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DE RUEHWN #0228/01 0521939
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FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4253
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1626
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/AND, WHA/EPSC, AND EEB/ESC/IEC 
CARACAS FOR ANDREW BOWEN 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2017 
TAGS: PREL ENRG EPET PGOV PINR VE DO ST XL
SUBJECT: PETROCARIBE #32: CHAVEZ VISIT UNEVENTFUL 
 
REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 213 
     ¶B. BRIDGETOWN 196 
     ¶C. 06 BRIDGETOWN 1897 
 
Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: On February 16-17, Venezuelan President Hugo 
Chavez visited Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 
The visit was light on substance and heavy on atmospherics, 
as he reiterated past Petrocaribe-related promises and 
resorted to his usual vitriolic anti-American talking points. 
 While Chavez's anti-Americanism gained little traction, his 
promises of assistance were warmly welcomed by the two 
countries, which are among the poorest in the Eastern 
Caribbean.  End Summary. 
 
DOMINICA 
-------- 
 
¶2. (C) On February 16, President Hugo Chavez's visit to 
Dominica marked only the second time that a non-Caribbean 
leader visited the country.  Although Chavez was warmly 
welcomed by Dominica's PM Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica's 
Minister of Education, Mario Michel, told EmbOffs that 
"Chavez announced nothing new or grand and most of the visit 
was a reiteration of ongoing projects."  Chavez toured a 
5,000-barrel fuel storage facility just outside the capital 
of Roseau.  The storage facility is one of five that the 
Venezuelan government pledged to build under the Petrocaribe 
program.  According to press reports, Chavez addressed a 
large crowd at the storage facility, delivering his usual 
anti-American fulminations.  Ironically, this avowed 
anti-imperialist also proclaimed that "An Empire of Latin 
America and the Caribbean will be greater than the empire of 
Star Wars and cannot be stopped."  Dominica's officials 
carefully sought to distance themselves from Chavez's 
rhetoric.  For example, Dominica's Foreign Minister, Charles 
Savarin, told the press "we are friends with the United 
States" and assured the public that close ties to Caracas 
would not adversely affect Dominica's relationship with 
Washington. 
 
¶3.  (C) Discussions between Chavez and PM Skerrit also 
included a proposed refinery that would process some 10,000 
barrels a day.  Edison James, leader of the opposition United 
Workers Party, told EmbOff that the refinery project would 
not necessarily be welcomed by the people of Dominica. 
Already, the proposal drew sharp criticism from Atherton 
Martin, president of the Barbados-based Caribbean 
Conservation Association, who told the press that the 
proposed refinery is "incompatible with the image of the 
country as a nature island." 
 
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) After his visit to Dominica, Hugo Chavez traveled to 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines on February 17, where he and 
PM Ralph Gonsalves "unveiled" a liquid natural gas facility 
constructed under the Petrocaribe program.  Chavez also 
toured the location where a new fuel storage facility will be 
built.  Brian Glasgow, a political insider who is now with 
KPMG, told EconOff that PM Gonsalves played along with 
Chavez's penchant for flashy displays by staging a rally with 
more than 2,000 people dressed in red T-shirts.  During his 
speech, Chavez called on the Caribbean to be a "sea of 
resistance" against U.S. imperialism and criticized free 
trade agreements with the United States.  As was the case in 
Dominica, Chavez's anti-American attacks drew no noticeable 
support in St. Vincent.  Glasgow explained that while PM 
Gonsalves is prepared to accept Chavez's antics in exchange 
for assistance, pro-American feelings among Vincentians were 
quite firm. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (C) Chavez's roadshow was another step in his effort to 
forge an ideological and political coalition in the Eastern 
Caribbean aimed at undermining the region's historically 
strong relations with the United States.  The United States 
remains the Eastern Caribbean's number one trade partner, 
linked by language, historical experience, culture, and 
family ties.  However, this relationship has been weakened by 
what the Eastern Caribbeans perceive as a lack of 
attention--and assistance--from the United States. 
Dominica's PM Skerrit recently urged more high level visits 
by U.S. officials (ref B).  St. Vincent's Foreign Minister 
Sir Louis Straker was more blatant when he promised 
then-Ambassador Kramer his country's loyalty if the United 
States would pay for St. Vincent's new airport (ref C). 
Venezuela, China, and Cuba have shown themselves ready and 
willing to exploit these perceptions of U.S. disengagement 
and the genuine economic vulnerabilities in the Eastern 
Caribbean.  While it would not be useful for the United 
States to try to match Venezuela, China, and Cuba's 
generosity dollar for dollar, the United States should 
continue to make every effort to maintain a visible U.S. 
presence in the Eastern Caribbean through U.S. officials' 
visits and well targeted assistance to shore up our 
partnership with the region. 
OURISMAN