VISAS VIPER FEBRUARY 2009 ACTIVITY REPORT

UNCLAS CARACAS 000311

STATE FOR INR/TIPOFF AND CA/VO/L/C
FBI FOR INTD/CTS
DHS FOR HQINT
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: CVIS KVPR PTER ASEC PINR CMGT VE
SUBJECT: VISAS VIPER FEBRUARY 2009 ACTIVITY REPORT


1. The Acting DCM chaired the Caracas Visas Viper Committee meeting
on February 25, 2009. Committee members submitted two names for the
Visas Viper program.


2. Committee members agree that Lina Ron meets the Visas Viper
criteria. Her information is as follows:

Name: Ron Pereira, Lina Ninette
Alias: "Comandante Lina"
DOB: September 23, 1959
POB: Anaco, State of Anzoategui, Venezuela
Venezuelan Cedula (Identity Card) Number: 5486235
Father: Manuel Ron Chiva
Third and current husband: Humberto Berroteran
Number of brothers and sisters: 19

Lina Ron has an existing P3B Lookout in Class with the following
information:
Name: Ron, Lina, DOB: 21-Jan-1963, POB: Venezuela
Ref.Code: P3B Ref.Site: CRS, Ref. Date: 01-Mar-2005
UID: DOSVOCRS000001267566001NC

Lina Ron is the leader of a small, pro-government party, "Unidad
Popular Venezuela" (UPV),which has threatened and targeted members
of the independent media and opposition leaders with political
violence. In January 2009, Ron personally led her party's attack on
an opposition left-wing party, "Bandera Roja" (BR). Ron and UPV
militants forcibly removed BR and opposition leaders from a downtown
Caracas auditorium, where BR members were celebrating the
anniversary of the party's founding. Credible open source reporting
and Ron's public statements and actions support her inclusion in the
Visas Viper program.

3. Committee members agree that David Santana meets the Visas Viper
criteria. His information is as follows:

Name: Santana Torres, David Valentin
DOB: September 30, 1962
POB: Venezuela
Venezuelan Cedula (Identity Card) Number: V-7251960

David Santana has an existing P2A1 Lookout in Class with the
following information:
Name: Santana Torres, David Valentin
DOB: 30-SEP-1962
POB: Venezuela
Ref.Code P2A1, Ref.Site: CRS, Ref.Date: 10-FEB-2009
UID: DOSVOCRS000002378730001NC
GENDER:M, NATL:VENZ, Cat:1

David Santana is the founder and leader of the "La Piedrita"
collective, a small pro-government organization in eastern Caracas
that frequently engages in domestic political violence. During a
recent newspaper interview, Santana claimed responsibility for tear
gas bomb attacks and threats against members of the independent
media, including the media conglomerate president Marcel Granier,
the outspoken journalist Marta Colomina, and the independent cable
station of Globovision. Santana also claimed responsibility for
attacks on opposition political parties such as Copei and the
"Bandera Roja". He said that "La Piedrita" was responsible for an
attack on the Holy See mission to Venezuela as well. Santana's
public statements and violent actions provide credible evidence of
his qualification for the Visas Viper program.


4. Visas Viper coordinator at post is Alyce Abdalla. Contact
information is AbdallaAN@state.gov and 058-212-907-8254.

CAULFIELD