US embassy cable - 04CARACAS1369

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2014 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: CODEL NELSON: GOV REACTIONS TO PRESS STATEMENTS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR 
REASONS 1.4 (D) 
 
1.  (U) GOV OFFICIALS REACTED STRONGLY TO REMARKS MADE BY 
    SENATOR BILL NELSON (D-FL) TO THE MIAMI HERALD ON APRIL 18TH. 
 IN THE INTERVIEW SENATOR NELSON HAD NOTED THAT THE U.S. KNEW 
THAT THE GOV WAS AIDING THE FARC, WAS FAILING TO CONTROL A 
BLACK MARKET IN VENEZUELAN PASSPORTS, AND WAS INTERFERING 
WITH VENEZUELAN'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CONVOKE A RECALL 
REFERENDUM.  HE DECLARED THAT THE TIME MAY COME WHEN 
VENEZUELA MAY HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED HOSTILE TO U.S. 
INTERESTS. 
 
2.  (U) VICE-PRESIDENT JOSE VICENTE RANGEL SAID THAT MANY 
"CONCEITED" SENATORS COME TO VENEZUELA AS "TOURISTS", AND 
THEN SAY "SILLY THINGS" ABOUT VENEZUELA.  HE SAID HE WOULD 
ASK FOR FUTURE OFFICIAL VISITORS TO PASS A LIE-DETECTOR EXAM. 
 "WE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE NORTH AMERICAN PEOPLE.  WE WANT 
TO HAVE SMOOTH, DEMOCRATIC, RESPECTFUL, CIVILIZED RELATIONS 
WITH THE UNITED STATES, BUT THERE IS A GROUP OF NORTH 
AMERICAN LEADERS, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, WHO ARE EXTREMELY 
IMPERTINENT AND WHEN THEY COME HERE THEY DO WHAT NELSON DID." 
 
3.  (U) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NA) DEPUTY TAREK WILLIAM SAAB, 
PRESIDENT OF THE NA FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE COMPLAINED, 
"NELSON GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION THAT HE IS A BLABBERMOUTH, 
WHO ARRIVES IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND THEN, AFTER A 
SUPERFICIAL VISIT, LODGED IN A 5-STAR HOTEL, HAS THE RIGHT TO 
INSULT US."  SAAB SAID NELSON'S COMMENTS DEMONSTRATED "THE 
GROSS INTERFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES IN OUR COUNTRY."  THE 
PRO-CHAVEZ LEGISLATOR SAID, "IT IS THE PRODUCT OF DESPERATION 
TO SEND A SENATOR TO VENEZUELA TO SAY ANY NUMBER OF IDIOCIES 
AND THEN PUBLISH THEM IN THE PRESS ... BUT AT THE SAME TIME 
IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE CORRECT TO THINK THAT THE U.S. HASN'T 
STOPPED PROMOTING DESTABILIZING AND CONSPIRATORIAL ACTIONS 
    AGAINST VENEZUELA." 
 
4.  (U) REFERRING TO THE SENATOR'S COMMENTS REGARDING LINKS 
TO COLOMBIA'S FARC, THE MFA DECLARED THAT THE REAL DOCUMENTS 
REGARDING TERRORISM SUPPORT WERE THOSE IN POSSESSION OF THE 
STATE DEPARTMENT WHICH "ADMIT THE FINANCING BY THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION OF TERRORISTS, COUP-MONGERS, AND FASCISTS WHO 
HAVE ATTACKED VENEZUELAN DEMOCRACY" (REFERS TO FOIA DOCUMENTS 
ON NED FINANCING OF PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS).  THE MFA GOES ON 
SARCASTICALLY TO ATTACK THE RELIABILITY OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE 
AGENCIES, WHICH WERE "THE SAME ONES WHICH EFFICIENTLY 
DETECTED THE MORTAL ATTACK AGAINST THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW 
YORK AND WERE THE SAME ONES THAT INVENTED THE FANTASIES ABOUT 
THE EXISTENCE OF WMD IN IRAQ." 
 
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COMMENT 
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5.  (C) THE GOV WAS STUNG BY THE SENATOR'S FRANKNESS -- ERGO 
THEIR SHARP, INTEMPERATE REPLY.  THE GOV IS EMBARRASSED, 
SINCE IT HAD ANTICIPATED THAT SENIOR U.S. DEMOCRATIC PARTY 
LEADERS WOULD BE MORE AMENABLE TO THE GOV -- AND THEY WERE 
PROVEN WRONG.  FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CHADERTON TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR ON APRIL 22 THAT VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR TO 
WASHINGTON ALVAREZ_ HAD BEEN OVERCONFIDENT IN HIS DEALINGS 
WITH SENATOR NELSON. 
SHAPIRO 
 
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      2004CARACA01369 - CONFIDENTIAL