VZCZCXRO5147
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #0015/01 0042204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 042204Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0387
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER, WHA/PD PSAMPSON 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE CO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION:  FARC FALLS FROM FRONT PAGE AS 
BLAME GAME HEATS UP 
 
REF: A. BOGOTA 0005 
     ¶B. CARACAS 0007 
     ¶C. 07 CARACAS 2410 
     ¶D. O7 CARACAS 2398 
 
CARACAS 00000015  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Days before Christmas Venezuelan President Hugo 
Chavez stated that a mission to liberate three FARC-held 
hostages ("Operation Emmanuel") would commence December 28th. 
 As of January 4, the hostages remain captive, international 
observers have left Colombia accusations of blame are flying 
and news headlines highlight other stories. 
 
¶2. (U) Newspapers and newscasts still give updates on 
Operation Emmanuel, but the focus has turned from optimism 
and guessing when the three may be freed to reporting on whom 
is accusing whom for the mission's failure. Most news outlets 
also are covering speculation that a child left at a 
Colombian orphanage is the son of hostage Clara Rojas. 
However, the story has slipped from front-page, 
above-the-fold coverage as issues such as Chavez, amnesty 
for political prisoners and the introduction of the new 
"Bolivar Fuerte" monetary system take its place. 
 
---------------------- 
DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH? 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Chavez and his supporters have (predictably) blamed 
Colombian President Uribe for the mission's failure, citing 
the FARC assertion that they were unable to return the 
hostages due to Colombian military activity. According to the 
Associated Press, Chavez accused Uribe of lying about many 
aspects of the mission and said that Uribe "placed a bomb" on 
the operation by suggesting the FARC no longer had the son of 
Clara Rojas in their custody. Even U.S. film director Oliver 
Stone (invited by Chavez to take part in the rescue 
operation) weighed in, telling the AP that the FARC have no 
reason not to release the hostages and that the failure to 
secure freedom falls on President Uribe. "Shame on Colombia," 
he said. "Shame on Uribe." 
 
¶4. (SBU) The neutral daily "El Nacional" reported that the 
Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said the mere act of 
participating in the attempt was valuable for his country, 
even though the FARC did not release the hostages.  He also 
denied press statements that former President Nestor Kirchner 
saw himself as trapped between Chavez and Uribe and said that 
Kirchner "does not reject" the idea of returning to Colombia 
to help free the hostages. 
 
¶5. (U) According to the AP, Chavez told the hostages, 
families that he still has a channel open with the FARC and 
that "the operation hasn't been stopped." A report in the 
opposition-oriented daily "El Nuevo Pais" supports this by 
quoting unidentified "intelligence sources" who stated the 
hostages could be freed by the end of this week.  The 
Secretary General of the Organization of American States, 
 
SIPDIS 
Jose Miguel Insulza, also seemed to support this notion in 
articles published in the neutral El Nacional and 
pro-government daily "VEA" by stating that it is still 
possible the hostages will be released and thus 
the mission should not be branded a failure. 
 
¶6. (U) On its website, as reported by several papers such as 
the English-language, pro-government "Daily Journal", the 
FARC stated that Colombia had sabotaged the process by 
conducting military operations in the area designated for the 
hostage handover. 
 
------------------- 
AN ORPHAN OR NOT? 
------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Local media also gave prominent coverage to Uribe and 
Luis Carlos Restrepo, Colombia,s high commissioner for 
peace, who defended Colombia, stating that the government 
made every effort to accommodate Chavez, and the FARC,s 
demands.  Uribe said a main reason for the failure was that 
the FARC did not have all of the hostages it claimed.  The 
son of Clara Rojas, he stated, may in fact be a child 
(identified as Juan David Gomez) left at a Colombian 
orphanage more than two years ago and currently living in a 
 
CARACAS 00000015  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Bogota foster home.  According to "El Nacional," blood 
samples from Clara Rojas, mother and brother (Clara de Rojas 
Gonzalez and Ivan Gonzalez) have been taken to compare their 
DNA to the child,s to confirm the boy is Rojas, son. 
(Several papers also had articles on the DNA testing process 
and how DNA can determine lineage.) 
 
------------------ 
A TARNISHED CHAVEZ 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Despite Venezuelan government attempts to depict 
Uribe as the bad guy, this failure has tarnished President 
Chavez, image in most local media in Venezuela and around 
the world.  Many media outlets report on political parties 
and the families of Venezuelan hostages asking why Chavez has 
not spent any time trying to get his countrymen released from 
the FARC.  People are publicly questioning Chavez, 
commitment to his own country and accusing him of mere 
grandstanding.  A recent editorial in "El Nacional" stated 
the operation was a farce and accused the president of being 
a showman. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Overall, reporting and public opinion has gone from 
mostly cautiously optimistic to disillusioned and even 
cynical, with many news outlets stating that Chavez has 
embarrassed himself and others in an attempt to garner 
positive news coverage for himself and be seen as a hero. 
 
DUDDY