Foreign Ministry Communique on U.S. "Offer to Mediate"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 CARACAS 001495 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL CO VE SUBJECT: Foreign Ministry Communique on U.S. "Offer to Mediate" Venezuela-Colombia Crisis ¶1. On November 17, 2009, the Foreign Ministry released the communiquC) contained in para 3 below. An informal English version is contained in para 2 below. This communiquC) was apparently in response to the remarks of the Department Spokesman on November 13, in which he said in answering a question about a possible U.S. role in fostering dialogue between Colombia and Venezuela: "We, of course, believe it is in the interests of every country in the hemisphere to promote dialogue and to promote a peaceful resolution to any kind of conflicts. . . . It is something for the two countries to work out, of course. But the United States, of course, is interested in promoting stability and promoting dialogue." ¶2. Begin text of informal English translation: CommuniquC) on the Offer of the United States of America to Mediate the Colombian-Venezuelan Crisis The Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in regards to the recent statements from officials of the Government of the United States about its "interest in promoting stability and dialog" between Colombia and Venezuela, wishes to recall that the installation of military bases under the unrestricted control of the United States in Colombia constitutes the origin of a situation of instability and regional concern. The disproportionate U.S. military deployment on Colombian soil tries to justify the Government of Colombia as a bilateral force for the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism. These arguments are false and do not diminish the doubts and concerns that the countries in the South American region have regarding these military bases, which are perceived in threatening terms due to the magnitude of the program that will implemented with the installation of equipment for electronic war, intelligence, military personnel as well as personnel from security contractors. The strengthening of the U.S. military presence is aimed at projecting its global power to deter, under the threat of military intervention, countries that, like the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, maintain a critical view in relation to its imperialist policy. In this strategy, the Palanquero Base will have an important strategic role as it could serve as a stopover for missions outside Colombian territory. Venezuela wants to emphasize that even if the text of the "Complementary Agreement for Cooperation and Technical Assistance in Defense and Security" does not provide for operations in third countries, it also does not explicitly prohibit them. Venezuela's concern in considering the presence of these bases in Colombian territory under the unrestricted control of the United States as a grave threat has solid foundations in the most recent violations of International Law executed by Colombia and by the United States. In the case of the Government of Alvaro Uribe, when it illegally attacked the territory of the Republic of Ecuador in March 2008, it violated Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter pursuant to which States, in their international relations, shall refrain from resorting to the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or the POLITICAL independence of any State, or in any other manner incompatible with the purposes of the United Nations. For its part, the United States, with the Iraq war, violated CARACAS 00001495 002 OF 004 Resolution 1441 (2002) of the Security Council. This resolution established a strict inspection regime that strengthened the authority of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The resolution did not authorize the use of force in the event of violation by Iraq. The United States violated the United Nations Charter when it launched a military action without the approval of the Security Council. These illegal actions against the letter and the spirit of the United Nations Charter and the norms that prohibit the use of force in international relations, very recently violated by Colombia and the United States, justify the concern by South American countries about an exaggerated operational and defensive capacity and a clear ceding of Colombia's own national authority to the United States by the administration of President Alvaro Uribe. While the administration of President Barack Obama has publicly stated its commitment to respect International Law and Multilateralism, Venezuelan concern is strengthened when this administration continues to repeatedly violate resolution 1373 (2001) of the Security Council that prevents States from offering refuge to those who commit terrorist acts and prohibits the refusal for POLITICAL reasons of extradition requests for terrorists. This country has not complied with the provisions set forth in the Extradition Treaty with Venezuela as it has refused, by means of legal subterfuges, to extradite the well-known international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles. In the face of this real situation of threat to the stability of the region by the government of the United States, the proposal to mediate has a clear purpose, to divert attention from its primary responsibility for the crisis, and appears insulting in the eyes of the knowing peoples of the world. The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates its categorical rejection of the installation of the above-mentioned North American military bases on Colombian soil and its intention to continue the debate within UNASUR about the difficult regional situation generated by the governments of Washington and Bogota with their signing of the "Complementary Agreement for Cooperation and Technical Assistance in Defense and Security." Venezuela considers that if the United States has a true interest in working