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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DRL/IRF FOR LISTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2021 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF KDEM CACS VE
SUBJECT: NEW TRIBES MISSION COMPLYING WITH WITHDRAWAL ORDER 
 
REF: A. 05 CARACAS 3561 
     ¶B. 05 CARACAS 3757 
 
Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor, 
for Reason 1.4(b). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (C) The New Tribes Mission (NTM) has removed all of its 
personnel from indigenous tribal areas in compliance with the 
February 12 deadline given by the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela (BRV).  The Supreme Court (TSJ) on February 3 
denied NTM's request for a stay of the Interior Ministry's 
November resolution ordering the withdrawal.  However, the 
Court accepted NTM's case alleging they had been denied the 
constitutional right to freedom of expression.  NTM has had 
to abandon some 25 houses in the jungle areas, but hopes to 
sell its properties elsewhere in Venezuela where title is 
clear.  At least two other mission groups associated with NTM 
have either left the country or have reduced their staff in 
Venezuela.  The group is holding talks with local Evangelical 
leaders to develop plans for a Venezuelan successor 
organization that can build on NTM's 59 years working in 
Venezuela.  NTM has asked that the Embassy maintain its low 
profile on the issue while the court case proceeds, but we 
may need to speak out if other groups are put at risk.  End 
summary. 
 
------------------------ 
NTM Complies But Appeals 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) The NTM President told Poloff February 15 the 
Evangelical mission organization had pulled all of its 
personnel out of the indigenous areas by February 9.  NTM 
announced publicly it had complied with the Ministry of 
Interior's November 14 resolution rescinding, with 90 days' 
notice, permission granted in 1953 for the group to operate 
freely among indigenous tribes.  NTM reported that the 
majority of its missionaries had left the country on 
furlough, though it was likely most would be reassigned. 
About half a dozen missionaries resigned and left the 
country, the NTM President added.  He noted that NTM had 
borne all costs associated with the withdrawal, receiving no 
assistance from the military units that regularly visited NTM 
sites to monitor NTM's compliance.  (Note: Press reporting on 
the issue has consistently confused the order to leave 
indigenous areas with an expulsion order to leave the 
country.  President Chavez announced October 12 that the 
group was spying on behalf of the USG and would have to 
depart the country.  No expulsion order was given, however, 
though obviously an organization specializing in indigenous 
work would eventually leave the country if it is denied 
access to indigenous areas.) 
 
3.(C) The TSJ on February 3 rejected NTM's motion for a stay 
of the withdrawal order while its appeal of the ministerial 
resolution is pending.  NTM had argued that as a duly 
registered religious organization in Venezuela, it enjoyed 
freedom of religious expression rights, which were violated 
by the ministerial resolution.  On February 13, the Court 
assigned NTM's case to a magistrate in the Administrative 
Policy Chamber.  NTM officials had no indications from the 
Court whether the case would be disposed of more rapidly than 
the six months to a year normally expected of such cases. 
The NTM President had little hope the TSJ would side with 
them, however. 
 
 
CARACAS 00000484  002 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------------ 
25 Missionary Houses Abandoned 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) In complying with the order, NTM was forced abandon 
some 25 houses in the indigenous areas.  NTM constructed the 
houses in jungle areas where proper land titling procedures 
were not practiced, NTM officials said.  One key exception is 
NTM's facility at Tamatama in Amazonas State, where the group 
has more than a dozen modern homes and other buildings.  The 
NTM President said the governor of Amazonas had, in fact, 
offered the group US$700,000 for the facility with the 
intention of converting it into a Bolivarian University for 
the indigenous.  NTM officials quickly added, however, that 
the governor's offer was a low-ball and had not yet 
materialized in writing.  In addition to this property, NTM 
owns some houses and apartments in Caracas, Puerto Ayacucho, 
and Puerto Ordaz (its headquarters), to which the 
organization has clear title and would presumably be allowed 
to sell at its leisure.  In all, the NTM President estimated 
that all of its real estate holdings in Venezuela exceeded 
US$2 million.  NTM has also removed two Cessna airplanes from 
the country, though one remains stuck in Venezuela due to 
paperwork difficulties. 
 
-------------------- 
Other Groups Leaving 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Separately, Post is aware of two other indigenous 
missionary groups that have drawn down personnel.  An NTM 
offshoot called Mision Padamo sent most of its missionaries 
back to the United States, effectively abandoning its 
Esmeralda base.  Recent e-mails from the group indicate that 
at least one Amcit missionary had stayed behind as a 
caretaker for fear of being accused of abandoning the 
property.  There was a report that military units in the area 
had temporarily denied gasoline purchases for the Esmeralda 
base.  Also, Mission Aviation Fellowship, known locally as 
"Alas de Socorro" and Mision Paramo's only air-bridge to 
Puerto Ayacucho, reportedly left the country with its two 
aircraft and will re-assess its continued presence in 
Venezuela in the coming weeks. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Bolstering NTM's Venezuelan Face 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) NTM is now in talks with leaders of the Venezuelan 
Evangelical Council (CEV) over how to continue its mission 
work in the indigenous tribes.  Local Evangelical leaders had 
criticized the organization for maintaining heavy 
foreign-missionary presence even after similar allegations of 
cultural interference were made in the 80s.  The NTM 
President said their plan now is to disband NTM quietly for 
the next two years while founding a new organization under 
Venezuelan leadership that can continue where NTM left off. 
The NTM President expressed some concern about being seen as 
associating closely with the Embassy, given Chavez' recent 
accusations that Embassy personnel were engaged in espionage. 
 (Note:  The NTM President, in fact, had agreed to see the 
Ambassador on February 15 but backed out at the last minute 
at his lawyer's suggestion for fear of being accused of 
conspiring with the USG.  Poloff met with NTM officials 
instead at a discreet location.) 
 
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Comment 
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CARACAS 00000484  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶7. (C) The message here is that the BRV, offering little 
explanation or evidence of wrongdoing, is cutting off yet 
another societal contact between the United States and 
Venezuela.  Given NTM's nervousness, we have not called the 
BRV out on this apparent violation of religious expression, 
though the opportunity will present itself when the TSJ 
decides against them. 
WHITAKER