STUDENTS MARCH IN SUPPORT OF BLACKLISTED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000856 SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2028 TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL VE SUBJECT: STUDENTS MARCH IN SUPPORT OF BLACKLISTED BY GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES REF: A. CARACAS 00267 ¶B. CARACAS 00514 ¶C. CARACAS 00812 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR VERONICA TORRES FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Student leaders and opposition-oriented citizen groups led a small demonstration to the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) on June 13 to protest the Comptroller's administrative ruling making 400 persons ineligible to run for office in the November gubernatorial and mayoral elections. The ineligible persons did not participate in the march. The students and opposition groups are planning more marches in the coming weeks, including one to the Supreme Court (TSJ) and one to the National Electoral Commission (CNE). The CNE will reportedly announce June 18 whether the ineligible candidates will be allowed to run in the elections. Opposition groups, however, argue that the TSJ is the authority best suited to determine the legality of the measure. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Over the past couple of years the Comptroller has ruled that roughly 400 individuals, largely opposition members, are ieneligible to run for POLITICAL office. The administrative rulings, which do not permit the accused to defend themselves, are largely based on administrative infractions of office holders. The June 13 march occurred without incident. Students delivered a document outlining the unconstitutionality of the Comptroller's actions and their support for the affected politicians to the headquarters of the OAS. Their letter was addressed to Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza. Freddy Guevara, a leader of the student movement, said that future protests would remain non-violent and added that the sanctions violated citizens' right to elect candidates of their choice. ¶3. (SBU) The opposition is also trying to galvanize international attention around the issue. The Socialist International (SI),a worldwide association of socialist political parties, issued a statement on June 10 in support of the ineligible candidates following a visit by Timoteo Zambran, International RELATIONS Director for opposition political party Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT),at an SI conference in Los Angeles. Opposition groups plan to deliver letters of protest to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Organization of Christian Democrats in the Americas (ODCA) later this month. Additionally, a spokesperson for the ineligible persons said they may hold marches to friendly embassies should the CNE rule unfavorably on their behalf. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: The momentum from public pressure, such as that which led to the abandonment of the National Intelligence Law, has yet to be utilized to invigorate the movement for the ineligible. While student and opposition groups alike are urging the Chavez dominated TSJ to make a legal decision regarding the status of the ineligible persons, the Court has yet to make any comment or take action. Downes