VZCZCXRO2654
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHCV #0631/01 0672049
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082049Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3488
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6105
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 5248
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ PRIORITY 1739
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 9945
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA PRIORITY 1032
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 3610
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0604
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 1811
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0854
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO PRIORITY 0647
RUEHMI/USOFFICE FRC FT LAUDERDALE PRIORITY 2869
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0537

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000631 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM KPAO VE
SUBJECT: JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF VENEZUELA DISTANCES FROM 
EMBASSY 
 
 
CARACAS 00000631  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Recently, the president of Junior Achievement 
Venezuela visited the Embassy to convey his organization's 
decision to cancel a planned annual reception for supporters 
which was to be held at the Ambassador's residence. The 
decision was the result of a split vote by their board of 
directors--which includes representatives of major 
multinationals--and was couched in terms of this not being 
the right time for a high-profile event with the Embassy. We 
suspect their real fear is that if they pop-up on the 
regime's radar screen as being openly pro-American, they will 
experience retribution which will result in their inability 
to work in Venezuelan public schools. The incident is the 
latest manifestation of civil society's defensive response to 
an increasing tendency by the BRV to engage in political 
retribution against perceived opponents--including those who 
have seemingly innocent contacts with the Embassy. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AND THE EMBASSY: BACKGROUND 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (U) The Venezuelan chapter of the Junior Achievement 
organization (JAV) has enjoyed a good relationship with 
Embassy Caracas over the course of the past four years. That 
relationship has included meetings to discuss programs of 
interest (the work they do in Venezuelan public and private 
schools and their university volunteer program), their 
occasional help with embassy recruitment of candidates for 
exchange programs (such has the Helms Center for 
Entrepreneurship), and the Embassy's continuing support for 
JAV in promoting the importance of the organization to their 
supporters and potential supporters in the private sector and 
the diplomatic corps. The latest has been accomplished 
primarily through the Ambassador's hosting of their annual 
gathering for supporters (including major US and 
multinational corporations) at the Chief of Mission 
Residence.  In November 2005, JAV sought the Ambassador's 
commitment to host the same event in 2006, to which he agreed. 
 
----------------------------------- 
A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH COLD FEET 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) This year's CMR reception was planned for March 23, 
and preparations were under way by PAS and JAV. On February 
21, JAV President Nicolas Vegas reported to Pasoff the board 
of directors had decided to cancel the event for the time 
being, and to hold it a future date at a neutral venue rather 
than at the CMR. An apologetic Vegas reported that the board 
was evenly divided between those who wanted to continue with 
the event as planned, and those who thought it would raise 
their currently low profile too high in the context of what 
he characterized as the current anti-American political 
environment. JAV works on a school-by-school basis, rather 
than through a higher authority, and prefers to stay out of 
the spotlight in order to allow their work in the schools 
(promoting private markets and individual accomplishment) to 
continue. Vegas did not report any specific fears of 
retaliation by the BRV for their association with the 
Embassy, but rather a general wariness of being associated 
publicly with the Embassy. He was at pains to stress that the 
cancellation was not the result of fear, but simply the smart 
thing to do at this time. He also claimed a temporarily low 
cash flow was a factor in the decision. (NOTE: That seemed to 
Pasoff an attempt to water-down the real reason for the 
cancellation, the board's fear of BRV backlash which could 
see them kicked-out of those public schools in which they 
have established programs. END NOTE). 
 
 
CARACAS 00000631  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶4. (U) Vegas has offered instead to host a private dinner 
with representatives of his board, a visiting Junior 
Achievement officer from the United States (their Vice 
President for Asia-Pacific and the Americas), and the 
Ambassador, to discuss the climate in Venezuela and how the 
Embassy can continue to support their work in the future. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶5. (SBU) This is the latest example of the shrinking space 
the Embassy finds for collaboration with Venezuelan civil 
society, who are increasingly wary of BRV backlash for 
perceived pro-American sympathies, and a manifestation of 
their defensive response to an increasing tendency by the BRV 
to engage in political retribution against perceived 
opponents--including those who have seemingly innocent 
contacts with the Embassy. 
BROWNFIELD