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DE RUEHCV #0854/01 0881652
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R 291652Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
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UNCLAS CARACAS 000854 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
HQ SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
TREASURY FOR KLINGENSMITH AND NGRANT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID PREL VE
SUBJECT: BOLIVARIAN DOLLAR DIPLOMACY 
 
REF: CARACAS 03227 
 
This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified, please treat 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY: During the past year President Chavez has 
undertaken an extensive dollar-diplomacy campaign to win 
friends and influence countries in the region and beyond. 
Two recent studies, drawn from Chavez' announcements, place 
BRV public commitments of support (donations, discounts, 
government procurements, barter, financing, and investment 
projects) over this period at USD 16.4 billion and USD 25.8 
billion, respectively.  While BRV non-transparency makes it 
very difficult to assess the accuracy of these numbers, we 
estimate the BRV provided to other countries roughly USD 4-5 
billion in sweetheart deals, financial support, and 
investments -- mostly to Cuba and Argentina.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------- 
LATIN-AMERICAN COMMITMENTS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Julio Borges, former National Assembly Deputy for the 
State of Miranda (2001-2005) and current Primero Justicia 
presidential candidate, criticized the BRV for "giving away" 
a reported USD 16.4 billion to 35 countries during 2005 and 
the beginning of 2006.  The Center for Economic Investigation 
(CIECA), a private consulting firm, puts the giveaway at USD 
25.8 billion over the past seven months.  CIECA's inclusion 
of USD 10 billion for the Fund Against Poverty, which Chavez 
announced in November 2005 but never established, largely 
explains the difference in totals.  While the two studies 
suffer from extreme imprecision, they provide a good profile 
of Chavez' international financial promises (many of which 
have not been executed) and have drawn public criticism 
given deteriorating infrastructure and unmet social needs at 
home. 
 
¶3.  (U)  While the accounting is very imprecise, the studies 
do include examples of tangible Venezuelan assistance to Cuba 
and Argentina.  The largest support to Cuba was oil; 98,000 
barrels daily (USD 1.764 billion annually) per Borges or 
95,000 barrels daily (USD 2 billion annually) per CIECA 
(note: this is in exchange for roughly 20 thousand Cuban 
medical personnel supporting the BRV missions. end note). 
Both studies list Industrial Bank of Venezuela (BIV) 
financing for Cuba, which we understand to be mainly loan 
guarantees.  Both studies also reported that Venezuela 
purchased USD 1 billion in Argentine debt and the BRV 
committed to buy an additional USD 2.4 billion.  (Note: 
according to press reports the BRV purchased USD 2.8 billion 
in Argentine debt from May 2005 to March 2006, although it 
has resold a substantial portion of the debt.)  Both studies 
include the barter of Venezuela oil for Argentine meat and 
industrial products, the purchase of a refinery, as well as 
agreement (not yet executed) to purchase Argentinian-built 
petroleum tankers.  We estimate that assistance to Cuba was 
roughly USD 1.8 billion (mostly oil) and financial support to 
Argentina (mostly debt purchase) was USD 990 million from 
May-December 2005, increasing to USD 2.8 billion by March 
¶2006. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Venezuela's yet unrealized commitment to purchase 
petroleum tankers from Brazil and the proposed construction 
of the PDVSA-Petrobras refinery in Pernambuco, Brazil are 
highlighted in both studies.  CIECA counts Venezuela's 
commitment to buy 28 tankers from Brazil (USD 3 billion), as 
compared to Borges' count of 40 tankers (USD 2 billion). 
Borges places the construction cost of the refinery in 
Pernambuco at USD 2.5 billion, as compared to CIECA's and our 
estimate of USD 1.25 billion.  It is premature to determine 
the likelihood of implementation of agreements for Paraguay, 
Uraguay, and Bolivia, announced in December 2005 and January 
¶2006.  These include oil at barter and preferential terms, 
scholarships for students from rural areas, and loans for 
hospital equipment. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Neither study includes Chavez' proposed USD 20 
billion 9,000 km natural gas pipeline from Venezuela to 
Argentina.  Critics charge that the pipeline is not feasible 
because Venezuela does not have sufficient gas to pump to 
meet regional demand.  The delivery of the gas over such a 
long distance would also be prohibitively expensive and cause 
considerable environmental damage to the Amazon rain forest. 
 
