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R 202305Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0046
INFO WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 CARACAS 001495 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL CO VE
SUBJECT: Foreign Ministry Communique on U.S. "Offer to Mediate" 
Venezuela-Colombia Crisis 
 
¶1.  On November 17, 2009, the Foreign Ministry released the 
communiquC) contained in para 3 below.  An informal English version 
is contained in para 2 below.  This communiquC) was apparently in 
response to the remarks of the Department Spokesman on November 13, 
in which he said in answering a question about a possible U.S. role 
in fostering dialogue between Colombia and Venezuela:  "We, of 
course, believe it is in the interests of every country in the 
hemisphere to promote dialogue and to promote a peaceful resolution 
to any kind of conflicts. . . . It is something for the two 
countries to work out, of course. But the United States, of course, 
is interested in promoting stability and promoting dialogue." 
 
 
 
¶2.  Begin text of informal English translation: 
 
 
 
CommuniquC) on the Offer of the United States of America to Mediate 
the Colombian-Venezuelan Crisis 
 
 
 
The Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian 
Republic of Venezuela, in regards to the recent statements from 
officials of the Government of the United States about its 
"interest in promoting stability and dialog" between Colombia and 
Venezuela, wishes to recall that the installation of military bases 
under the unrestricted control of the United States in Colombia 
constitutes the origin of a situation of instability and regional 
concern. 
 
 
 
The disproportionate U.S. military deployment on Colombian soil 
tries to justify the Government of Colombia as a bilateral force 
for the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism. 
 
 
 
These arguments are false and do not diminish the doubts and 
concerns that the countries in the South American region have 
regarding these military bases, which are perceived in threatening 
terms due to the magnitude of the program that will implemented 
with the installation of equipment for electronic war, 
intelligence, military personnel as well as personnel from security 
contractors. 
 
 
 
The strengthening of the U.S. military presence is aimed at 
projecting its global power to deter, under the threat of military 
intervention, countries that, like the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela, maintain a critical view in relation to its imperialist 
policy. 
 
 
 
In this strategy, the Palanquero Base will have an important 
strategic role as it could serve as a stopover for missions outside 
Colombian territory. Venezuela wants to emphasize that even if the 
text of the "Complementary Agreement for Cooperation and Technical 
Assistance in Defense and Security" does not provide for operations 
in third countries, it also does not explicitly prohibit them. 
 
 
 
Venezuela's concern in considering the presence of these bases in 
Colombian territory under the unrestricted control of the United 
States as a grave threat has solid foundations in the most recent 
violations of International Law executed by Colombia and by the 
United States. 
 
 
 
In the case of the Government of Alvaro Uribe, when it illegally 
attacked the territory of the Republic of Ecuador in March 2008, it 
violated Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter pursuant to 
which States, in their international relations, shall refrain from 
resorting to the threat or the use of force against the territorial 
integrity or the political independence of any State, or in any 
other manner incompatible with the purposes of the United Nations. 
 
 
 
For its part, the United States, with the Iraq war, violated 
 
CARACAS 00001495  002 OF 004 
 
 
Resolution 1441 (2002) of the Security Council. This resolution 
established a strict inspection regime that strengthened the 
authority of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and 
Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA). 
 
 
 
The resolution did not authorize the use of force in the event of 
violation by Iraq. The United States violated the United 
 
Nations Charter when it launched a military action without the 
approval of the Security Council. 
 
 
 
These illegal actions against the letter and the spirit of the 
United Nations Charter and the norms that prohibit the use of 
 
force in international relations, very recently violated by 
Colombia and the United States, justify the concern by South 
American countries about an exaggerated operational and defensive 
capacity and a clear ceding of Colombia's own national  authority 
to the United States by the administration of President Alvaro 
Uribe. 
 
