VZCZCXRO5192
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #0701/01 0942119
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 042119Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8308
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000701 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPT PASS TO WHA/AND AND PM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017 
TAGS: MARR MASS PGOV PM PREL VE
SUBJECT: VENEZUELAN ARMY HOSTS U.S. MILITARY DELEGATION 
 
CARACAS 00000701  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON 
FOR REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. An eight person U.S. Army delegation attended 
a March 26-30 Conference of American Armies (CAA) seminar on 
Disaster Relief in Venezuela, the first U.S. military 
delegation hosted in-country since 2003.  U.S. participants 
were generally well received.  Failure to conduct the 
exercise portion of the conference proved to be a major 
organizational flaw in the multilateral event.  The week-long 
event provided a glimpse into how the Venezuelan Army (VENAR) 
will approach the CAA once it assumes the Secretariat in 
¶2008.  END SUMMARY. 
 
----------- 
Background 
----------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Founded in 1960 at the request of the State 
Department, the Conference of American Armies (CAA) is 
designed to promote interoperability, improve hemispheric 
security, and strengthen Inter-American cooperation on an 
army-to-army basis.  The CAA is made up of twenty member 
armies and five observer armies.  It conducts a two-year 
cycle of Specialized Conferences hosted by different member 
armies which culminate in a Commanders' Conference organized 
by the army hosting the CAA Permanent Executive Secretariat 
(PESCAA).  Member armies voluntarily rotate as hosts of the 
PESCAA and coordinate all CAA activities in addition to 
hosting the Commanders' Conference.  The Brazilian Army 
currently holds the PESCAA, and the Venezuelan Army will 
coordinate the 2008-2009 cycle. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Treatment of the U.S. Delegation 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) hosted 
the "Specialized Conference on Disaster Relief" of the 
Conference of American Armies (CAA) March 26-30.  The U.S. 
Army delegation to the multilateral conference was generally 
well treated by Venezuelan officials and did not report any 
incidents of concern.  The delegation included six conference 
participants, the Commander of the MilGroup at Post, and an 
Army Chaplain from Army South.  Similar to the other member 
delegations, the U.S. contingent received VIP treatment upon 
arrival and departure from Caracas, escort officers (one of 
whom spoke fluent English), housing in the Military Guest 
House on the base Fuerte Tiuna, and a "cultural day" at 
Margarita Island.  Additionally, the visiting Army Chaplain 
was not prevented from giving several outreach presentations 
to religious organizations and the Embassy community outside 
of the military base. 
 
¶4. (C) The U.S. delegation perceived the Venezuelan officials 
to be professional but distant.  VENAR officers, for example, 
did not exchange business cards or host the U.S. officers 
out, as is customary.  Similarly, the Chaplain requested a 
meeting with his VENAR counterpart, but the request was 
denied several days after the Chaplain's departure. 
 
---------- 
Shortfalls 
---------- 
 
¶5. (C) The VENAR failed to produce a scheduled, multinational 
exercise as promised, CAA's first such attempt.  (Note: The 
exercise was supposed to simulate a disaster relief response 
within Venezuela.  End Note.)  The details surrounding the 
cancellation are unclear, although it appears to be the 
result of time mismanagement coupled with the day-long social 
trip to Margarita Island.  The U.S. delegation expressed 
disappointment over the cancellation as it would have allowed 
them to collect lessons learned, gauge the planning 
capabilities of the VENAR, and assist host country Uruguay in 
the execution of the next CAA exercise planned for June. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) According to U.S. participants, the VENAR staged a 
professional conference, despite the lack of an exercise. 
VENAR officials refrained from making anti-American remarks 
during the conference, and even mentioned U.S. relief efforts 
in 1999 during the Vargas humanitarian crisis (although they 
did not mention Chavez' decision to turn away the bulk of 
U.S. military assistance).  The participation of U.S. 
delegates to the conference does not signal increased 
American - Venezuelan cooperation on military issues; 
however, it provided a window into how the VENAR will 
approach hosting the CAA Permanent Executive Secretariat 
during the 2008-2009 cycle. 
 
¶7. (C) Despite the BRV's relentlessly hostile attitude toward 
the United States, the VENAR did not try to exclude the U.S. 
delegation from this conference and treated our participants 
with respect.  It is possible that they calculated that doing 
so would have represented a break unacceptable to many other 
conference participants.  The VENAR appears to be trying to 
present itself as eminently professional in the run-up to 
assuming CAA executive secretary responsibilities.  It 
remains to be seen if the VENAR will try to press a 
Bolivarian agenda once it takes on that role in 2008-2009. 
 
BROWNFIELD