TFHA01: Venezuela Sends Aid, Minimizes Coordination with

UNCLAS CARACAS 000047 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREL VE OAS PREF EAID HA KPKO SUBJECT: TFHA01: Venezuela Sends Aid, Minimizes Coordination with U.S. REF: STATE 4909; STATE 4807; STATE 4854 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: As of January 19, the Venezuelan government (GBRV) has completed five airlifts and launched three sealifts to provide disaster relief to Haiti. The arrival of two Russian operated cargo planes, if fully employed, could significantly increase Venezuela's relief contribution. Phone conversations between the DATT and Dr. Luis Diaz Curbelo, National Director of Civil Defense and his deputy, have been positive. The DATT's requests to meet with the Commando Estrategico Operacional (CEO) (the Joint Staff Equivalent) to coordinate all Venezuelan military support have been met with silence. During a January 17 broadcast, President Chavez promised that all of Haiti's fuel requirements during the disaster would be met by Venezuela. A tanker is en route to the Dominican Republic to provide generator fuel. End Summary. By Air ¶2. (SBU) The GBRV's first response to the Haitian earthquake was to send a C-130 transport aircraft on January 13, reportedly with 50 personnel, including an advance assessment team and relief supplies. A second C-130 departed January 15 with about 25 personnel, including a second team to assess aviation support requirements. The GBRV Ministry of Communications announced on January 17 that 14 tons of food, water and medicine, accompanied by an unknown number of personnel, were transported on a third C-130. Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice Tarek El-Aissami posed in front of two Russian-operated IL-76 cargo planes on January 17 prior to their departure to Haiti and announced that the aircraft would carry 80 tons of first aid supplies and an additional 120 Venezuelans to the island. By Sea ¶3. (SBU) Two ALLIGATOR Class amphibious landing ships (Capana-T-61 and the Essequibo T-62) left port from La Guaira on January 18, according to official sources. The DATT was informed that one ship would carry approximately 600 tons of food and medicine, palletized and ready for roll-on roll-off operations. The other ship would have approximately 600 tons of heavy machinery and engineering equipment for recovery and clearing operations. The estimated transit time is four days. A third and possibly even a fourth ship was announced to sail in the near future under the auspices of the Bolivarian Alliance for Latina America (ALBA) with the potential of increasing seaborne tonnage of aid to 5,675 tons. ¶4. (SBU) The Venezuelan national oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA),reported in a January 18 press release that a tanker carrying approximately 225,000 barrels of diesel and gasoline was en route to a refinery in the Dominican Republic, where the fuel would be transported to Haiti for use in electricity generation. ¶5. (SBU) Civil Defense officials have coordinated with the United States. Curbelo provided the DATT with the telephone numbers of the captains of the two amphibious ships, and both mariners were grateful to receive some basic information regarding the status of the harbor in Port-Au-Prince. The DATT has not been able to meet with the Venezuelan Joint Staff or to arrange for a Venezuelan naval liaison officer. ¶6. (SBU) The Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to post's request to meet to exchange information. CAULFIELD