 
 
While the administration of President Barack Obama has publicly 
stated its commitment to respect International Law and 
Multilateralism, Venezuelan concern is strengthened when this 
administration continues to repeatedly violate resolution 1373 
(2001) of the Security Council that prevents States from offering 
refuge to those who commit terrorist acts and prohibits the refusal 
for political reasons of extradition requests for terrorists. This 
country has not complied with the provisions set forth in the 
Extradition Treaty with Venezuela as it has refused, by means of 
legal subterfuges, to extradite the well-known international 
terrorist Luis Posada Carriles. 
 
 
 
In the face of this real situation of threat to the stability of 
the region by the government of the United States, the proposal to 
mediate has a clear purpose, to divert attention from its primary 
responsibility for the crisis, and appears insulting in the eyes of 
the knowing peoples of the world. 
 
 
 
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates 
its categorical rejection of the installation of the 
above-mentioned North American military bases on Colombian soil and 
its intention to continue the debate within UNASUR about the 
difficult regional situation generated by the governments of 
Washington and Bogota with their signing of the "Complementary 
Agreement for Cooperation and Technical Assistance in Defense and 
Security." 
 
 
 
Venezuela considers that if the United States has a true interest 
in working together to promote dialog and regional stability, then 
it must desist from its intention to convert Colombia into the 
operations base for its regional strategy of domination and control 
over the countries of South America. 
 
 
 
End text of informal English translation. 
 
 
 
¶3.   Begin text of official communiquC): 
 
 
 
COMUNICADO SOBRE EL OFRECIMIENTO DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE MEDIAR EN 
LA CRISIS COLOMBOVENEZOLANA 
 
 
 
El Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones exteriores de la 
RepC:blica Bolivariana de Venezuela, en relaciC3n con las recientes 
declaraciones de funcionarios del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos 
sobre su "interC)s en promover la estabilidad y el diC!logo" entre 
 
CARACAS 00001495  003 OF 004 
 
 
Colombia y Venezuela, desea recordar que la instalaciC3n de bases 
militares bajo el control irrestricto de los Estados Unidos en 
Colombia constituye el origen de una situaciC3n de inestabilidad y 
de inquietud regional. 
 
 
 
El desproporcionado despliegue militar estadounidense en suelo 
colombiano, intenta justificar el gobierno de Colombia como un 
esfuerzo bilateral de lucha contra el narcotrC!fico y el terrorismo. 
 
 
 
 
Estos argumentos son falsos y no disipan las dudas e inquietudes 
que tienen los paC-ses de la regiC3n suramericana sobre estas bases 
militares, percibidas en tC)rminos de amenaza debido a la magnitud 
del programa que se pondrC! en prC!ctica con la instalaciC3n de 
equipos para la guerra electrC3nica, labores de inteligencia, 
efectivos militares y personal de empresas contratistas de 
seguridad. 
 
 
 
El fortalecimiento de la presencia militar de los Estados Unidos 
estC! orientado a proyectar su poder global para disuadir, bajo la 
amenaza de intervenciones militares, a paC-ses que como la RepC:blica 
Bolivariana de Venezuela, mantienen una posiciC3n crC-tica en 
relaciC3n con su polC-tica imperialista. 
 
 
 
En esta estrategia, la base de Palanquero tendrC! un rol de 
importancia estratC)gica ya que podrC-a servir de escala para 
misiones fuera del territorio colombiano. Venezuela desea llamar la 
atenciC3n que si bien el texto del "Acuerdo Complementario para la 
CooperaciC3n y Asistencia TC)cnica en Defensa y Seguridad" no 
contempla operaciones en terceros paC-ses, tampoco las prohC-be 
explC-citamente. 
 
 
 
La preocupaciC3n de Venezuela en considerar como una grave amenaza 
la presencia de estas bases en territorio colombiano bajo el manejo 
irrestricto de los Estados Unidos, tiene sC3lidos fundamentos en las 
mC!s recientes violaciones al Derecho Internacional ejecutadas por 
Colombia y Estados Unidos. 
 
