
SUBJECT: EMERGING STUDENT LEADERS OUTLINE FUTURE STRATEGIES


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


1. (C) Summary. USAID Officer met February 9 with a dozen
up-and-coming student leaders from western Venezuela. The
students, primarily from the Law School Students' Association
(Fedeve),were in the university town of Merida to prepare
strategies for upcoming student elections. They were also
planning a convention on human rights and developing a
strategy to ensure national cohesion of their movement.
Several of the students expressed interest in receiving USG
assistance for organizing and educational purposes. The
Officer stated while all Embassy programs are directed at
strengthening civil society and encouraging participation in
the democratic process, not partisan politics, perceived
proximity to the Embassy may lead to BRV harassment. End
Summary.

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Emerging Leaders
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2. (C) USAID's acting country representative traveled to
Merida February 9 at the invitation of Carlos Ponce and
Carlos Tinoco (protect),both established USAID and POL
contacts with ties to student leaders. Tinoco, who owns
property outside Merida, arranged for approximately a dozen
students to use his vacation home as a meeting place.
Student participants included Lawrence Castro from the
University of the Andes in Merida and current president of
Fedeve; Lestor Toledo from the University of Zulia and former
president of Fedeve; Dorian Gonzalez of the University of the
Andes in Merida and president of its student union; Ziamar
Castillo, president of the Law School Student Union at the
Catholic University, Bolivar state; among others. The
students have extensive leadership experience and appeared
committed to their movement.

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Upcoming Elections
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3. (C) Participants in the meeting primarily focused on
upcoming university student elections, the first of which
will be held March 5 in Merida. Student elections in Zulia
state are reportedly scheduled for March or April, although
there are rumors pro-Chavez student movements may seek to
postpone them in hopes of garnering additional support.
Student elections are particularly important in Venezuela
because elected student leaders are allowed to vote on a wide
array of administrative issues, including faculty staffing
and funding priorities. Non-Chavista student groups won
previous elections in Merida and Zulia states and are
expected to perform well in the upcoming contests.

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Convention in Maracaibo
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4. (C) The students plan to hold a national convention
entitled "Students and Legal Professionals" in Maracaibo,
Venezuela's second largest city, March 6-8. They have
invited 10 Venezuelan legal experts, professors, and former
government ministers to participate, including Milos Alcalay,
Venezuela's former Ambassador to the United Nations. They
requested assistance to organize the conference, including
airfare for some participants. USAID and the Embassy have
approved this request.

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The Quest for Elusive Unity
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5. (C) The students indicated they are part of a movement
that has played an important role in recent Venezuelan
politics. That said, they intend to focus on democracy and
human rights issues, while distancing themselves from issues
that tend to be divisive. However, they are also aware that
some students will attempt to use the student movement as a
springboard to run for public office, such as the mayoral and
gubernational election in November and parliamentary
elections in 2010. Many expressed concern that such
ambitions might negatively affect the overall movement.


6. (C) For instance, Tinoco and Ponce asserted that Yon
Goicochea, a prominent student leader from Caracas, plans to
start his own political movement and "ride the wave" of his
new-found popularity. The traditional opposition parties
that attempted to co-opt Goicochea now feel burned by his
political aspirations and are attempting to undermine his
credibility. One apparently false rumor making the rounds
within the Un Nuevo Tiempo's youth wing is that Goicochea
accepted a first-class airline ticket to Maracaibo at the
invitation of its pro-Chavez mayor, which has put him at odds
with opposition leader and Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales.
(Note: Goicochea told Emboffs in January that he does not
intend to run in upcoming state and local elections, but
would like to run for a National Assembly seat in 2010. End
Note).

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Request for Assistance
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7. (S) The students understood that they were meeting with an
officer from the Embassy's assistance team. They were
appreciative of the Embassy's discreet assistance in 2007.
They expressed interest in increased cooperation, and even
asked if they could display the USAID logo on donated
material, thinking it might attract additional funding from
other donors. USAID Officer focused on the fact that all
Embassy activities are designed to strengthen civil society
and increase democratic participation with no partisan
designs, while also noting that actions such as putting the
USAID logo on materials might lead to BRV harassment.


8. (S) The students requested various types of assistance,
ranging from support for the Maracaibo conference to
strategic planning and advice from other student movements,
particularly from Eastern Europe. They expressed interest in
serving as electoral observers and witnesses during the
November elections. They also discussed launching democracy
promotion seminars in the poor neighborhoods on the outskirts
of Caracas, Chavez's traditional base of support, and in
starting a radio program on democracy and human rights.
USAID/OTI is reviewing these suggestions and will look for
opportunities to work with the students as appropriate.

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Comment
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9. (C) While many of these students are not as well-known as
those who participated in the pro-RCTV demonstrations or the
campaign against Chavez's proposed changes to the
constitution, they represent an important group of emerging
grassroots leaders. They did not appear, at least yet, to be
self aggrandizing, but instead focused on issues of
democracy. At the same time, their criticism of some of the
most prominent student leaders reflects the internal
divisions within the ideologically diverse student movement.
Many recognize the student movement's ability to influence
the Venezuelan public, but do not know how to harness that
power most effectively. The Embassy is reviewing their
requests for assistance.

DUDDY