Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CARACAS195
2009-02-11 22:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:
CHAVEZ REFUSES FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT WALESA'S
how-toVZCZCXRO9575 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHCV #0195 0422204 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 112204Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2589 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000195
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2028
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KIRF VE PL
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ REFUSES FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT WALESA'S
VISIT AGAIN
REF: A. 08 CARACAS 1559
B. 08 WARSAW 1312
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ,
FOR REASON 1.4(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000195
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2028
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KIRF VE PL
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ REFUSES FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT WALESA'S
VISIT AGAIN
REF: A. 08 CARACAS 1559
B. 08 WARSAW 1312
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ,
FOR REASON 1.4(D)
1. (C) Summary: With five days to go until the February 15
constitutional referendum on removing official term limits,
Chavez is trying to marginalize and discredit any potential
critics. He has again denied democracy activist and former
Polish President Lech Walesa entrance into Venezuela -- as he
did prior to the November 2008 state and local elections. He
has also accused the organized criminal pro-government "La
Piedrita" group of being infiltrated and financed by the CIA.
His outlandish and implausible claims inevitably include an
attempt to pin the blame for all negative events on the
political opposition and/or the United States. End Summary.
--------------
CHAVEZ PROHIBITS WALESA'S VISIT
--------------
2. (SBU) Chavez announced February 10 that former Polish
President Lech Walesa would not be allowed into Venezuela.
During an evening broadcast of a Cabinet meeting by state TV
station Venezolana de Television (VTV),Chavez turned to
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro and instructed him
to prohibit the entrance of Walesa into Venezuela. He
contended that "we are obliged to respect Venezuela's
dignity" and alleged that the Polish leader's trip was part
of a "reformatted" plan to incite political violence. Walesa
had told pro-opposition daily El Nacional earlier that day
that he was willing to meet with Chavez or any other
government official in order to bring Venezuela "closer to
democracy." Walesa, who was invited to visit by several
civil society groups, also noted that he hoped to meet with
university activists during his trip.
3. (SBU) In the run-up to Venezuela's state and local
elections in November 2008, Walesa strongly criticized Chavez
in media interviews, contending that Poland's experience with
communism should be a warning and that the GBRV is "the
biggest mistake of the region." Chavez discouraged Walesa
from a planned visit to Venezuela on November 2, citing the
GBRV's inability to provide sufficient security (Reftels).
Walesa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and served as
President of Poland from 1990-95.
--------------
CHAVEZ LINKS "LA PIEDRITA" TO CIA
--------------
4. (SBU) In the same February 10 broadcast, Chavez
announced that the organized criminal pro-government group
"La Piedrita" had been infiltrated by the CIA and was working
to undermine his government. He contended that the group was
"financed and infiltrated by the ultra-right and they are
using it against the government, against the revolution,
against the people, and should be neutralized." He went on
to blast the opposition for allegedly resorting to violence,
violating Venezuelan laws and the Constitution, and planning
to reject the "probable" approval of the referendum on
February 15.
5. (SBU) Chavez also accused the opposition media of using
the January 31 attacks on Caracas' oldest synagogue to spur a
"religious war" by implicating pro-government supporters in
the violence. (Comment: Chavez and government spokesmen
initially blamed the political opposition for staging the
attack. End Comment.) The state-owned Bolivarian News
Agency published an article February 11 calling the BGRV the
"guarantor of respect" for religious freedom. Venezuelan
Ambassador to the UN Jorge Valero, on the February 10 edition
of VTV's "Wake-up Venezuela," repudiated the synagogue
attacks and echoed Chavez's criticism of the opposition.
6. (C) Comment: Chavez is once again carefully calibrating
his actions to best exploit the political environment,
probably calculating that La Piedrita's violence has
generated public indignation. Similarly, Walesa's visit
would have been likely to draw attention to the "No"
campaign, particularly its vibrant base of student activists,
during the finale of a very tense campaign season. End
Comment.
CAULFIELD
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2028
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KIRF VE PL
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ REFUSES FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT WALESA'S
VISIT AGAIN
REF: A. 08 CARACAS 1559
B. 08 WARSAW 1312
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ,
FOR REASON 1.4(D)
1. (C) Summary: With five days to go until the February 15
constitutional referendum on removing official term limits,
Chavez is trying to marginalize and discredit any potential
critics. He has again denied democracy activist and former
Polish President Lech Walesa entrance into Venezuela -- as he
did prior to the November 2008 state and local elections. He
has also accused the organized criminal pro-government "La
Piedrita" group of being infiltrated and financed by the CIA.
His outlandish and implausible claims inevitably include an
attempt to pin the blame for all negative events on the
political opposition and/or the United States. End Summary.
--------------
CHAVEZ PROHIBITS WALESA'S VISIT
--------------
2. (SBU) Chavez announced February 10 that former Polish
President Lech Walesa would not be allowed into Venezuela.
During an evening broadcast of a Cabinet meeting by state TV
station Venezolana de Television (VTV),Chavez turned to
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro and instructed him
to prohibit the entrance of Walesa into Venezuela. He
contended that "we are obliged to respect Venezuela's
dignity" and alleged that the Polish leader's trip was part
of a "reformatted" plan to incite political violence. Walesa
had told pro-opposition daily El Nacional earlier that day
that he was willing to meet with Chavez or any other
government official in order to bring Venezuela "closer to
democracy." Walesa, who was invited to visit by several
civil society groups, also noted that he hoped to meet with
university activists during his trip.
3. (SBU) In the run-up to Venezuela's state and local
elections in November 2008, Walesa strongly criticized Chavez
in media interviews, contending that Poland's experience with
communism should be a warning and that the GBRV is "the
biggest mistake of the region." Chavez discouraged Walesa
from a planned visit to Venezuela on November 2, citing the
GBRV's inability to provide sufficient security (Reftels).
Walesa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and served as
President of Poland from 1990-95.
--------------
CHAVEZ LINKS "LA PIEDRITA" TO CIA
--------------
4. (SBU) In the same February 10 broadcast, Chavez
announced that the organized criminal pro-government group
"La Piedrita" had been infiltrated by the CIA and was working
to undermine his government. He contended that the group was
"financed and infiltrated by the ultra-right and they are
using it against the government, against the revolution,
against the people, and should be neutralized." He went on
to blast the opposition for allegedly resorting to violence,
violating Venezuelan laws and the Constitution, and planning
to reject the "probable" approval of the referendum on
February 15.
5. (SBU) Chavez also accused the opposition media of using
the January 31 attacks on Caracas' oldest synagogue to spur a
"religious war" by implicating pro-government supporters in
the violence. (Comment: Chavez and government spokesmen
initially blamed the political opposition for staging the
attack. End Comment.) The state-owned Bolivarian News
Agency published an article February 11 calling the BGRV the
"guarantor of respect" for religious freedom. Venezuelan
Ambassador to the UN Jorge Valero, on the February 10 edition
of VTV's "Wake-up Venezuela," repudiated the synagogue
attacks and echoed Chavez's criticism of the opposition.
6. (C) Comment: Chavez is once again carefully calibrating
his actions to best exploit the political environment,
probably calculating that La Piedrita's violence has
generated public indignation. Similarly, Walesa's visit
would have been likely to draw attention to the "No"
campaign, particularly its vibrant base of student activists,
during the finale of a very tense campaign season. End
Comment.
CAULFIELD