VZCZCXRO1753
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #0843/01 1202156
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 302156Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8513
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000843 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM SCUL VE
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS APPEAL 
TO OAS, REGIONAL LEADERS 
 
REF: A. CARACAS 00699 
 
     ¶B. CARACAS 00689 
     ¶C. CARACAS 00725 
     ¶D. CARACAS 00147 
     ¶E. CARACAS 00820 
     ¶F. CARACAS 00823 
 
CARACAS 00000843  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON 
FOR REASON 1.4 (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary. Opposition political parties and judicial NGO 
Foro Penal capitalized on the presence of regional heads of 
state at the April 17 Energy Summit to draw attention to 
President Chavez and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's 
(BRV's) authoritarian tendencies.  Opposition politicians met 
April 18 with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and NGO 
Foro Penal released a report documenting the politicization 
of the judiciary.  Separately, Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) called 
on regional leaders to consider the "democratic deficit" that 
exists in Venezuela.  On April 19, UNT party leaders 
delivered a report to the OAS detailing their case.  Chavez' 
attacks on international bodies continue unabated, despite 
NGOs' appeals to international institutions.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Opposition Meets with Chilean President 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Chilean President Michelle Bachelet met April 18 with 
former presidential candidate and de facto opposition leader 
Manuel Rosales and other opposition partly leaders from 
Primero Justicia, Accion Democratica, and COPEI.  According 
to UNT International Coordinator Timoteo Zambrano, the 
Chilean President listened politely to the opposition's 
concerns.  Zambrano lamented that opposition parties continue 
to disagree on the severity of democratic problems in 
Venezuela.  He also wished Bachelet had consented to a photo 
with the group.  The UNT had planned to try to see other 
regional leaders attending the Energy Summit on Margarita 
Island, but decided not to venture there because of strict 
BRV security on the island.  According to Zambrano, some UNT 
youth members who had planned to protest at the Summit were 
rounded up and beaten the night before their planned protest. 
 
 
------------------ 
Democratic Deficit 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) In an April 17 press conference, Zambrano called on 
visiting heads of state to consider the "democratic deficit 
that (the Chavez) government has incurred."  Zambrano spoke 
about the BRV's "unilateral" decision to close RCTV, the 
politicization of the judiciary and the military, and Chavez' 
March 24 attacks on union autonomy (ref A).  Zambrano also 
noted that UNT would present a report to Jose Manuel Insulza, 
Secretary General of the OAS, detailing the BRV's lack of 
 
SIPDIS 
democratic credentials. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Zulia state governor and former presidential 
candidate Manuel Rosales, UNT party leaders, and supporters 
organized an April 19 march to the OAS' headquarters in 
Caracas to present their report.  The report largely 
addressed the lack of independence among the branches of 
government.  The report also criticized the Enabling Law 
passed January 31 by the 100 percent pro-Chavez National 
Assembly, which allows Chavez to decree laws for a total of 
18 months in broadly defined areas.  In addition, the report 
criticizes the "pact of secrecy" reached between Chavez and 
the Presidential Commission for Constitutional Reform. 
According to UNT, these measures intend to "modify the 
fundamental institutions of the State...in order to construct 
(Chavez') so-called '21st Century Socialism.'" 
 
¶5. (U) UNT also expressed concern about changes affecting the 
judiciary.  The report highlighted Chavez' successful efforts 
in 2004 to pack the Supreme Court (TSJ) with sympathizers. 
It also referenced several high-profile politically motivated 
cases, including those of former Yaracuay state Governor 
Eduardo Lapi (ref B), retired General Francisco Uson (ref C), 
three ex-police commissioners listed as political prisoners 
in the 2006 Human Rights Report (Simonovis, Forero, and Viva) 
(refs C,D), and opposition mayors Leopoldo Lopez and Enrique 
Caprilles.  Separately, the report mentioned Chavez' 
aggressive efforts to create a single pro-government 
political party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela 
 
CARACAS 00000843  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
(PSUV), and his public criticism of prominent holdouts from 
smaller pro-Chavez parties (refs A, E). 
 
--------------------------------- 
Judicial Watchdog Releases Report 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Judicial NGO Foro Penal released an April 15 report 
that discusses several politically motivated cases and the 
politicization of the judicial system.  Foro Penal mentioned 
many of the same cases highlighted by UNT, including that of 
Monica Fernandez, Executive Director of Foro Penal. The group 
tried unsuccessfully to meet with Bachelet while she was in 
Venezuela.  Fernandez told Poloff April 27 that she and a 
group from Foro Penal, including Ms. Uson and Mrs. Simonovis, 
intend to travel to Europe June 17 to present dossiers on the 
cases mentioned in their report.  The two-week trip, arranged 
in part by Freedom House, will include Madrid, Brussels, and 
The Hague.  (NOTE: Foro Penal is one of Venezuela's premier 
judicial watchdog organizations.  The NGO closely monitors 
and reports on legal decisions by the courts and the National 
Assembly.  Additionally, Foro Penal provides legal assistance 
to victims of human rights abuses as well as human rights 
defenders.  END NOTE.) 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) Chavez has responded harshly to local efforts to 
appeal to international bodies and has shown no inclination 
to be influenced by international criticism.  In his latest 
diatribe, for example, Chavez, using a colloquial expression, 
said the Inter-American Human Rights Commission "should go 
soak its head" for accusing the BRV of curtailing freedom of 
expression (ref F). 
 
¶8. (C) Separately, Foro Penal Executive Director Fernandez 
said her group would be open to recommendations for meetings 
while in Europe, including with Emboffs at European posts. 
Post stands ready to pass to Foro Penal suggestions for 
possible meetings with Emboffs, host government 
representatives, political parties, or human rights NGOs from 
European posts. 
 
BROWNFIELD