together to promote dialog and regional stability, then it must desist from its intention to convert Colombia into the operations base for its regional strategy of domination and control over the countries of South America. End text of informal English translation. ¶3. Begin text of official communiquC): COMUNICADO SOBRE EL OFRECIMIENTO DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE MEDIAR EN LA CRISIS COLOMBOVENEZOLANA El Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones exteriores de la RepC:blica Bolivariana de Venezuela, en relaciC3n con las recientes declaraciones de funcionarios del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos sobre su "interC)s en promover la estabilidad y el diC!logo" entre CARACAS 00001495 003 OF 004 Colombia y Venezuela, desea recordar que la instalaciC3n de bases militares bajo el control irrestricto de los Estados Unidos en Colombia constituye el origen de una situaciC3n de inestabilidad y de inquietud regional. El desproporcionado despliegue militar estadounidense en suelo colombiano, intenta justificar el gobierno de Colombia como un esfuerzo bilateral de lucha contra el narcotrC!fico y el terrorismo. Estos argumentos son falsos y no disipan las dudas e inquietudes que tienen los paC-ses de la regiC3n suramericana sobre estas bases militares, percibidas en tC)rminos de amenaza debido a la magnitud del programa que se pondrC! en prC!ctica con la instalaciC3n de equipos para la guerra electrC3nica, labores de inteligencia, efectivos militares y personal de empresas contratistas de seguridad. El fortalecimiento de la presencia militar de los Estados Unidos estC! orientado a proyectar su poder global para disuadir, bajo la amenaza de intervenciones militares, a paC-ses que como la RepC:blica Bolivariana de Venezuela, mantienen una posiciC3n crC-tica en relaciC3n con su polC-tica imperialista. En esta estrategia, la base de Palanquero tendrC! un rol de importancia estratC)gica ya que podrC-a servir de escala para misiones fuera del territorio colombiano. Venezuela desea llamar la atenciC3n que si bien el texto del "Acuerdo Complementario para la CooperaciC3n y Asistencia TC)cnica en Defensa y Seguridad" no contempla operaciones en terceros paC-ses, tampoco las prohC-be explC-citamente. La preocupaciC3n de Venezuela en considerar como una grave amenaza la presencia de estas bases en territorio colombiano bajo el manejo irrestricto de los Estados Unidos, tiene sC3lidos fundamentos en las mC!s recientes violaciones al Derecho Internacional ejecutadas por Colombia y Estados Unidos. En el caso del Gobierno de Clvaro Uribe, al haber atacado ilegalmente el territorio de la RepC:blica del Ecuador en marzo de 2008, se violC3 el numeral 4 del artC-culo 2 de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, segC:n el cual los Estados, en sus relaciones internacionales, se abstendrC!n de recurrir a la amenaza o al uso de la fuerza contra la integridad territorial o la independencia polC-tica de cualquier Estado, o en cualquier otra forma incompatible con los propC3sitos de las Naciones Unidas. Por su parte los Estados Unidos, con la guerra en Irak, violC3 la resoluciC3n 1441 (2002) del Consejo de Seguridad. Esta resoluciC3n estableciC3 un riguroso rC)gimen de inspecciones que fortaleciC3 la autoridad de la ComisiC3n de Vigilancia, VerificaciC3n e InspecciC3n de las Naciones Unidas (UNMOVIC) y el Organismo Internacional de EnergC-a AtC3mica (OIEA). La resoluciC3n no autorizaba el uso de la fuerza en caso de violaciC3n por parte de Irak, Estados Unidos violC3 la Carta de las Naciones Unidas al lanzar una acciC3n militar sin la aprobaciC3n del Consejo de Seguridad. Estas acciones ilegales contrarias a la letra y el espC-ritu de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y a las normas que prohC-ben el uso de la fuerza en las relaciones internacionales, muy recientemente violadas por parte de Colombia y los Estados Unidos, justifican la preocupaciC3n de los paC-ses de AmC)rica del Sur por una exagerada capacidad operativa y defensiva y una clara cesiC3n de competencias propias del Estado colombiano a los Estados Unidos por parte de la administraciC3n del Presidente Clvaro Uribe. CARACAS 00001495 004 OF 004 Si bien la administraciC3n del Presidente Barack Obama ha manifestado pC:blicamente su compromiso con el respeto al Derecho Internacional y al Multilateralismo, fortalece la preocupaciC3n venezolana que esta administraciC3n continC:e violando de forma reiterada la ResoluciC3n 1373 (2001) del Consejo de Seguridad, que impide a los Estados ofrecer refugio a quienes cometan actos de terrorismo y prohC-be la denegaciC3n de las solicitudes de extradiciC3n de terroristas por razones polC-ticas. Este paC-s ha incumplido lo establecido en el Tratado de ExtradiciC3n con Venezuela al negarse, a travC)s de subterfugios legales, a extraditar al connotado terrorista internacional Luis Posada Carriles. Ante esta real situaciC3n de amenaza a la estabilidad de la regiC3n por parte del gobierno de los Estados Unidos, la propuesta de mediar tiene un claro propC3sito de desviar la atenciC3n de su responsabilidad primaria en la crisis y resulta grosera a los ojos de los pueblos conscientes del mundo. El Gobierno de la RepC:blica Bolivariana de Venezuela reitera su rechazo rotundo a la instalaciC3n de las mencionadas bases militares norteamericanas en suelo colombiano, y su disposiciC3n de continuar el debate dentro de la UNASUR sobre la difC-cil situaciC3n regional generada por los gobiernos de Washington y BogotC! al firmar el "Acuerdo Complementario para la CooperaciC3n y Asistencia TC)cnica en Defensa y Seguridad". Venezuela considera que si los Estados Unidos tienen un real interC)s en colaborar para promover el diC!logo y la estabilidad regional deben desistir en su intenciC3n de convertir a Colombia en la base de operaciones de su estrategia regional de dominaciC3n. y control sobre los paC-ses de AmC)rica del Sur. Caracas, 17 de Noviembre de 2009 End text of communiquC). DUDDY