FM'S CHIEF OF STAFF PROMISES ACTION ON RECIPROCITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000079

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV AMGT MCAP SNAR VE
SUBJECT: FM'S CHIEF OF STAFF PROMISES ACTION ON RECIPROCITY
ISSUES

REF: CARACAS 00042

CARACAS 00000079 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister Temir
Porras met with the Charge January 19 to "turn the page" on
ongoing MFA-imposed administrative impediments to normal
diplomatic relations, provided the USG reciprocates in the
United States. Porras pledged to issue and renew visas for
personnel assigned to Embassy Caracas, to issue diplomatic
carnets in a timely fashion, and to allow the importation of
eight-cylinder for the Embassy's use. Porras urged the USG
to issue visas to Government of Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela (GBRV) military pilots seeking training on civilian
aircraft in the United States, and suggested the GBRV would
continue to hold up TDY visas pending resolution of this
issue. He took on board the Charge's complaint that the
Embassy is owed over $300,000 in tax reimbursement, but said
Venezuela's tax agency owes GBRV entities as well. Porras
reiterated the GBRV wants to improve bilateral relations,
despite policy differences. Porras and other GBRV officials
have made but not fulfilled similar pledges in the recent
past. Nevertheless, Porras appeared interested in sending
the "right signal" to the new U.S. administration, even in
the wake of President Chavez's recent sharp criticism of then
President-Elect Obama (Septel). End Summary.

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Turning the Page
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2. (C) Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro's Chief of Staff,
Temir Porras, called the Charge to a January 19 meeting in
his office to follow up on reciprocity issues (Reftel).
Porras said Maduro, MFA Protocol Director Gordils, and he met
recently and decided to "turn the page" to address the
Embassy's ongoing administrative problems caused by the MFA.
Porras said he understood that the GBRV and USG would
continue to have important policy differences. Nevertheless,
Porras said the GBRV is now prepared to move quickly so long
as the Department reciprocates with respect to the Venezuelan
Embassy. The Charge stressed that the USG is interested in a
normal diplomatic relation with Venezuela and in improving
bilateral communication. He urged the GBRV not to interpret
lack of policy agreement as a lack of respect.


3. (C) Porras referred to Iran as a specific example of the
policy differences between the USG and GBRV. He hastened to
add that the GBRV does not pose "any threat to the national
security of the United States," despite our different
"geopolitical visions." He said the GBRV is hoping the USG
will "change its perception" of the GBRV. Charge responded
that the USG also hopes to improve bilateral relations. The
GBRV's decision, however, to expel Ambassador Duddy in 2008
had a negative effect on bilateral relations. He also urged
the GBRV to refrain from anti-American rhetoric.

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Visas
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4. (C) The Charge reviewed the Embassy's difficulties in
obtaining visas for both personnel assigned to Embassy
Caracas (PCS visas) and to officials who visit the Embassy on
temporary duty (TDY visas). He urged the GBRV to separate
the two types of visas and not to conflate the non-issuance
of visas to Venezuelan military personnel seeking pilot
training on civilian aircraft in the United States. Charge
noted that the latter issue is subject to U.S. arms exports
controls and involves more USG agencies than the State
Department. He suggested the GBRV consider raising this
issue in the context of potential bilateral, technical
confidence-building defense talks.


5. (C) Porras said the GBRV is prepared to issue and renew
pending PCS visas for Embassy Caracas, including for military
personnel. The GBRV would not issue visas for any additional
DEA personnel at this time, however. Porras asked for
assurances that the Department would issue and renew pending
visas to its personnel assigned to the United States. The
Charge and Porras agreed to exchange diplomatic notes listing
specific personnel awaiting PCS visas. In response to the
Charge's urging, Porras pledged that the MFA would not hold
up the flow of future PCS visa requests.

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6. (C) With respect to TDY visas, Porras said the GBRV
remains concerned that the USG is not issuing visas to
Venezuelan military pilots seeking training on civilian
aircraft in the United States. While recognizing the GBRV is
not in a position to apply a reciprocal measure, he said the
GBRV is nevertheless linking this issue to USG requests for
TDY visas. He urged the USG to show flexibility on this
issue, noting that President Chavez is personally interested
in a resolution. He said progress could clear the way for
more substantive bilateral issues, including bilateral
discussions on counternarcotics. He said the GBRV may be
interested in technical-level defense talks, if there were a
real perspective on the visa issue affecting military pilots.

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Other Issues
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7. (C) Charge raised other administrative difficulties that
the Embassy is confronting, including the MFA's retroactive
ban on the importation of eight-cylinder vehicles, delays in
the issuance of diplomatic carnets, and reimbursement of over
$300,000 in value-added taxes. Noting that Embassy personnel
are forced to drive for several months before receiving
diplomatic license plates, Charge also urged the MFA to find
a solution to avoid a potential incident. He stressed that
the accumulation of these administrative difficulties is
interpreted by the USG as official harassment.


8. (C) Porras pledged to allow the Embassy to import
eight-cylinder vehicles designated for the Embassy's use. He
also said the MFA would issue diplomatic carnets in a timely
way, including for the PolCouns' son (pending since August
2008). Charge welcomed Porras's promise, but also noted that
in the absence of prior progress, the Department has
reassigned PolCouns and his son has departed Venezuela.
Porras said he was unaware of the diplomatic license plate
problem, but said he would look into it. With respect to tax
reimbursement, Porras noted that Venezuela's tax agency
(SENIAT) owed GBRV entities, including the MFA, large amounts
of tax "drawback." He urged the USG not to interpret GBRV
inter-agency problems as harassment.

CAULFIELD