VZCZCXRO3122
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #1340/01 1851410
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041410Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9176
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0877
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2027 
TAGS: EAIR PGOV PHUM CONS VE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FINAL GAB WITH FOREIGN MINISTRY 
 
REF: CARACAS 916 
 
CARACAS 00001340  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor, Robert Richard Downes 
for Reason 1.4(b) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary - In a farewell meeting BRV Vice Foreign 
Minister Valero and Ambassador discussed five possible 
avenues for an early dialogue between the BRV and the 
Ambassador's successor.  The Ambassador noted that 
long-standing difficulties involving official visas and 
accreditation, aviation and prisoner transfers could and 
should be resolved at the technical level.  While more 
difficult to address, more cooperative work and dialogue is 
needed on counternarcotics efforts.  A process of identifying 
points of contact for discussions in these areas and on other 
issues of reciprocity might move the process along. 
Ambassador noted that at some point the U.S. request to 
reopen a Consulate (APP) in Maracaibo, and the BRV's last 
minute decision to revoke arms permits for Diplomatic 
Security Agents working to protect the U.S. soccer team in 
the Copa America tournament, would need to be addressed.  The 
Vice Foreign Minister did not signal he expected rapid 
progress would be made on most of these and other outstanding 
differences between the two governments.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On July 2 the Ambassador accompanied by the Public 
Affairs Counselor (and ADCM), Political and Economic 
Counselors and the Consul General met with Vice Minister for 
Popular Power for Foreign Relations (MFA) for North American 
and Multilateral Affairs and BRV Ambassador to the 
Organization for American States, Jorge Valero, MFA Director 
for North American Affairs and Multilateral Affairs, Yaneth 
Arocha, MFA Director for Consular Affairs, Coromoto Godoy 
Calderon and other MFA officials.  The meeting had been 
postponed several times over the past six weeks.  The 
Ambassador noted his and Ambassador-designate Patrick Duddy's 
June 28 Senate confirmation and his departure now scheduled 
for July 5.  Ambassador and Valero covered a number of 
outstanding issues that would benefit from closer dialogue, 
particularly at the technical level, and suggested the 
arrival of a new Ambassador might be an opportune time to 
move forward. 
 
¶3. (C) The two discussed five areas.  The long-standing 
difficulties over the short validity of and long processing 
times for official visas and credentials should be relatively 
straight forward to resolve if the two sides could get beyond 
finger pointing and focus on a pragmatic approach.  Valero 
thought that it appeared to be an area where some progress 
could be made and agreed to, as he has in the past, look into 
the issue further.  (Comment:  Valero's staff, which travel 
frequently, are among the strongest advocates for a solution 
to this issue, yet seem unable to solve the problem.  End 
comment) 
 
¶4. (C) The two agreed a second area that needed attention was 
aviation, and recalled the category I certification near 
crisis of last year.  They noted there were significant 
outstanding issues involving security assessments and route 
adjustments (reftel).  The Economic Counselor indicated that 
we were prepared to work cooperatively with the BRV on these 
issues.  He pointed out that despite numerous requests for 
meetings and information current BRV aviation authorities 
have chosen not to respond. Valero said he would reach out to 
the National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC), particularly 
its President and see if a way might be found to move forward 
on some of these issues. 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador noted problems with the transfer of 
prisoners between the United States and Venezuela.  Since 
taking Office, Minister for Popular Power for Interior and 
Justice (MIJ) Pedro Carreno has apparently not approved any 
prisoner transfers for any country.  There are three American 
prisoners awaiting approval for transfer and reportedly 25 
Venezuelan prisoners in the United States wanting to return 
home under the program.  The Consul General has raised the 
issue with Vice Interior Minister Rafael Dan Jimenez, but so 
far to no avail.  Valero said he would contact MIJ and see if 
there was anything the MFA could do to move the process 
forward. 
 
¶6. (C) Valero and the Ambassador discussed the possibility of 
identifying working groups to resolve outstanding issues on 
the reciprocity front.  Valero thought there was merit in the 
idea and he would see if there might be some way to set up a 
bilateral group to discuss or identify issues to be addressed 
 
CARACAS 00001340  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
at the technical level. 
 
¶7. (C) Ambassador and Valero discussed cooperation on 
counternarcotics, an extremely important problem for both 
countries.  The Ambassador pointed out that the USG currently 
had USD two million available in NAS funding that could be 
used for cooperative counternarcotics efforts, such as 
training, education or equipment.  It could not be spent 
without a BRV counterpart.  Valero said he would contact the 
National Anti-drug Organization (ONA) to see if it could be a 
cooperative counterpart. 
 
¶8.  (C) The Ambassador pointed to two other issues that 
needed to be addressed.  He emphasized that at some point the 
BRV would need to respond to our April 2006 request to reopen 
the Consulate (APP) in Maracaibo and he urged the BRV not to 
wait until the last minute, say the expected travel of 
President Chavez to the United Nations General Assembly, to 
clarify its policy on requests for permits to carry arms. 
(Note:  In June the BRV first approved and then revoked 14 
permits for Department of State Diplomatic Security Agents to 
carry arms in Venezuela as part of the program to provide 
protection to the American soccer team participating in the 
Copa America tournament.  The Embassy subsequently asked the 
MFA to clarify its policy on issuing arms permits. End note.) 
 Valero responded that the BRV was making a distinction 
between "official visits" and those -- as in the case of the 
Copa team -- that were not governmental. Arocha also noted 
that the weapons permits had been revoked for all countries 
during the Copa America tournament, not just for the American 
agents.  The Ambassador encouraged the BRV to provide a 
formal response to our request for clarification. 
 
¶9. (C) Comment:  VFM Valero was professional and cordial as 
were the members of his team.  While agreeing that progress 
should be made in several areas, a statement the MFA has made 
at senior levels since the December 2006 Presidential 
elections (and subsequent efforts at dialogue), we will 
believe it when we see it. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BROWNFIELD