This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 000628 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON 
USCINSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2014 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM VE
SUBJECT: DAS DESHAZO'S MEETING WITH AMBASSADORS ON 2/16/2004 
 
REF: CARACAS 00503 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Charles S. Shapiro for Reasons 1.5(b) 
and (d) 
 
-------- 
Summary: 
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¶1.    (C) During a February 16 meeting in Caracas, DAS Peter 
DeShazo told ambassadors from interested countries that the 
international community needs to make clear its strong and 
unified support for the democratic process, the OAS and the 
Carter Center.  The Spanish ambassador worried about a CNE 
collapse if the two opposition directors walk out.  The 
Canadian ambassador observed that Chavez's recent rhetoric 
sounded like a "bully," more intransigent and more 
aggressive, and noted that OAS resolution 833 could still be 
used for additional action.  The ambassadors from Mexico and 
Colombia chafed at the prospect of their governments making 
additional bilateral statements on the CNE process.  While 
the Mexican ambassador agreed that we need an expression from 
the international community, he suggested the OAS could 
effectively carry Mexico's message. 
 
¶2.    (C) The Spanish ambassador reported rumors that the GoV 
is suppressing news of violence during the opposition 
demonstration on February 14.  The Chilean ambassador 
observed that military commanders loyal to Chavez locked down 
troops in their barracks during the march.  The Canadian 
ambassador said he visited the CNE building on February 14 
and observed "frightening" people preparing for a 
confrontation.  The Mexican ambassador said the National 
Guard has an active presence near the CNE building in order 
to exert pressure on the CNE. 
 
End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Message of Support for OAS and Carter Center; 
International Community Urged to Act 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.    (C) During a February 16 visit to Caracas, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State Peter DeShazo and Ambassador 
Charles Shapiro met with Spanish Ambassador Manuel Viturro de 
la Torre, Canadian Ambassador Allan Culham, Chilean 
Ambassador Favio Vio, Colombian Ambassador Maria Angela 
Holguin, Mexican Ambassador Enrique Loaneza, and Argentine 
Charge d'Affaires Carlos Riva regarding the current situation 
in Venezuela and the role of the international community in 
regard to the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the 
on-going process to verify signatures on petitions seeking a 
recall referendum on the rule of President Hugo Chavez. 
 
¶4.    (C) DAS DeShazo told the diplomats that the USG is 
urging countries and any individuals with influence to weigh 
in on the question of Venezuela's continued movement toward 
an electoral solution to the on-going political impasse.  He 
said he was pleased that Canadian OAS Permanent 
Representative Paul Durand is planning to visit Venezuela. 
(Note: Durand is currently the president of the PAS permanent 
council).  Unfortunately, DAS DeShazo reported, Ambassador 
Durand will be delayed because of emergency meetings 
regarding Haiti.  DAS DeShazo polled the diplomats on their 
opinions on what members of the international community could 
do regarding Venezuela.  After discussion, DAS DeShazo said 
all interested parties in the international community need to 
make clear their strong and unified support for the OAS and 
Carter Center.  That message should be communicated both 
publicly and privately, in multi-national groups such as the 
Friends of Venezuela or the OAS, as well as in bilateral 
meetings with the GoV.  The central message for all is that 
each government/country supports the democratic process and 
the involvement of the OAS and the Carter Center. 
 
------------------------- 
Spain: Venezuela Must Act 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.    (C) Spanish Ambassador Viturro said that the message he 
took away from recent briefings from the OAS representative 
Francisco Jaramillo and Carter Center representative Jennifer 
McCoy was that public criticism of the CNE could be a 
disaster.  As a result, the ambassador was surprised that the 
February 13 OAS/Carter Center statement seemed to advise the 
CNE on internal processes.  The OAS and Carter Center, he 
said, must remember the process is exclusively in the hands 
of Venezuela, or risk becoming embroiled in angry GoV 
statements about attempted "colonialism." 
 
¶6.    (C) Viturro noted that Chavez was in the midst of a 
political campaign, and predicted that he will try to force 
the hand of the CNE.  In answer to a question from the DAS, 
Viturro said any public criticism brought by the OAS/Carter 
Center against the GoV and the CNE for failing to verify the 
signatures would provide "a balloon of oxygen" for the 
Venezuelan opposition. 
 
¶7.    (C) Viturro noted that the OAS is in some ways at a 
disadvantage because it makes decisions by consensus and the 
GoV can block action it does not like.  The Carter Center, 
the ambassador said, can speak more clearly because it is a 
private NGO and has only its own opinion to pronounce.  The 
Spanish ambassador also noted that the work of local NGO 
Sumate, which maintains an electronic database with digitized 
images of every signature gathered, makes any fraud by the 
GoV very difficult.  Canadian Ambassador Culham added that 
Sumate is impressive, transparent, and run entirely by 
volunteers. 
 
