US embassy cable - 04CARACAS2088

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 002088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: THE CHAVEZ, CARTER, CISNEROS RUMOR MILL 
 
Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR MARK WELLS FOR REASONS 1.4 (d 
) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  On June 18, President Hugo Chavez, former President 
Jimmy Carter and media magnate Gustavo Cisneros met behind 
closed doors for two hours at Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas.  While 
Chavez, Cisneros and the Carter Center have all stated the 
meeting was simply a first step toward improved dialogue, the 
meeting has generated a flurry of media speculation over 
secret pacts and negotiations.  End Summary. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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THE OFFICIAL STORY 
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2.  (U)  The meeting between Chavez, Carter and Cisneros was 
to have been conducted with total secrecy.  Cisneros and 
Carter flew in on Cisneros' private jet to the VIP area of 
Simon Bolivar International airport outside of Caracas. 
However, an individual at the airport recognized Carter and 
alerted the media.  The media followed Carter to Fuerte Tiuna 
and broke the story. 
 
3.  (U)  The Carter Center released an official press 
statement on June 19, saying that the meeting between Chavez, 
Carter and Cisneros had been an attempt to establish a 
dialogue that would ensure the most appropriate climate for a 
constitutional process in Venezuela.  During the June 20 
edition of "Alo Presidente," his weekly television broadcast, 
Chavez commented that this meeting was the first step toward 
creating a plan to cooperatively combat poverty and improve 
health and education opportunities following the August 15 
referendum.  Chavez also assured the audience that he had not 
been negotiating secret deals with the opposition.  One June 
22, Cisneros issued a press release that, in general terms, 
corroborated these two stories. 
 
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THE RUMOR MILL 
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4.  (C)  Pro-GOV daily "VEA", contended that Cisneros, who it 
characterized as one of the most hated people in Venezuela, 
had asked for the meeting to reconcile his differences with 
the GOV since his media outlets are losing their audience and 
that he recognizes Chavez will win the August 15 referendum. 
VEA also stated that this meeting has unsettled the leaders 
of Accion Democratica and COPEI, who felt that they were 
excluded from negotiations to determine the outcome of the 
referendum.  Jose Albornoz, Secretary General of the 
pro-Chavez Patria Por Todos (PPT) party, told poloff June 25 
that Chavez told him the purpose of the meeting was to open 
up communication with private media, which Chavez sees as his 
principal opponent. 
 
5.  (U)  Caracas daily "Ultimas Noticias" reported that the 
Chavistas are calling Chavez a traitor for meeting with 
Cisneros.  Caracas daily "Tal Cual" pointed out that if 
Chavez is willing to meet with a person the GOV has 
repeatedly called "the lead coup plotter," the door has been 
opened for meetings with the Democratic Coordinator.  Both 
speculated that this meeting is perhaps the first step toward 
a sustainable democratic dialogue in Venezuela. 
 
6.  (C)  Solidaridad Deputy Ernesto Alvarenga met with poloff 
on June 23, and asserted that Chavez and Cisneros were 
negotiating Chavez,s departure from power and subsequent 
asylum in the Dominican Republic.  Alvarenga pointed to 
Dominican President Leonel Fernandez,s June 21 visit with 
Chavez as evidence for his claims. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  (C)  Everyone was caught unaware by the meeting.  there 
were only three people present and each his offered their 
version.  Chavez probably had hoped to keep it secret and 
avoid being seen "speaking to the Devil," as he put it. 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
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      2004CARACA02088 - CONFIDENTIAL