US embassy cable - 04CARACAS1748

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM AMBASSADOR FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA AND USOAS MAISTO 
NSC FOR C. BARTON, TSHANNON, 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: CNE VERSUS OAS-CARTER CENTER OBSERVERS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. CHARLES S. SHAPIRO FOR REASON 1.4 (D). 
 
1.  (C) CONTRARY TO HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS MAY 20, OAS 
CHIEF OF STAFF FERNANDO JARAMILLO TOLD ME AND OTHER 
AMBASSADORS FROM THE GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT HIS AND FRANCISCO 
DIEZ,S MEETING WITH CNE DIRECTORS MAY 20 HAD BEEN TENSE AND 
DIFFICULT.  CNE DIRECTOR JORGE RODRIGUEZ, HE SAID, ACCUSED 
THE OAS AND CARTER CENTER (TCC) OBSERVER MISSIONS OF BEING 
TOTALLY BIASED IN FAVOR OF THE OPPOSITION.  JARAMILLO 
CHARACTERIZED RODRIGUEZ'S LITANY OF COMPLAINTS AS A 
MEMORANDUM OF AFFRONTS. 
 
2.  (C) JARAMILLO SAID RODRIGUEZ INSISTED THAT THE OAS/TCC 
HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO REJECT THE RESULTS OF THE APPEALS 
PROCESS.  RODRIGUEZ QUESTIONED THE OBSERVER MISSIONS' 
INTEGRITY, LOYALTY, MORALS AND ABILITY TO DO THEIR WORK.  THE 
CNE DIRECTORS, JARAMILLO SAID, HAD TOLD THEM THAT THE OAS/TCC 
SHOULD MAKE NO STATEMENTS, AND SHOULD THEY WISH TO MAKE ANY 
THEY WOULD NEED TO CLEAR THEM WITH THE CNE BEFOREHAND. 
JARAMILLO SAID HE REJECTED THE "ULTIMATUM."  NONETHELESS, 
JARAMILLO SAID, THE CNE HAD CONCLUDED THAT IT IS POLITICALLY 
IMPORTANT FOR THE OAS AND THE CARTER CENTER TO STAY IN 
COUNTRY AND WAS NOT READY TO EJECT THEM. 
3.  (C) JARAMILLO EXPLAINED TO US THAT IF THERE IS INDEED 
"BIAS" IN THEIR WORK, IT IS THE PRODUCT OF FACTS AND THE 
DECISIONS MADE BY THE CNE.  HE QUESTIONED THE CNE'S ABILITY 
    TO RUN THE APPEALS PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY, SAYING THE CRISIS IN 
THE CNE IS MUCH MORE DEEP THAN MANY IMAGINE.  HE TOLD US THAT 
THE OAS/TCC OBSERVERS DO NOT HAVE EXPLICIT AGREEMENT FROM THE 
CNE ON THE TCC/OAS PLAN FOR OBSERVING THE REPAROS PROCESS. 
RATHER THEY ARE TAKING THE CNE,S LACK OF RESPONSE TO THE 
OAS/TCC LETTER OF MAY 10 OUTLINING THEIR PLANS AS AN ABSENCE 
OF OBJECTION AND ARE PROCEEDING ON THAT BASIS.  JARAMILLO 
QUESTIONED IF THE OBSERVERS WOULD IN FACT BE GIVEN THE ACCESS 
THEY NEED WITHIN THE CNE HEADQUARTERS TO DO THEIR WORK 
PROPERLY. 
 
4.  (C) ILLUSTRATING THE FLAWS IN THE APPEALS PROCESS, 
JARAMILLO SAID THE CHECKING OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS WOULD 
LIKELY PROVE TO BE A DISASTER.  THE FORMULA OF HAVING 
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO SIDES AGREE ON THE VALIDITY OF 
INDIVIDUAL VOTERS, NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD WAS A RECIPE FOR 
PHYSICAL CONFLICT AT THE SIGNATURE CENTERS.  JARAMILLO WAS 
LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPUTER FRAUD, 
SAYING THAT THE CERTIFICATIONS (ACTAS) WOULD SERVE AS COUNTER 
BALANCE.  HE CALLED THE POSSIBLE DETENTION OF THE LEADERSHIP 
OF THE NGO SUMATE DIRECT AND CLEAR INTIMIDATION. 
 
5.  (C) I ASKED JARAMILLO AND THE AMBASSADORS IF THE OAS AND 
OTHER FOREIGN MINISTERS HAD RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE GOV 
SIMILAR TO THE MAY 18 LETTER FROM VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR 
BERNARDO ALVAREZ TO THE SECRETARY.  NONE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF 
WHETHER SUCH A LETTER HAD BEEN SENT TO THEM.  JARAMILLO NOTED 
THAT THE CNE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SEEKING A BLANK CHECK FROM 
THE OAS/TCC IN THE MAY 20 MEETING, SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE 
ALVAREZ LETTER.  (IN AN EARLIER MEETING CARTER CENTER 
REPRESENTATIVE AMB. GORDON STREEB, HE TOLD ME THAT THE FORMER 
    PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER HAD RECEIVED A SIMILAR LETTER FROM 
ALVAREZ.) 
 
6.  THE GOV APPEARS TO BE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK TO DISQUALIFY 
THE CARTER CENTER AND OAS OBSERVER MISSIONS IF THEY USE THEIR 
INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT TO QUESTION OR CRITICIZE THE CNE, ITS 
DECISIONS, OR THE REPARO PROCESS.  THE LETTERS TO THE 
SECRETARY AND PRESIDENT CARTER HAVE THE SAME GOAL, OBTAINING 
 
SIPDIS 
ADVANCE APPROVAL NO MATTER HOW DEVELOPMENTS UNFOLD. THE GOV 
NEEDS THE PRESENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TO GIVE 
CREDIBILITY TO A DEEPLY FLAWED PROCESS.  THE REPARO PROCESS 
CAN WORK ONLY IF BOTH SIDES PLAY BY THE RULES IN GOOD FAITH. 
THE OAS AND THE CARTER CENTER OBSERVERS QUESTION WHETHER THE 
GOV WILL DO SO.  SO DO I. 
SHAPIRO 
 
NNNN 
      2004CARACA01748 - CONFIDENTIAL