------------------ 
WORLD-WIDE SUPPORT 
------------------ 
 
¶6.  (U) Chavez also reached out to the U.S., the Caribbean, 
and as far as Indonesia, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, and 
Niger.  As part of the BRV diplomatic strategy to lobby the 
U.S. public, Venezuela donated heating oil for poor residents 
in Boston, New York, Chicago, Rhode Island, Vermont, and 
Maine (worth USD 200 million per CIECA or USD 10 million per 
Borges).  Venezuela also sold oil at preferential terms to 
the Caribbean (worth USD 536 million per CIECA or USD 742 
million per Borges), in an effort to win support within the 
Organization of American States.  Assistance to Mali, Burkina 
Faso, and Niger was reportedly humanitarian aide and food, 
however, the BRV cannot fully account for the funds directed 
to support aid to Africa.  However, in November 2005, the BRV 
could not confirm how much of the aid to Africa had been 
obligated for the purchase of medical and food supplies 
(reftel).  In Indonesia, the BRV will reportedly support the 
construction of an educational center. 
 
------------------ 
JULIO BORGES STUDY 
------------------ 
¶7.  (U) The table below shows Julio Borge's analysis: 
 
                                       USD thousands 
UNITED STATES 
Study to Clear Hudson River                         100 
Citgo Heating oil                               200,000 
Public Propaganda                                   180 
TOTAL                                           200,280 
 
CUBA 
Construct homes                                   2,000 
Financing for Refinery                           43,000 
Electricity Project                              20,000 
Endogenous Development Project                    5,682 
Distribution of Petroleum                     1,764,000 
Cuban Debt                                    3,000,000 
BIV financing for Construction Ministry          10,000 
BIV financing for Cubana de Petroleo             20,000 
BIV financing for lubricant and oil plant        47,000 
BIV financing for tourism sector                 10,000 
Salaries for Cuban Doctors                       96,000 
TOTAL                                         5,017,682 
 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
Infrastructure loan                             156,400 
TOTAL                                           156,400 
 
DOMINICA 
Donation for construction of new airport         10,000 
TOTAL                                            10,000 
 
PUERTO RICO 
Chicago Festival 2005 donation                      100 
250,000 barrels of oil 1.5% discount                150 
TOTAL                                               250 
 
CARIBE 
Fondo Alba-Caribe 
Finance for Social and Economic Programs         50,000 
Petrocaribe- 72,000 barrels of oil              742,000 
TOTAL                                           792,000 
 
ECUADOR 
Public bonds                                     25,000 
TOTAL                                            25,000 
 
BRAZIL 
40 Petroleum Tankers                          2,000,000 
Refinery                                      2,500,000 
Samba School                                      1,000 
TOTAL                                         4,501,000 
 
BOLIVIA 
Diesel at 10% discount                              851 
Barter of Diesel for Agriculture Products       150,000 
Donation to Bolivia                              30,000 
Scholarships                                      5,815 
Network of community radios                       1,500 
TOTAL                                           188,166 
 
PARAGUAY 
13,000 barrels/day of gasoil and 18,600 
barrels/day of petroleum at generous conditions 100,000 
TOTAL                                           100,000 
 
URUGUAY 
43,600 barrels/day of petroleum                  40,000 
Donations for Refinery la Teja                  600,000 
Purchase of Alcohol Carburante                    7,000 
Barter of Petroleum for Goods and Services      200,000 
Loan to Equip an Industrial Plant                 7,000 
CADAFE Exchange with UTE                         10,300 
Loan for Social Development Ministry              3,000 
Loan for Hospital                                17,500 
Assistance to Uruguayan Businesses                5,000 
TOTAL                                           889,800 
 
ARGENTINA 
Repair of four tankers                            6,450 
Purchase of 2 Petroleum tankers                 120,000 
Argentine Bonds                               1,000,000 
Barter of 5 million barrels of oil/day 
for meat                                        200,000 
Barter of 4 million barrels of oil/day 
for industrial products                         340,000 
Refinery Rhasa                                  100,000 
Argentine Bonds                               2,400,000 
Line of credit for cooperatives                   3,000 
TOTAL                                         4,169,450 
 
INDONESIA 
Technology Institute                              2,000 
TOTAL                                             2,000 
 
MAURITANA 
Food Assistance                                     500 
TOTAL                                               500 
 
MALI 
Humanitarian Aid                                    800 
TOTAL                                               800 
 
BURKINA FASO 
Food Assistance                                   1,000 
TOTAL                                             1,000 
 
NIGER 
Food Assistance                                   1,500 
TOTAL                                             1,500 
 
JAMAICA 
Highway 2000                                    300,000 
Donation for the Petrojam Refinery                7,000 
TOTAL                                           307,000 
 
 
TOTAL                                        16,362,828 
 
ADDITIONAL - 
TELESUR 
51% of the shares are for Venezuela              10,000 
TOTAL                                            10,000 
 
---------- 
CIECA STUDY 
---------- 
 
¶8.  (U) The table below shows CIECA's analysis: 
 
