VZCZCXYZ0021
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCV #0047 0192230
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 192230Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0300
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS CARACAS 000047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREL VE OAS PREF EAID HA KPKO
SUBJECT: TFHA01: Venezuela Sends Aid, Minimizes Coordination with 
U.S. 
 
REF: STATE 4909; STATE 4807; STATE 4854 
 
¶1.        (SBU) Summary:  As of January 19, the Venezuelan 
government (GBRV)  has completed five airlifts and launched three 
sealifts to provide disaster relief to Haiti.  The arrival of two 
Russian operated cargo  planes, if fully employed, could 
significantly increase Venezuela's relief contribution.  Phone 
conversations between the DATT and Dr. Luis Diaz Curbelo, National 
Director of Civil Defense and his deputy, have been positive.  The 
DATT's requests  to meet with the Commando Estrategico Operacional 
(CEO) (the Joint Staff Equivalent) to coordinate all Venezuelan 
military support have been met with silence.  During a January 17 
broadcast, President Chavez promised that all of Haiti's fuel 
requirements during the disaster would be met by Venezuela.  A 
tanker is en route to the Dominican Republic to provide generator 
fuel.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
By Air 
 
 
 
¶2.       (SBU) The GBRV's first response to the Haitian earthquake 
was to send a C-130 transport aircraft on January 13, reportedly 
with 50 personnel, including an advance assessment team and relief 
supplies.  A second C-130 departed January 15 with about 25 
personnel, including a second team to assess aviation support 
requirements.  The GBRV Ministry of Communications announced on 
January 17 that 14 tons of food, water and medicine, accompanied by 
an unknown number of personnel, were transported on a third C-130. 
Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice Tarek El-Aissami posed 
in front of two Russian-operated IL-76 cargo planes on January 17 
prior to their departure to Haiti and announced that the aircraft 
would carry 80 tons of first aid supplies and an additional 120 
Venezuelans to the island. 
 
 
 
By Sea 
 
 
 
¶3.         (SBU) Two ALLIGATOR Class amphibious landing ships 
(Capana-T-61 and the Essequibo T-62) left port from  La Guaira on 
January 18, according to official sources.  The DATT was informed 
that one ship would carry approximately 600 tons of food and 
medicine, palletized and ready for roll-on roll-off operations. The 
other ship would have approximately 600 tons of heavy machinery and 
engineering equipment for recovery and clearing operations.  The 
estimated transit time is four days.  A third and possibly even a 
fourth ship was announced to sail in the near future under the 
auspices of the Bolivarian Alliance for Latina America (ALBA) with 
the potential of increasing seaborne tonnage of aid to 5,675 tons. 
 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU)  The Venezuelan national oil company, Petroleos de 
Venezuela (PDVSA), reported in a January 18 press release that a 
tanker carrying  approximately 225,000 barrels of diesel and 
gasoline was en route to a refinery in the Dominican Republic, 
where the fuel would be transported to Haiti for use in electricity 
generation. 
 
 
 
¶5.       (SBU)  Civil Defense officials have coordinated with the 
United States.  Curbelo provided the DATT with the telephone 
numbers of the captains of the two amphibious ships, and both 
mariners were grateful to receive some basic information regarding 
the status of the harbor in Port-Au-Prince.   The DATT has not been 
able to meet with the Venezuelan Joint Staff or to arrange for a 
Venezuelan naval liaison officer. 
 
 
 
¶6.       (SBU)  The Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to 
post's request to meet to exchange information. 
CAULFIELD