CASTRO GREETS FORMER COUP LEADER CHAVEZ

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 10003


E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR CU VE
SUBJECT: CASTRO GREETS FORMER COUP LEADER CHAVEZ


1. (U) CARACAS NEWSPAPERS GAVE FRONT PAGE COVERAGE
DECEMBER 15 TO THE VISIT TO HAVANA OF RETIRED ARMY LT.
COL. HUGO CHAVEZ. FEATURING PHOTOS OF FIDEL CASTRO
EMBRACING CHAVEZ, THE PRESS REPORTED THAT THE CUBAN
PRESIDENT WENT TO THE AIRPORT TO GREET THE PRINCIPAL
LEADER OF THE FAILED FEBRUARY 1992 COUP AGAINST THEN
PRESIDENT CARLOS ANDRES PEREZ. CHAVEZ WAS REPORTEDLY
INVITED TO CUBA TO LECTURE ON SIMON BOLIVAR. THE PRESS
NOTED THAT CASTRO WAS IRONICALLY ONE OF THE FIRST FOREIGN
LEADERS TO SEND A TELEGRAM IN SUPPORT OF FORMER PRESIDENT
PEREZ AFTER THE FEBRUARY 1992 COUP ATTEMPT, AND NOW THE
CUBAN CHIEF IS TREATING THE MAN WHO ORCHESTRATED THE COUP
MUCH LIKE A VISITING HEAD OF STATE.


2. (U) PROFESSING HIS ADMIRATION FOR CUBA ("THE
AUTHENTIC BOLIVARIAN DREAM BREATHES HERE"),CHAVEZ
AFFIRMED THAT VENEZUELA REQUIRED A ECONOMIC, SOCIAL,
POLITICAL, AND MORAL REVOLUTION. HE CALLED THE GOV A
"CIVILIAN DICTATORSHIP DISGUISED AS A DEMOCRACY". THE
LEADER OF THE "BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT 200"
(MBR-200) ALSO ASSERTED THAT HIS GROUP WOULD SEEK POWER IN
VENEZUELA DEMOCRATICALLY. AT THE SAME TIME, CHAVEZ
REITERATED THAT HE WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE
ELECTIONS UNLESS THE "RULES OF THE GAME ARE CHANGED."


3. (LOU) ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 15, FOREIGN
MINISTER MIGUEL ANGEL BURELLI RIVAS REPORTEDLY CALLED IN
GERMAN GARCIA OTERO, THE CUBAN AMBASSADOR IN CARACAS, TO
"LAY OUT THE VENEZUELAN POSITION" TOWARDS CHAVEZ' WARM
RECEPTION. THE LACK OF PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING WHAT WAS
SAID DURING MEETING LEFT LITTLE DOUBT THE EXCHANGE WAS
COLD. TWO DAYS LATER BURELLI RIVAS FELT COMPELLED TO
COMMENT THAT HIS EXCHANGE WITH GARCIA OTERO DEALT ONLY
WITH BILATERAL ISSUES. THE MINISTER ALSO ASSERTED THAT
THE RETURN TO CARACAS OF THE VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR IN
HAVANA HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHAVEZ INCIDENT. IN
OTHER REACTION, THE ARCHBISHOP OF BARQUISIMETO COMMENTED
ON THE CHAVEZ VISIT IN HIS TELEVISED CHRISTMAS MESSAGE,
BLASTING CHAVEZ FOR COMPARING CASTRO'S CUBAN DICTATORSHIP
TO THE BOLIVARIAN DREAM.


4. (C) COMMENT: IT IS NOT IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT WHAT
DOMESTIC POLITICAL BENEFIT CHAVEZ EXPECTS TO DERIVE FROM
HIS VISIT TO CUBA AND MEETING WITH CASTRO. IF ANYTHING,
IN THE EYES OF MOST VENEZUELANS THE ENCOUNTER WILL MORE
CLEARLY PLACE THE NATIONALISTIC, POLITICALLY AMBIGUOUS
CHAVEZ AND HIS MBR IN THE POLITICAL CAMP OF THE FAR LEFT.
THE CUBAN MODEL IS NOT ONE THAT HAS MANY SUPPORTERS HERE,
SO HIS FLIRTING WITH CASTRO WOULD NOT SEEM A MOVE THAT
WOULD WIN HIM VAST SUPPORT AT HOME. ON THE CONTRARY, A
PERCEPTION THAT HE IS CLOSE TO CASTRO COULD COST CHAVEZ
POLITICALLY SINCE A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF HIS SUPPORT
DERIVES FROM THE VIEW THAT HE IS AN ANTI-SYSTEM POPULIST,
NOT THAT HE IS A LEFTIST. WE PRESUME THAT FROM THE CUBAN
PERSPECTIVE THE HIGH LEVEL ATTENTION PAID TO CHAVEZ WAS
CASTRO'S WAY OF SIGNALING HIS DISPLEASURE WITH THE GOV
OVER VENEZUELA'S COMMENTS ON THE NEED TO DEMOCRATIZE
CUBA. BURELLI RIVAS' CALLING IN THE CUBAN AMBASSADOR
PROVIDED THE GOV RESPONSE.

DAVIDOW