                                           USD million 
 
AMERICA 
04/11/2005 Fund to Fight Poverty                10,000 
TOTAL                                           10,000 
 
ARGENTINA 
Refinery Campanas                                  100 
Foreign Debt I                                     500 
04/07/2005 Cooperatives                              3 
12/08/2005 4 million barrels of fuel oil           340 
12/08/2005 Construction of 2 tankers               112 
16/09/2005 Foreign debt  II                        500 
20/12/2005 Foreign debt   III                    2,400 
TOTAL                                            3,955 
 
BOLIVA 
PetroSur: 5,000 barrels/day, USD/barrel 45, 
1 year 30% financing                                33 
04/01/2006 Social Works                             30 
TOTAL                                               63 
 
BRASIL 
30/09/2005 Refinery at Permanbuco (50%)          1,250 
04/11/2005 28 tankers for PDVSA                  3,000 
17/12/2005 Plant                                   125 
TOTAL                                            4,375 
 
CARIBE 
30/06/2005 Petro-Caribe                             50 
11/09/2005 Petro-Caribe 98,600 barrels/day, 
           USD/barrel 45, 1 year, 30% financing    486 
TOTAL                                              536 
 
CUBA 
Electronic Project for Habana                       20 
BIV ) Instalation, Capitalizacion                   80 
BIV                                                400 
Petroleo 2006,  USD 45/barrel, 
          95,000 barrels/day                     1,560 
22/08/2005 PDVSA/BIV- &Endogenous Development8       8 
02/09/2005 BIV ) Linea de Cred Exp venezolanas      87 
11/09/2005 Petroleo:95,000 barrels/day, USD/barrels 
45, 1 year, 100% financing                       2,080 
17/09/2005 BIV-Housing                              50 
08/10/2005 Refinery at Cienfuegos 
65,000 barrels/day                                  58 
TOTAL                                            4,343 
 
ECUADOR 
08/12/2005 Bonds                                    25 
TOTAL                                               25 
 
UNITED STATES 
04/09/2005 CITGO ) Donation for Katrina              5 
22/11/2005 Subsidy for heating oil                  10 
TOTAL                                               15 
 
GUYANA 
Loan Forgiveness                                    12 
TOTAL                                               12 
 
INDONESIA 
20/08/2005 Educational Center                        2 
TOTAL                                                2 
 
JAMAICA 
08/10/2005 Refinery Kingston, 
           con Petrojam 36,000 barrels/day         to 50,000 barrels/day 
            300 
03/01/2006 Highway 2000                            300 
TOTAL                                              600 
 
PARAGUAY 
11/09/2005 Petroleo 1 - 8 million barrels/day 
           USD/barrels 45, 1 year, 30% financing   624 
10/12/2005 Expansion of Elisa Refinery               0 
TOTAL                                              624 
 
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA 
17/09/2005 Infrastructure                          156 
TOTAL                                              156 
 
URUGUAY 
PetroSur: 
  43.6 M barrels/day, USD/barrels 45, 
  1 year, 30% financing                            287 
29/07/2005 Refinery La Teja                        600 
29/07/2005 CASA )food purchases                     12 
18/11/2005 Trust for barter of petroleum for food  200 
08/12/2005 Improvement of hospital infrastructure    1 
09/12/2005 Support for firms for workers             5 
09/12/2005 Alcohol carburante                        7 
09/12/2005 Hospital de Clinicas                     10 
10/12/2005 Children's Center                         3 
10/12/2005 Cadafe-UTE Exchange                      10 
11/12/2005 BANDES: financing for entrepreneurs       3 
14/01/2006 Firms                                     5 
TOTAL                                            1,143 
 
TOTAL                                           25,849 
 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  To date, Chavez' give-away campaign has been much 
more rhetoric than dollars; however, in several specific 
cases we are talking real money, such as Cuba, Argentina, and 
perhaps Bolivia.  In other cases, the public perception is 
that Chavez is giving away free oil, money, or supplies, when 
he actually only promises a discount, generous financing, a 
purchase, or an investment.  Whether all this translates into 
eventual strengthened concrete political support or countries 
will simply take the money, smile and run is an open question. 
 
¶10. (SBU)  However, by the end of 2006, we estimate the BRV's 
National Development Fund (FONDEN) will have received USD 17 
billion in transfers from the BRV (read: Central Bank and 
PDVSA transfers), some of which Chavez could divert to 
support his diplomatic initiatives without any effective 
public scrutiny or oversight.  The BRV could strategically 
deposit or "invest" FONDEN funds (as it reportedly did to 
purchase Argentine bonds), purchase imports from targeted 
countries (e.g., products potentially displaced by U.S.-third 
country FTAs such as Bolivian soybeans), or directly fund 
various projects abroad. 
 
BROWNFIELD