CHAVEZ USES TREASON ACCUSATIONS TO TARGET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000759

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2029
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ USES TREASON ACCUSATIONS TO TARGET
OPPOSITION

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Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ,
FOR REASON 1.4(D)


1. (C) Summary: Taking a relatively new tact, President
Chavez used accusations of treason and paramilitary
involvement June 14 to target the opposition Governor of
Tachira State Cesar Perez Vivas. Several days prior, the
Chavista-dominated National Assembly (AN) announced it would
investigate the opposition mayor of Greater Caracas, Antonio
Ledezma, also for treason. Perez Vivas and Ledezma are the
two most prominent opposition officials who remain willing to
publicly and belligerently fight back against Chavez,
behavior that has won them some international attention but
also seems likely to incite a stand-off with the Venezuelan
President that they may not win. The opposition leaders who
have not aggressively criticized the GBRV appear to be the
ones who are not being targeted by Chavez -- yet (septel).
End Summary.

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MANO A MANO
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2. (SBU) In his weekly "Alo, Presidente" TV and radio
broadcast June 14, Chavez called Governor of Tachira State
Cesar Perez Vivas a fascist and accused him of paramilitary
involvement and "treason against the fatherland." Tachira,
which is located along the Colombian-Venezuelan border, has
long suffered incursions from Colombian leftist guerrilla
groups. Chavez threatened that if Perez Vivas continues with
his behavior, he would end up "in Lima playing dominos with
the other guy," a reference to the self-exiled former
presidential candidate and mayor of Maracaibo Manuel Rosales.
During the live broadcast, PSUV AN Deputy Ligia Montoya --
who was in attendance -- was run over by a bus in a fatal
accident. Chavez acknowledged the death briefly during his
broadcast, but continued with the show, even breaking into
song shortly thereafter.


3. (SBU) Perez Vivas responded the following day,
contending that Chavez is inventing charges as part of a
"dirty war" and that he cannot take away Perez Vivas'
"popular legitimacy achieved through the vote." He rejected
Chavez's accusations of paramilitary involvement and claimed
instead that both the Venezuelan military and Chavez were
protecting and supporting Colombian guerrillas in the region.
Perez Vivas also called on Chavez to meet with him to give
precise information on the location of "irregular groups" in
the region.


4. (SBU) PSUV AN Deputy Calixto Ortega announced June 10 on
state-owned Venezolana TV's "Wake-Up, Venezuela" program that
the AN would set up a special commission to investigate the
opposition mayor of Greater Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, on
treason charges. Ortega contended that Ledezma has
undertaken an international campaign against Venezuela's
national interests by sending a note to the president of the
Brazilian senate, Jose Sarney, asking him to thwart
Venezuela's entrance into Mercosur. Ortega contended that
such an action in any other country would result in legal
proceedings.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) In taking an aggressive stance, Perez Vivas and
Ledezma may be making careful political calculations. They
seem to be distancing themselves from the other elected
opposition officials who are trying to focus more on
governing than challenging the national government (septel).
With Rosales vanquished, Perez Vivas makes a natural new
target for Chavez, particularly given his slim gubernatorial
win in November 2008, which the PSUV has contested. However,
Perez Vivas also stands to be an unexpected heir-apparent to
take up Rosales's mantle as the opposition's leader -- such
that it is. He is a member of COPEI with an electoral base,
and is rumored to have ambitions to wrest control of the
party away from its president, Luis Ignacio Planas. Perez
Vivas might hope Tachira's geographic and cultural proximity
to Zulia might help him win supporters from Rosales' Un Nuevo
Tiempo party, which is beset by infighting and a leadership
vacuum. Ledezma is struggling to remain politically relevant
after being severely undercut by the creation of the new VP
of Caracas and the decimation of his budget. He has little
to lose at this point and appears to be making an active

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effort to be at the forefront and in the press for all the
opposition's latest efforts, including the unity table, the
"Globopotazo" fundraiser for Globovision, and the protest
against the death of an opposition student leader (reftels).
End Comment.

CAULFIELD