US embassy cable - 04CARACAS786

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 000786 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: CNE EMPLOYEES: GOV TAKING OVER, RECALL UNLIKELY 
 
REF: CARACAS 00716 
 
Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4 
(B) and (D) 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Diego Acevedo, aide to CNE Director Sobella Mejias, 
claimed even if the presidential referendum signature appeals 
process overcomes significant technical hurdles, it will 
nonetheless be vulnerable to pro-Chavez sabotage from the 
overseeing officials.  He claimed all of the CNE's regional 
offices have been purged of opposition-sympathetic directors. 
 Acevedo and other National Electoral Council (CNE) employees 
told poloff a combination of leadership purges and staff 
coercion are detrimentally changing the CNE's composition and 
conduct.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Reparo Just Another Chavista Trap 
--------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) decided 
March 2 to send "suspect" signatures collected to convoke a 
recall referendum on President Hugo Chavez to a verification 
process (reparo).  Under CNE regulations, signers have five 
days to re-affirm or challenge their signatures. The CNE 
approved 1.8 million signatures, 600,000 signatures shy of 
the 2.4 million threshold needed to trigger the recall (ref 
a).  The opposition turned in 3.4 million signatures in 
December.  Thamara Escalona, CNE's Chief of Transcription, 
told poloff February 25 that 2.1 million signatures had 
passed quality control, matching what opposition sources have 
claimed, but not the 1.8 million figure announced by CNE 
President Francisco Carrasquero March 2. 
 
3. (C) Diego Acevedo, aide to CNE Director Sobella Mejias, 
told poloff March 3 that CNE efforts to reach an appeals 
process would be futile considering the massive amount of 
signatures and the short time to prepare for the event. 
Escalona, too, said it would be technically difficult to 
conduct the appeals process.  She warned not to make time 
comparisons with the signature drive, because "this is a more 
complicated process."  Even if there is agreement on the 
appeals process, and it is technically feasible, Acevedo 
argued CNE officials would sabotage the process.  He claimed 
all 24 CNE regional heads were Chavistas and that the 
majority of the 2,700 CNE employees would be temporary 
workers, not regular employees.  He said a new pro-Chavez CNE 
union would likely pick the temps. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Acevedo: Purges Continuing, Nothing New 
--------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Acevedo argued that pro-Chavez CNE directors are not 
concerned with the negative publicity generated by a staff 
purge, as evidenced by the March 2 firing of Ana Mercedes 
Gia, the head of the Political Participation Commission.  He 
claimed Director Jorge Rodriguez dismissed her for the vague 
reason that the "opposition had corrupted her."  He asserted 
that Rodriguez and the two other Chavez-leaning directors 
fire and hire employees at will, knowing that they can 
override objections from the two opposition-leaning 
directors. Although he conceded Chavistas were sending 
employees on vacations to increase pro-GOV influence, Acevedo 
argued it is normal and legal to make employees use leave. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Semi-Permanent Vacations: Staff Purges Delay Process 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
5. (C) Escalona reported 35 employees had been sent on 
ordered vacation and replaced by Chavistas, including all 
opposition-aligned regional heads.  CNE Electoral Information 
Section employees Rommel Hernandez and Melania Diaz told 
poloff February 12 that CNE directors are packing the CNE 
with Chavez sympathizers who will delay the recall process 
either intentionally or because they are technically 
incompetent.  "They want people they can depend on to do 
nothing," said Hernandez.  "All their talk about the 
 
constitution and laws is just talk... Chavez is their 
religion and that's all they care about."  Hernandez, a labor 
representative for the CNE's main 1,900-member union, said a 
rival pro-Chavez union proposes new hires for the directors 
to rubber stamp.  About 180 employees of the CNE's 2,200 
regular workforce are members in the rapidly growing upstart 
union. 
 
------------------------------------- 
It's Not Easy Being a CNE Employee... 
------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) All four CNE employees told poloff that morale is at 
an all-time low for opposition-sympathetic employees who feel 
like tools of the GOV, forced to implement rules and 
procedures with which they do not agree.  Hernandez and Diaz 
claimed about 70 percent of the regular employees were still 
opposition aligned.  Acevedo, however, said a GOV policy of 
blackmail and political pressure, combined with replacements 
and new hires, had increased the proportion of GOV influence 
to about 55 percent.  Acevedo explained Chavista bosses often 
ask employees if "they are with the process" and try to 
pressure employees with vague threats about job security. 
Some employees are simply finding it easier to be Chavistas, 
he asserted. 
 
----------------------------- 
GOV Tightening Control of CNE 
----------------------------- 
 
7. (C) The 90 CNE Employees assigned to the Superior 
Technical Committee work in 45 pairs according to Acevedo, 
ostensibly one opposition and one Chavista.  However, the 
selection process often assigns employees without regard to 
their actual political inclinations.  Acevedo and Escalona 
agreed that the process mainly favors the GOV by miscasting 
Chavistas as opposition representatives.  Escalona claimed 
only 24 of the 250 employees involved in the quality control 
process are regular CNE employees.  She estimated most of the 
rest are the same Chavista temporary workers employed for the 
physical verification process, and accused them of 
fraudulently revalidating rejected signatures for referendums 
of opposition deputies. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (C) In December Acevedo spoke glowingly about the ability 
of the CNE to come to a recall decision before February and 
all employees claim to have held the institution in high 
regard before the recall signature drives.  But the 
increasing lack of confidence these CNE employees have in the 
ability and will of the institution to conduct the signature 
appeals raises serious doubts that the recall process, 
already caught up in negotiations, will ever be resolved.  It 
also castes doubts on the ability of the CNE to manage the 
August regional elections in a fair, transparent, and 
efficient manner.  One of the only things keeping a lid on 
massive defections appears to be the fear of losing a decent 
job in an economy with greater than 15 percent unemployment. 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
NNNN 
 
      2004CARACA00786 - CONFIDENTIAL