 
 
En el caso del Gobierno de Clvaro Uribe, al haber atacado 
ilegalmente el territorio de la RepC:blica del Ecuador en marzo de 
2008, se violC3 el numeral 4 del artC-culo 2 de la Carta de las 
Naciones Unidas, segC:n el cual los Estados, en sus relaciones 
internacionales, se abstendrC!n de recurrir a la amenaza o al uso de 
la fuerza contra la integridad territorial o la independencia 
polC-tica de cualquier Estado, o en cualquier otra forma 
incompatible con los propC3sitos de las Naciones Unidas. 
 
 
 
Por su parte los Estados Unidos, con la guerra en Irak, violC3 la 
resoluciC3n 1441 (2002) del Consejo de Seguridad. Esta resoluciC3n 
estableciC3 un riguroso rC)gimen de inspecciones que fortaleciC3 la 
autoridad de la ComisiC3n de Vigilancia, VerificaciC3n e InspecciC3n 
de las Naciones Unidas (UNMOVIC) y el Organismo Internacional de 
EnergC-a AtC3mica (OIEA). 
 
 
 
La resoluciC3n no autorizaba el uso de la fuerza en caso de 
violaciC3n por parte de Irak, Estados Unidos violC3 la Carta de las 
Naciones Unidas al lanzar una acciC3n militar sin la aprobaciC3n del 
Consejo de Seguridad. 
 
 
 
Estas acciones ilegales contrarias a la letra y el espC-ritu de la 
Carta de las Naciones Unidas y a las normas que prohC-ben el uso de 
la fuerza en las relaciones internacionales, muy recientemente 
violadas por parte de Colombia y los Estados Unidos, justifican la 
preocupaciC3n de los paC-ses de AmC)rica del Sur por una exagerada 
capacidad operativa y defensiva y una clara cesiC3n de competencias 
propias del Estado colombiano a los Estados Unidos por parte de la 
administraciC3n del Presidente Clvaro Uribe. 
 
CARACAS 00001495  004 OF 004 
 
 
Si bien la administraciC3n del Presidente Barack Obama ha 
manifestado pC:blicamente su compromiso con el respeto al Derecho 
Internacional y al Multilateralismo, fortalece la preocupaciC3n 
venezolana que esta administraciC3n continC:e violando de forma 
reiterada la ResoluciC3n 1373 (2001) del Consejo de Seguridad, que 
impide a los Estados ofrecer refugio a quienes cometan actos de 
terrorismo y prohC-be la denegaciC3n de las solicitudes de 
extradiciC3n de terroristas por razones polC-ticas. Este paC-s ha 
incumplido lo establecido en el Tratado de ExtradiciC3n con 
Venezuela al negarse, a travC)s de subterfugios legales, a 
extraditar al connotado terrorista internacional Luis Posada 
Carriles. 
 
 
 
Ante esta real situaciC3n de amenaza a la estabilidad de la regiC3n 
por parte del gobierno de los Estados Unidos, la propuesta de 
mediar tiene un claro propC3sito de desviar la atenciC3n de su 
responsabilidad primaria en la crisis y resulta grosera a los ojos 
de los pueblos conscientes del mundo. 
 
 
 
El Gobierno de la RepC:blica Bolivariana de Venezuela reitera su 
rechazo rotundo a la instalaciC3n de las mencionadas bases militares 
norteamericanas en suelo colombiano, y su disposiciC3n de continuar 
el debate dentro de la UNASUR sobre la difC-cil situaciC3n regional 
generada por los gobiernos de Washington y BogotC! al firmar el 
"Acuerdo Complementario para la CooperaciC3n y Asistencia TC)cnica en 
Defensa y Seguridad". 
 
 
 
Venezuela considera que si los Estados Unidos tienen un real 
interC)s en colaborar para promover el diC!logo y la estabilidad 
regional deben desistir en su intenciC3n de convertir a Colombia en 
la base de operaciones de su estrategia regional de dominaciC3n. y 
control sobre los paC-ses de AmC)rica del Sur. 
 
 
 
Caracas, 17 de Noviembre de 2009 
 
 
 
End text of communiquC). 
DUDDY