US embassy cable - 04CARACAS2153

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 002153 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, VE, CONS 
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ PADS VOTES WITH NATURALIZATION AND IDENTITY 
CARDS 
 
REF: CARACAS 2081 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: MARK A. WELLS, ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR, 
FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) THE GOV'S "MISION IDENTIDAD" (MISSION IDENTITY) IS 
PROVIDING CEDULAS (IDENTITY CARDS) TO MASSIVE NUMBERS OF 
UNDOCUMENTED VENEZUELANS AND FOREIGNERS.  THE GOV IS WORKING 
BUSILY VIA THE MISSION TO ISSUE IDENTITY CARDS TO POTENTIAL 
VOTERS BEFORE THE JULY 10 ELECTORAL REGISTRY DEADLINE FOR THE 
AUGUST 15 REFERENDUM.  WHILE THESE EFFORTS PURPORT TO CORRECT 
AN HISTORIC INJUSTICE OF DENYING IDENTITY DOCUMENTS (AND, 
THUS, THE RIGHT TO VOTE) TO THE POOR, THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THE 
CAMPAIGN IS TO REGISTER AS MANY VOTERS AS POSSIBLE FROM 
VENEZUELA'S LOWER CLASS, WHICH IS DECIDEDLY PRO-CHAVEZ.  THE 
MISSION USES MILITARY BASES, MOBILE CEDULA UNITS, AND 
    CUBAN-TRAINED "SOCIAL WORKERS" TO PROVIDE THE CEDULAS AND 
REGISTER THE VOTERS SIMULTANEOUSLY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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MISSION IDENTITY - OIL MONEY AND CUBAN TRAINING 
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2. (C) THE GOV LAUNCHED "MISSION IDENTITY" IN EARLY 2004 WITH 
A GOAL OF  PROVIDING CEDULAS (NATIONAL IDENTITY CARDS) TO SIX 
MILLION CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY POOR VENEZUELANS, WHO HAVE 
HISTORICALLY HAD DIFFICULTY OBTAINING IDENTITY DOCUMENTS. 
STATE-RUN OIL COMPANY PDVSA PROVIDED TRUCKS FOR MOBILE UNITS, 
A PROGRAM DUBBED "CEDULA EXPRESS."  THE GOV IS USING AS MANY 
AS 100 OF THESE MOBILE UNITS, AS WELL AS MILITARY BASES 
AROUND THE COUNTRY AS OUTPOSTS FOR CEDULA DISTRIBUTION. 
DANIEL CORTEZ, A FORMER GOV SUPERVISOR OF IDENTITY CARD 
OFFICIALS WHO NOW WORKS WITH THE COORDINADORA DEMOCRATICA, 
TOLD POLOFF ON JUNE 29 THAT 800 CUBAN-TRAINED FRANCISCO DE 
MIRANDA FRONT (FFM) "SOCIAL WORKERS" AND VENEZUELAN ARMY 
PERSONNEL RUN MISSION IDENTITY, RATHER THAN THE MINISTER OF 
INTERIOR AND JUSTICE'S DIRECTORATE FOR IMMIGRATION (DIEX). 
LAPTOPS AND ON-SITE CARD MAKERS CREATE A QUICK SYSTEM OF 
DISTRIBUTION, ALLOWING VENEZUELANS TO OBTAIN A CEDULA IN LESS 
THAN 20 MINUTES.  DIEX DIRECTOR GENERAL CABEZAS TOLD 
REPORTERS IN JUNE THAT TWO MILLION PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED 
CEDULAS SINCE THE NEW AUTOMATED SYSTEM STARTED IN OCTOBER 
2003.  CORTEZ CONFIRMED THIS ESTIMATE TO POLOFF, BUT 
CAUTIONED THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE NEW CEDULAS ARE 
MERELY REPLACEMENTS FOR OLD CEDULAS. 
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PAPER-THIN SECURITY 
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3. (C) RINCON ASSERTS THAT THE NEW VENEZUELAN CEDULAS ARE 
SOME OF THE MOST SECURE IDENTITY CARDS IN THE WORLD.  THE 
FINGER PRINT, SECURITY PAPER, AND LAMINATION GIVE THE CEDULAS 
"AN ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE OF SECURITY," RINCON TOLD REPORTERS. 
DISPLAYING BOTH NEW AND OLD CEDULAS, CORTEZ POINTED OUT HOW 
SECURITY FEATURES HAVE DIMINISHED IN THE NEW CEDULA.  BEYOND 
THE PHYSICAL SECURITY FEATURES, THE CEDULAS ARE NOT RELIABLE 
BECAUSE OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.  VENEZUELAN OR FOREIGNER, 
LITTLE DOCUMENTATION IS NEEDED AT THE MOBILE UNITS TO SECURE 
A CEDULA, SAID CORTEZ, WHO REPORTED THAT HE REPLACED HIS OWN 
CEDULA SIMPLY BY TELLING THE OFFICIAL HIS IDENTITY NUMBER. 
OPPOSITION GROUPS CLAIM THAT THE GOV IS GIVING CEDULAS TO 
FOREIGNERS WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION IN ATTEMPT TO ADD MORE 
CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS TO THE VOTING REGISTRY.  CAUSA R, A 
LEFT-WING OPPOSITION PARTY, HAS ACCUSED THE GOV OF ILLEGALLY 
NATURALIZING "THOUSANDS OF FOREIGNERS AND THOUSANDS OF 
CRIMINALS TO FILL THE VOTING REGISTRY."  IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 
HEARD REPORTS THAT THE GOV IS USING A LIST OF THE PEOPLE WHO 
SIGNED THE REAFIRMAZO (THE PETITIONS TO RECALL PRESIDENT HUGO 
CHAVEZ) TO DENY CEDULAS AND, THUS, DISCRIMINATE AGAINST 
CHAVEZ OPPONENTS.  ONE PRESS STORY SHOWED TWO PEOPLE WHO 
SIGNED WHO WERE DENIED CEDULAS AT A MOBILE SITE.  THEY WERE 
TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPLY DIRECTLY WITH DIEX, A PROCESS 
THAT CAN TAKE MONTHS. 
 
