US embassy cable - 04CARACAS251

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000251 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
    STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, VE 
SUBJECT: CHANGES IN GOV FOREIGN MINISTRY 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ABELARDO A. ARIAS, POLITICAL COUNSELOR, 
 FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) FOREIGN MINISTER ROY CHADERTON CONFIRMED REPORTS ON 
JANUARY 20 THAT ADAN CHAVEZ, PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S OLDER 
BROTHER, WILL BE THE NEW GOV AMBASSADOR TO CUBA.  SOURCES AT 
THE MFA CONFIRM THAT CHADERTON WILL BE REPLACED BY JESUS 
ARNALDO PEREZ, CURRENT GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, AND RUMORED 
TO BE CHAVEZ'S ILLEGITIMATE HALF-BROTHER.  CHADERTON IS ALSO 
RUMORED TO REPLACE PEREZ AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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ANOTHER CHAVEZ IN HAVANA 
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2. (U) ON JANUARY 20, ROY CHADERTON CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT 
ADAN CHAVEZ, BROTHER OF PRESIDENT CHAVEZ, WILL BE THE NEW GOV 
AMBASSADOR TO CUBA, REPLACING JULIO MONTES, WHO HAS BEEN IN 
HAVANA SINCE 2000.  ADAN CHAVEZ IS A FORMER UNIVERSITY 
PROFESSOR, HAS HAD HIGH POSITIONS IN THE RULING PARTY MVR, 
    AND HAS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BROTHER.  HE WILL LEAVE 
HIS JOB AS THE PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF STAFF, WHICH HE ASSUMED 
IN 2003, AFTER 1 1/2 YEARS AS HEAD OF THE NATIONAL LAND 
INSTITUTE (INTI).  PRESIDENT CHAVEZ ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 25 
THAT MONTES WILL FILL A NEW ROLE IN MIRAFLORES AS COORDINATOR 
FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS. 
 
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FLIPPING CHADERTON FOR PEREZ 
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3. (C) JESUS ARNALDO PEREZ, GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, AND ROY 
CHADERTON, GOV FOREIGN MINISTER, WILL EXCHANGE JOBS.  PEREZ 
HAS BEEN POSTED IN PARIS SINCE JUNE 2002, WITH A PREVIOUS 
POSTING AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO ALGERIA FROM 2001 TO 2002. 
BEFORE JOINING THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, PEREZ SERVED AS MINISTER 
OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES FROM 1999 TO 2000. 
PEREZ, AN ACADEMIC, RECEIVED HIS PH.D. IN GEOGRAPHY IN 1994 
AND TWO MASTER'S DEGREES IN THE 1980S.  HE HAS HAD JOBS IN 
ACADEMIA AS A PROFESSOR AND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS AN 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT.  HE HAS LIVED IN FRANCE FOR MORE 
THAN 20 YEARS, AND ONLY BRIEFLY IN VENEZUELA WHEN HE WAS 
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT.  ANOTHER MFA OFFICIAL TOLD US THAT 
PEREZ IS, AS RUMORED, CHAVEZ'S ILLEGITIMATE HALF-BROTHER. 
CHADERTON TOLD DAS DESHAZO ON JANUARY 22 THAT HE WILL REPLACE 
PEREZ AS GOV AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE. 
 
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COMMENT 
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    4. (C) ADDITIONAL MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE FURTHER UPHEAVAL IN 
GOV MINISTRIES, INCLUDING THE ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, 
AND LABOR MINISTRIES.  CHAVEZ IS ARRANGING OFFICIALS TO 
CREATE A LOYAL MINISTRIES DURING UPCOMING DOMESTIC AND 
INTERNATIONAL BATTLES.  WITH BROTHER ADAN IN HAVANA AND PEREZ 
AS GOV FOREIGN MINISTER, CHAVEZ IS MOVING THE FOREIGN POLICY 
MACHINERY CLOSER TO HIM, WITH PEOPLE HE TRUSTS AND WHOSE 
LOYALTY IS FAMILIAL; HE IS ALSO STRENGTHENING THE TIES TO 
CUBA. 
SHAPIRO 
 
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