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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0856/01 1442039
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 242039Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0443
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0334
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1134
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 0041
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000856 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL VE PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA-VENEZUELA:  CHAVEZ NOT VISITING; ROSALES 
VISITS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William A. Eaton.  Reasons: 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C) "Chavez will not be coming to the General Assembly of 
the Organization of American States (OASGA)," Panamanian 
First VP and FM Samuel Lewis told Ambassador on May 23.  A 
relieved Lewis added that President Martin Torrijos would not 
make a stop-over in Caracas on hi way to Rio de Janeiro. 
(Note:  Torrijos departed on May 23 for Rio de Janeiro, and 
Lewis traveled with him.)  Meanwhile, former Venezuelan 
presidential candidate Manuel Rosales completed a four-day 
visit to Panama City on May 23.  Rosales met together with 
former Presidents Mireya Moscoso Ernesto "El Toro" Perez 
Balladares, and Guillermo Endara as well as opposition party 
leaders and business leaders.  Rosales also had significant 
contact with the media conducting radio, television, and 
newspaper interviews.  Chavez's impending revocation of the 
license of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) served as Rosales' 
touchstone for his public and private comments.  Rosales' 
criticism of Chavez's assault on Venezuela's democracy in 
general and on press freedoms in particular received a warm 
and empathetic reception.  Yanny Jeanett, General Coordinator 
of A New Time's International Policy Committee, underscored 
that the purpose of the visit was "to underscore the 
democratic deficit that threatens Venezuela." Relieved not to 
have to weigh an invitation, Lewis asserted that Rosales had 
not requested a meeting with him or any other GOP official. 
Lewis explained that the message had been passed to Rosales 
that he should not use Panama a as a "platform to launch a 
campaign against Chavez," arguing instead that Panama could 
play a more useful role as a "valid interlocutor" with 
Chavez.  Panamanian opposition leaders criticized Torrijos 
for not receiving Rosales.  End Summary 
 
------------------------ 
Rosales' Jammed Schedule 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) On May 21, Mayin Correa interviewed Rosales on her 
top-rated, morning drive time radio talk show.  Following the 
interview, Rosales met with the secretary general of the 
following Panamanian opposition parties:  Patriotic Union 
(UP), Panamenista, Movement of Liberals and National 
Republicans (MOLIRENA), and Democratic Change (CD).  CD 
Operations Chief Ricardo Quijano told POLCOUNS May 23 that 
Rosales had greatly impressed these opposition leaders with 
his clear and cogent presentation of Chavez's challenges to 
democratic norms in Venezuela.  "He left no doubt in our 
minds that Venezuela's opposition deserves our support," 
Quijano said.  Following his meeting with opposition leaders, 
Rosales met with governing Revolutionary Democratic Party 
(PRD) allies from the Popular Party (PP) and the Liberal 
Party (PL).  CD President (and presidential pre-candidate) 
Ricardo Martinelli told the press, "It seems that Venezuela 
is headed for a civil dictatorship lead by Chavez." 
 
¶3.  (U) On the evening of May 21, Rosales had dinner with 
former presidents Endara, Perez Balladares, and Moscoso, who 
undertook to lobby FMs who would attend the OASGA June 3-5 to 
work to keep RCTV open.  Moscoso told the press that what was 
happening in Venezuela was "lamentable," noting Panama had 
"suffered 21 years of dictatorship."  Perez Balladares 
commented to the press, "We are very worried about the 
closing of RCTV, something that signifies a measure to limit 
the freedom of expression, one of the most precious things we 
have in a democracy." 
 
¶4.  (U) Rosales began May 22 with an interview on Luci 
Molinar's top-rated television/radio morning talk show.  At 
11:00 a.m., he held a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel 
during which a small group pro-Chavez demonstrators, mostly 
from Panama's National Front to Defense Social Security 
(FRENADESSO), clamored outside the hotel.  Rosales then held 
a roundtable with Panama's National Council of Private 
Businesses (CONEP) and later met with the Panamanian 
Association of Executives of Businesses (APEDE).  In his 
meetings with CONEP and APEDE, Rosales focused on "the 
disrespect of the government of Venezuela for the norms and 
promises of the Inter-American Democratic Charter." 
 
------------------------------------- 
Lewis:  Rosales Never Asked to See Me 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  Sensitive to criticism that no GOP officials met 
with Rosales, Lewis asserted, "Rosales never asked to see me 
or any other government officials."  Lewis noted that he was 
glad that he did not face a decision of whether or not to see 
Rosales since he had never received a request.  Lewis meekly 
offered that National Assembly VP Jorge "Popo" Alvarado and 
two unnamed PRD deputies met with Rosales.  Lewis explained 
that the GOP told Rosales that he should not use Panama a as 
a "platform to launch a campaign against Chavez;" instead 
Panama could play a more useful role as a "valid 
interlocutor" with Chavez.  At the same time though, Lewis 
was happy to report that Chavez would not be attending the 
OASGA.  Lewis said that Panama had been successful in 
convincing the Venezuelans that it would not be a good idea 
to attend this largely ministerial-level meeting.  He added 
that Chavez had miscalculated the blow-back across the 
hemisphere against his decision to rescind RCTV's license, 
something that encouraged Chavez to stay away from the OASGA. 
 Lewis stated that Torrijos would not make a stop-over in 
Caracas en route to Rio de Janeiro and said that Panama was 
still withholding agrement for Venezuela's new ambassador to 
Panama, a matter that was becoming a growing irritant in the 
Panama-Venezuela relationship. 
 
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Comment 
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¶6.  (C) Rosales' visit to Panama was a success:  his case 
against Chavez received a warm, empathetic reception and 
resonated with a Panamanian public that still remembers 
clearly its own 21-year dictatorship that ended in 1989. 
From his vantage point, Lewis -- putting the Rosales visit 
behind him and turning off the prospective Chavez visit -- 
also achieved success.  Once again, Panama has navigated 
uncomfortable political realities in its effort to sustain 
its foreign policy of seeking friendly relations with all 
nations that seek friendly relations with it, including 
Venezuela and Cuba.  While Lewis desires to continue to hold 
Panama forward as a "valid interlocutor" with Venezuela, it 
is not clear that there is much substance to any 
Panama-Venezuela discussions.  Ultimately, post assesses that 
Panama will relent and grant agrement to Venezuela's proposed 
new ambassador. 
EATON