Venezuela Hosts New FARC-Affiliated Organization

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2029/11/20
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SNAR VE
SUBJECT: Venezuela Hosts New FARC-Affiliated Organization

CLASSIFIED BY: Robin D. Meyer, Political Counselor, DOS, POL; REASON:
1.4(B),(D)


1. (C) Summary: In a meeting in Caracas on December 7-9, about
1,000 delegates from 24 countries established the Continental
Bolivarian Movement (MCB),named FARC leader Alfonso Cano its
honorary president, and expressed support for the FARC and for
President Chavez's fight against "U.S. imperialism." The
Venezuelan press noted the Ecuadorian Truth Commission report that
claims the FARC used the precursor to the MCB as a front for its
office in Caracas. While the MCB does not admit to an official
connection with the Venezuelan government (GBRV),the logistics of
the meeting and the similarity of positions between the MCB and the
GBRV suggest a very close relationship. End summary.



Movement Launch Focuses on Colombia




2. (SBU) The MCB replaces the Continental Bolivarian Committee
(CBC),which held its first meeting in Caracas in August 2003 and
its second in Ecuador in February 2008. In the movement's launch
in Caracas in early December, a reported 1,000 delegates from 24
countries agreed to "confront and defeat the imperialist strategy"
and specifically denounced the "yankee bases" in Colombia. MCB
spokesperson Juan Contreras said "we consider the FARC
revolutionary comrades who use violence because there is no other
option." He accused Colombian President Uribe of "closing" the
road to peace and forcing the FARC to continue to use arms.




3. (SBU) The GBRV did not have a formal presence at the MCB
meeting and the MCB does not acknowledge any formal connection to
the GBRV on its website (conbolivariana.org). Notable, though, was
the meeting venue, the Sala Plenaria de Parque Central, which is a
room often used by the GBRV for large meetings with allied parties
or groups, such as the community councils ("consejos comunales"),
the youth wing of the Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV),and
ALBA.




4. (C) Central University of Venezuela professor of international
relations Maria Teresa Belandria (protect) told Poloff December 16
that the establishment of the MCB reflected a change in profile,
not a change in policy. "Chavez has had a relationship with these
groups for a long time," she said, "and NOW they are just holding a
public conference too."



FARC Office in Caracas?




5. (U) Meanwhile, the Venezuelan press highlighted two key
elements contained in the recently-released Ecuadorian Truth and
Transparency Commission report on the 2008 Colombian raid into
Ecuador: that FARC leader Ivan Marquez used the Continental
Bolivarian Committee as a front for a FARC office in Caracas; and
that the FARC allegedly trained at Fort Tiuna outside Caracas.
However, a press interview with the Commission's Director minimized
the latter charge by claiming that the unconfirmed information came
from the CBC website.
DUDDY