CARACAS 00002153  002 OF 002 
 
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4. (C) PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO REGISTER MORE VOTERS INCLUDES 
THE NATURALIZATION OF FOREIGNERS.  CORTEZ, WHO LEFT HIS DIEX 
POST IN JANUARY, TOLD POLOFF THAT 16,000 FOREIGNERS WERE 
NATURALIZED IN MARCH.  IN JUNE, THE GOV NATURALIZED 105,000 
FOREIGNERS WITHIN ONE WEEK, PART OF ITS GOAL TO NATURALIZE 
200,000 BEFORE JULY 10.  (NOTE: THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF 
NATURALIZATIONS PER YEAR PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN 3,000 TO 4,000. 
END NOTE.)  THE NATURALIZED CITIZENS WILL RECEIVE CEDULAS AND 
BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IMMEDIATELY.  PART OF THE GOV 
REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN, THE NATURALIZATION EVENTS HAVE A CLEAR 
POLITICAL BENT.  AT A NATURALIZATION CEREMONY ON JUNE 25, 
VICE PRESIDENT JOSE VICENTE RANGEL ASKED THE NEWLY 
NATURALIZED CITIZENS HOW THEY WOULD VOTE IN THE AUGUST 15 
REFERENDUM.  AFTER EXHORTING EVERYONE TO VOTE "NO," HE 
PROCLAIMED, "THERE IS NOT ONE VOTE FOR 'YES' (TO REVOKE 
CHAVEZ)." 
 
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REFERENDUM IMPLICATIONS 
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5. (C) THE CNE ESTIMATES THAT THERE ARE OVER THREE MILLION 
VENEZUELANS WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE.  MISSION IDENTITY 
PERSONNEL, AFTER ISSUING CEDULAS, ALSO FILL OUT CNE VOTER 
APPLICATIONS FOR THE RECIPIENTS.  CORTEZ ESTIMATED THAT GOV 
EFFORTS COULD INCREASE THE VOTER REGISTRATION POOL FROM 12 
MILLION TO 14 MILLION PEOPLE FOR THE AUGUST 15 REFERENDUM. 
MVR DEPUTY JUAN BARRETO TOLD POLOFF THAT VOTER REGISTRATION 
AND MOBILIZATION OF LOWER CLASS VENEZUELANS IS A PRINCIPAL 
PART OF THE GOV REFERENDUM STRATEGY (SEE REFTEL).  BARRETO 
SAID BARRIO ADENTRO (THE GOV MISSION TO PLACE CUBAN DOCTORS 
IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS) DOCTORS ARE IDENTIFYING PATIENTS 
WITHOUT CEDULAS AND FFM "SOCIAL WORKERS" ARE THEN HELPING THE 
PATIENTS ACQUIRE CEDULAS.  THE GOV IS ALSO RUNNING MULTI-PAGE 
ADVERTISEMENTS IN STATE-RUN NEWSPAPERS TO ENCOURAGE VOTER 
REGISTRATION AND PUBLICIZE THE 600 VOTER REGISTRATION CENTERS 
OPERATED BY THE CNE.  CARACAS DAILY TAL CUAL REPORTED JUNE 
29, HOWEVER, THAT ONLY 246,938 NEW NAMES HAD BEEN REGISTERED 
IN THE ELECTORAL REGISTRY IN APRIL AND MAY, SUGGESTING THE 
CHAVISTAS ARE RUNNING SHORT OF THEIR GOAL. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6. (C) HAVING AN IDENTITY DOCUMENT IS A MAJOR BOOST FOR 
FACILITATING THE DAILY LIFE OF VENEZUELANS.  MANY OF THE 
COLOMBIANS RECEIVING CEDULAS HAVE LIVED IN VENEZUELA FOR 
YEARS, EVEN DECADES, AND SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED CEDULAS LONG 
AGO.  THERE ARE LEGITIMATE REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT A CEDULA 
    CAMPAIGN BEFORE AN ELECTORAL EVENT IS VALID, BUT THE GOV IS 
UNABASHEDLY LINKING CEDULAS TO VOTES FOR CHAVEZ.  IT IS HARD 
FOR THE OPPOSITION TO DENOUNCE THE PROGRAM AT THE RISK OF 
APPEARING TO OPPOSE POOR PEOPLE HAVING IDENTITY CARDS.  WE DO 
NOT BELIEVE CHAVEZ WILL WIN THE REFERENDUM WITH THIS PLAN 
ALONE.  AS THE FIRMAZO DEMONSTRATED, MANY POOR PEOPLE ARE 
CAPABLE OF RECEIVING BENEFITS FROM THE GOV ON THE ONE HAND, 
AND STILL EXPRESS THEMSELVES AGAINST THE GOV.  HOWEVER, GIVEN 
THE POOR'S TENDENCY TO SUPPORT CHAVEZ, THE "CEDULA EXPRESS" 
PROGRAM COULD MEAN NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL NUMBERS OF VOTES FOR 
CHAVEZ ON AUGUST 15. 
SHAPIRO 
 
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      2004CARACA02153 - CONFIDENTIAL