VZCZCXRO2941
PP RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHMT
RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHCV #1364 2702255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 262255Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1877
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS CARACAS 001364 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HQ SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
TREASURY FOR MMALLOY 
COMMERCE FOR 4431/MAC/WH/MCAMERON 
CA FOR CA/OCS/ACS FOR WILLIAM HURST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: VE CASC ASEC MARR PGOV ECON EAIR
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA REFUSES USG REQUEST FOR AVIATION 
CONSULTATIONS 
 
REF: CARACAS 1266 
 
¶1. (U) On September 16 the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) and the Venezuelan Civil Aviation Authority 
(INAC) both acknowledged receipt of the Embassy's diplomatic 
note requesting consultations under the authority of the 1953 
bilateral aviation agreement with Venezuela.  That note cited 
the September 10 INAC letter that threatened U.S. carriers 
Delta, Continental and American with flight reductions 
starting Sunday September 28 and requested consultations 
prior to any action against U.S. airlines (reftel).  Since 
that date the Embassy has followed up daily to request a 
response to the diplomatic note.  The response (informal 
translation in Para. 2 below) arrived on Friday, September 26 
at 6:00 pm DC time. 
 
¶2. (U) An informal translation of Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuelan (BRV) Diplomatic Note No. 000564 follows. 
 
BEGIN TEXT INFORMAL TRANSLATION: 
 
 
The Ministry of Popular Power for International Relations, 
Office of the Vice Minister for North American Affairs and 
Multilateral Issues, salutes the Honorable Embassy of the 
United States of America and would like to take this 
opportunity to refer to the Verbal Note No. 617 dated 
September 16, 2009, directed to the National Institute of 
Civil Aviation (INAC) regarding a request for consultations 
on the part of the Embassy referring to the air frequencies 
of U.S. airlines. 
 
The Minister of Popular Power for International Relations, 
Office of the Vice Minister for North American Affairs and 
Multilateral Issues would like to inform that, in response to 
the above mentioned communication from the Embassy, the 
National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) highlights the 
following points: 
 
The National Aeronautic authority observes with satisfaction 
the request presented by the Embassy of the United States, 
which finally came under the framework established in the 
commercial aviation treaty signed and in effect between both 
countries. 
 
However, it is curious that the above mentioned request was 
made in the interests of avoiding frequency reductions of 
airlines of the United States by this Authority; when it was 
the U.S. federal transport agency (TSA) which decided to act 
in such a suppressive and inconsistent manner, before the day 
established by this same agency (TSA) and thereby committed 
an outrage against the normal development of air transport 
between both countries and tried also to impose by 
extraterritorial force internal U.S. laws in our nation.  In 
light of the aforementioned considerations, this Institute 
hopes that TSA will desist in its actions against national 
aviation, and cease in its line of disparaging remarks, in 
this instance against national air terminals, so that the 
Venezuelan State can effectively evaluate the possible 
consultations. 
 
Complimentary closing. Caracas, September 26, 2008. 
 
¶3. (U) Comment.  We will now wait to see whether the BRV will 
cut U.S. air carrier flight frequencies on Sunday, September 
28, as threatened by INAC in its September 10 letter to U.S. 
companies.  Despite the strident tone of this message, it is 
unclear whether the BRV will carry out its threat to reduce 
frequencies effective September 28. 
CAULFIELD