¶8.    (C) Viturro noted that the CNE's decision is not final 
and is subject to review by the Venezuelan Supreme Court of 
Justice (TSJ) in legal challenges brought by either the GoV 
or the opposition.  He worries about the international crisis 
in the CNE board.  If the two opposition CNE directors were 
to walk out, the CNE would collapse and the situation would 
be very serious.  Viturro wondered if the CNE collapses 
whether the TSJ would step in.  Such a situation would affect 
all electoral processes.  Accordingly, he said the OAS and 
Carter Center need to focus not only on the activities of the 
CNE, but also on the CNE itself. 
 
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Canada: Chavez Talks Like Bully; Resolution 833 Still There 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶9.    (C) Canadian Ambassador Culham expressed surprise at 
the tone of Chavez's statements during his weekly television 
and radio show "Hello President" on February 15.  Colham 
observed that Chavez's rhetoric was as tough as he had ever 
heard him.  "He sounded like a bully," said Culham, more 
intransigent and more aggressive. 
 
 
¶10.   (C) Culham noted that OAS resolution 833 was still 
available for reference and could be used for additional 
action, such as calling for a report from the observers or 
another visit from OAS SYG Cesar Gaviria.  Culham said we are 
not yet at a stage where nothing can be done.  The Canadian 
government will shortly issue a statement supporting the 
OAS/Carter Center. (Note that statement issued)  Those 
organizations and their work, said Culham, are all that stand 
between Venezuela's future and "complete chaos." 
 
---------------------------------- 
Argentina: Court Ruling Would Help 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶11.   (C) Argentine Charge Riva noted that the whole 
electoral process will likely end up in court before the TSJ. 
That may be a net benefit.  A court ruling, said Riba, may 
give the people more confidence in the process. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Mexico and Colombia: Isn't the OAS Enough? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶12.   (C) The ambassadors from Mexico and Colombia both 
 
chafed at the prospect of their governments making additional 
bilateral statements on the CNE process.  Mexican Ambassador 
Loaeza suggested that the OAS could effectively carry 
Mexico's message.  DAS DeShazo pointed out that the OAS was 
limited and messages from members of the broader 
international community would be helpful.  Loaeza agreed, and 
said the wider "Inter-American Community," including Western 
Hemisphere nations and interested countries like Spain and 
Portugal, would make a good working group.  Loaeza said his 
government's principle worry was to avoid any perception of 
an intervention by outside countries.  Nevertheless, Lonaza 
agreed that it was clear that we needed some expression from 
the international community.  Any such statement, Loaeza 
said, must be formulated to show no preference toward either 
side.  Loaeza asked if the U.S. would sponsor a resolution to 
that effect in the OAS. 
 
¶13.   (C) DAS DeShazo said the U.S. was currently working 
within the OAS but, in addition, the USG urged every country 
to speak bilaterally with the GoV to communicate worry and 
interest regarding the current situation and to express 
support for the OAS and the Carter Center.  The DAS added 
that we could speak privately about specific issues such as 
the disqualification of signature sheets, but public 
statements would be more useful is kept to a general 
statement of support for the process and OAS/Carter Center 
involvement. 
 
¶14.   (C) Colombian Ambassador Holguin said her government 
was particularly sensitive about any communication that could 
damage the already delicate relationship between the 
neighboring countries.  Therefore, she saw little chance that 
Colombia would make any movement outside the OAS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Chile: OAS/Carter Center Must Appear Independent 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶15.   (C) Chilean Ambassador Favio Vio said the perception 
that the OAS and the Carter Center are operating 
independently is extremely important.  The developments he 
saw during the week of February 9 were particularly 
worrisome.  The Government of Chile, said Vio, feels OAS SYG 
Gaviria will have to personally re-enter the field. 
Ambassador Shapiro noted that Gavira may have influence with 
the Inter-American Community, but the Carter Center has more 
influence with Chavez. 
 
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Opposition March Peaceful But Pressure on CNE Still Evident 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶16.   (C) The Colombian ambassador was thankful the February 
14 opposition march was peaceful, and was happy the 
opposition decided to avoid any confrontation by not marching 
to the CNE building as originally planned.  Spanish 
Ambassador Viturro said that he was in the Venezuelan resort 
of Los Roques with a group supporting the opposition, and 
they reported rumors that the GoV had killed two opposition 
demonstrators in Caracas on February 14.  The rumor, reported 
Viturro, is that the GoV is suppressing news of the deaths. 
The point, he said, is although the march was peaceful, 
rumors still circulate in some opposition circles.  Chilean 
Ambassador Vio said he was impressed at how effectively the 
military commanders loyal to Chavez had locked down the 
troops in the barracks during the march. 
 
¶17.   (C) Canadian Ambassador Culham reported that he had 
personally gone to the zone near the CNE building on the day 
of the February 14 march, and observed "frightening" people 
preparing for a confrontation.  Ambassador Shapiro noted that 
directors of the CNE themselves effectively require 
permission from pro-Chavez activists camped outside the CNE 
to enter.  Mexican Ambassador Loaeza said the National Guard 
has an active presence near the CNE building in order to 
exert GoV pressure on the CNE. 
 
¶18.   (U) DAS DeShazo cleared the text of this cable after 
leaving post. 
 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
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      2004CARACA00628 - CONFIDENTIAL