Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KINGSTON651
2008-07-22 20:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kingston
Cable title:
JAMAICA/VENEZUELA: PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING'S
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKG #0651 2042047 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 222047Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6576 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0539 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0502 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2320 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0136 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000651
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - ANDRE CADIEUX, VELIA DE PIRRO INR/IAA - BOB CARHART
WHA/EPSC - MATT ROONEY
INL/LP - NATALIA BOZZOLO
INL/G-TIP - BARBARA FLECK
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW
JUSTICE FOR ROBERT LIPMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: PREL EPET EINV PINR ECON SOCI EFIN KCOR UNSC
VE, JM, XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA/VENEZUELA: PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING'S
EMBRACE OF PETROCARIBE A MATTER OF ECONOMIC EXPEDIENCE
REF: A. 06 KINGSTON 1874 (211316Z SEP 06)(NOTAL)
B. CARACAS 976 (152123Z JUL 08)(NOTAL)
C. 07 KINGSTON 215 (131150Z FEB 07)(NOTAL)
D. 07 KINGSTON 393 (211315Z MAR 07)(NOTAL)
E. 07 KINGSTON 1793 (182031Z DEC 07)(NOTAL)
F. KINGSTON 95 (301750Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
G. KINGSTON 97 (301957Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
Classified By: Charge' James T. Heg, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000651
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - ANDRE CADIEUX, VELIA DE PIRRO INR/IAA - BOB CARHART
WHA/EPSC - MATT ROONEY
INL/LP - NATALIA BOZZOLO
INL/G-TIP - BARBARA FLECK
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW
JUSTICE FOR ROBERT LIPMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: PREL EPET EINV PINR ECON SOCI EFIN KCOR UNSC
VE, JM, XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA/VENEZUELA: PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING'S
EMBRACE OF PETROCARIBE A MATTER OF ECONOMIC EXPEDIENCE
REF: A. 06 KINGSTON 1874 (211316Z SEP 06)(NOTAL)
B. CARACAS 976 (152123Z JUL 08)(NOTAL)
C. 07 KINGSTON 215 (131150Z FEB 07)(NOTAL)
D. 07 KINGSTON 393 (211315Z MAR 07)(NOTAL)
E. 07 KINGSTON 1793 (182031Z DEC 07)(NOTAL)
F. KINGSTON 95 (301750Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
G. KINGSTON 97 (301957Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
Classified By: Charge' James T. Heg, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1.(C) In the course of a two-hour private meeting with
Ambassador Johnson, local U.K. High Commissioner Jeremy
Cresswell, and local Canadian High Commissioner Dennis
Kingsley on July 20, Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding made
the following observations:
(A) The USA had "abandoned" Jamaica and "left it to flounder
alone like a small fish in the sea." Washington was
"ignoring the whole Caribbean, and Chavez is picking up the
pieces."
(B) In light of Washington's recent support for Guatemala's
candidacy in order to prevent Venezuela from winning a seat
on the UNSC (ref A),it was ironic that Guatemala now had
been admitted to membership in PetroCaribe at the recently
concluded summit in Maracaibo (ref B).
Background and Analysis
--------------
2.(C) Golding's remarks come in the wake of his recent
announcement of a USD5 million contribution to the
ALBA/PetroCaribe Fund, which made Jamaica the only
contributing country other than Venezuela. Historically, his
ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has viewed Venezuela's
political influence in the Caribbean with suspicion (ref C).
Ironically, in the run-up to the national election of
September, 2007, which returned the JLP to power after
eighteen years in opposition, then-candidate Golding
expressed grave concern over Chavez's growing influence (refs
D,E). Since taking office, Jamaica's exceptionally heavy
dependence on imported oil and weak currency have led Golding
to view participation in PetroCaribe as a matter of economic
expedience. Reftels (F) and (G) provide the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade's internal briefing
document on Jamaican-Venezuelan relations prepared for the
newly-elected PM Golding.
MOSS
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - ANDRE CADIEUX, VELIA DE PIRRO INR/IAA - BOB CARHART
WHA/EPSC - MATT ROONEY
INL/LP - NATALIA BOZZOLO
INL/G-TIP - BARBARA FLECK
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW
JUSTICE FOR ROBERT LIPMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: PREL EPET EINV PINR ECON SOCI EFIN KCOR UNSC
VE, JM, XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA/VENEZUELA: PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING'S
EMBRACE OF PETROCARIBE A MATTER OF ECONOMIC EXPEDIENCE
REF: A. 06 KINGSTON 1874 (211316Z SEP 06)(NOTAL)
B. CARACAS 976 (152123Z JUL 08)(NOTAL)
C. 07 KINGSTON 215 (131150Z FEB 07)(NOTAL)
D. 07 KINGSTON 393 (211315Z MAR 07)(NOTAL)
E. 07 KINGSTON 1793 (182031Z DEC 07)(NOTAL)
F. KINGSTON 95 (301750Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
G. KINGSTON 97 (301957Z JAN 08)(NOTAL)
Classified By: Charge' James T. Heg, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1.(C) In the course of a two-hour private meeting with
Ambassador Johnson, local U.K. High Commissioner Jeremy
Cresswell, and local Canadian High Commissioner Dennis
Kingsley on July 20, Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding made
the following observations:
(A) The USA had "abandoned" Jamaica and "left it to flounder
alone like a small fish in the sea." Washington was
"ignoring the whole Caribbean, and Chavez is picking up the
pieces."
(B) In light of Washington's recent support for Guatemala's
candidacy in order to prevent Venezuela from winning a seat
on the UNSC (ref A),it was ironic that Guatemala now had
been admitted to membership in PetroCaribe at the recently
concluded summit in Maracaibo (ref B).
Background and Analysis
--------------
2.(C) Golding's remarks come in the wake of his recent
announcement of a USD5 million contribution to the
ALBA/PetroCaribe Fund, which made Jamaica the only
contributing country other than Venezuela. Historically, his
ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has viewed Venezuela's
political influence in the Caribbean with suspicion (ref C).
Ironically, in the run-up to the national election of
September, 2007, which returned the JLP to power after
eighteen years in opposition, then-candidate Golding
expressed grave concern over Chavez's growing influence (refs
D,E). Since taking office, Jamaica's exceptionally heavy
dependence on imported oil and weak currency have led Golding
to view participation in PetroCaribe as a matter of economic
expedience. Reftels (F) and (G) provide the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade's internal briefing
document on Jamaican-Venezuelan relations prepared for the
newly-elected PM Golding.
MOSS