VZCZCXRO7232
PP RUEHAG
DE RUEHLI #1572/01 2091603
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281603Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5032
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0050
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0033
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001572 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CORRECTED COPY CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION ADDED 
 
NSC FOR JUDY ANSLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2016 
TAGS: PO VE
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES HUGO CHAVEZ 
WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: A) LISBON 1511 B) LISBON 408 C) LISBON 391 
 
LISBON 00001572  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: MATT HARRINGTON, POLITICAL OFFICER, STATE 
DEPARTMENT, REASON: 1.4 (B) & (C). 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1.  (C) The Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Luis Amado 
to get a readout of Prime Minister Socrates's July 23 meeting 
with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, which occurred during the 
latter's refueling stopover at the Lisbon Airport.  The 
Ambassador expressed strong concern about Venezuela's 
military buildup and noted that the optics of the July 23 
meeting were unfortunate -- particularly since Chavez was 
visiting Belarus, Iran, and Russia on the same trip.  The GOP 
believes engaging Chavez is more effective than isolating 
him, and that hearing a common-sense message from  countries 
such as Portugal will offset the populist nonsense he hears 
from leaders like Belarus President Lukashenko and Iranian 
President Ahmadinejad.  Portugal treads very carefully in its 
relationship with Chavez, since 600,000 citizens live in 
Venezuela, the largest Portuguese community outside Europe. 
Socrates delivered some tough messages and underscored 
Portugal's strong relationship with the United States. 
According to press reports, the Prime Minister also discussed 
boosting economic ties, including the possibility of mutual 
oil interests.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Amado told the Ambassador that Prime Minister 
Socrates learned late on Friday, July 21, that Hugo Chavez 
would be making a refueling stop at the Lisbon Airport two 
days later and had requested a meeting with Socrates.  The 
Prime Minister felt obligated to meet him and asked Amado to 
give the Ambassador a heads-up, as he  expected the meeting 
would be viewed with suspicion in Washington.  "I completely 
forgot," Amado claimed, and "the Prime Minister even asked me 
when I arrived at the airport (to join the meeting) whether I 
had spoken with you." 
 
¶3.  (C)  Amado said Socrates and Chavez had met several times 
before at multilateral meetings and enjoy a friendly rapport. 
 The Prime Minister delivered some tough messages, according 
to Amado, on the importance of regional stability and 
political dialogue, and he emphasized the importance of 
transatlantic relations.  Socrates also underscored to Chavez 
Portugal's strong alliance with the United States, and 
offered to help address difficulties in the U.S.-Venezuela 
relationship.  Chavez, Amado recalled, immediately dismissed 
that offer, saying that many people had tried in the past and 
implying that his differences with the U.S. were not so easy 
to resolve.  Chavez told Socrates that he previously had 
enjoyed a good relationship with President Bush, Sr., who 
used to go on fishing expeditions in Venezuela. 
 
¶4.  (C) Amado said the presence of 600,000 Portuguese 
citizens in Venezuela, the largest community of Portuguese 
outside Europe, requires the GOP to pay very close attention 
to that bilateral relationship, which is marked by periodic 
tensions.  The Ambassador recalled Socrates's comment to 
President Bush, Sr. in March (ref C) that it is important to 
keep Chavez engaged, and the former president's response that 
Chavez's intensely personal rhetoric against U.S. leaders 
makes engagement difficult.  The Ambassador said he 
understood Portugal's position but noted that the optics were 
strange, as Portugal was one stop for Chavez in a trip that 
included Belarus, Iran, and, originally, North Korea.  The 
timing of the meeting was unfortunate, as well, as it 
occurred the day before the Ambassador called the National 
Security Council to discuss PM Socrates's interest in a 
meeting with President Bush. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Chavez, the Ambassador said, has chosen to make the 
U.S. his enemy and his effort to build up a major military 
capacity raises troubling questions about his intentions. 
Yes, absolutely, Amada agreed.  "We definitely need to deal 
with this personality very carefully."  He said Portugal's 
only intention is to be an honest broker.  Someone "from our 
side" has to talk to him from time to time; he needs to hear 
messages from those who think like we think.  Otherwise, 
Amado cautioned, Chavez will develop a skewed perception of 
reality if he only has contact with people like Lukashenko 
and Ahmadinejad.  Chavez is "a smart guy, populist, and 
emotional, but I don't see him as irrational," Amado 
commented.  His actions are in fact very rational.  Amado 
contended that Chavez's criticisms of the United States are 
grounded in the reality of recent political trends in South 
America, particularly a growing anti-Americanism.  Amado 
expressed his view that Europe has a role to play in that 
region in softening that political dynamic. 
 
 
LISBON 00001572  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  We have had many discussions with senior Portuguese 
officials about Venezuela, and it is clear they share our 
concerns about his domestic policies and the threat he poses 
to regional stability.  That said, the GOP is very careful to 
avoid taking any actions it believes might affect the 
well-being of the large Portuguese community in Venezuela. 
For instance, Portugal has decided to support Guatemala over 
Venezuela in the upcoming election for a UN Security Council 
seat and to encourage -- very quietly -- its former African 
colonies to do the same, but it is very nervous about the 
potential impact of that decision on its citizens in 
Venezuela.  We suspect that concern was the primary reason 
Socrates agreed to Chavez's request for a meeting, and not 
any desire to cozy up to a leader he considers unpredictable 
and potentially dangerous.  Although Amado did not mention 
it, media reports indicated that Socrates and Chavez 
discussed the possibility of boosting economic ties, 
including in the oil sector. 
 
HOFFMAN