US embassy cable - 04CARACAS2200

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 002200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
HQ USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, VE 
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ'S FORMER PARTNER DISCUSSES THE DEVELOPMENT 
OF HIS POLITICS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) HERMA MARKSMAN, CHAVEZ'S FORMER COMMON-LAW WIFE FROM 
1984-1993, SPOKE TO POLOFFS ON JULY 1 ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT 
OF CHAVEZ'S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.  SHE CLAIMS THAT CHAVEZ WAS 
INFLUENCED BY 1960'S GUERRILLAS.  MARKSMAN DISAGREED WITH THE 
OPPOSITION'S PORTRAYAL OF CHAVEZ AS AN IDIOT AND WARNED THAT 
HE IS A DETERMINED MAN WHO TRUSTS FEW PEOPLE.  WHILE WE 
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF HER INFORMATION MAY BE BIASED, WE 
THOUGHT WASHINGTON MAY APPRECIATE AN INSIGHT INTO CHAVEZ FROM 
SOMEONE WHO KNEW HIM INTIMATELY BEFORE HE ENTERED THE 
NATIONAL STAGE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
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ROOTS OF CHAVEZ'S BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION 
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2.  (C) HERMA MARKSMAN, A HISTORY PROFESSOR AND CHAVEZ'S 
    FORMER COMMON-LAW WIFE, DISCUSSED HOW CHAVEZ ARRIVED TO HIS 
CURRENT POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY.  (NOTE:  COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE IS 
A WIDESPREAD PRACTICE IN VENEZUELA.)  AS A POOR CHILD GROWING 
UP IN THE RURAL STATE OF BARINAS, MARKSMAN ALLEGES CHAVEZ WAS 
INFLUENCED BY A TEACHER, WHO ADMIRED FIDEL CASTRO AND CHE 
GUEVARA.  SHE CLAIMS THAT CHAVEZ WAS AMBITIOUS FROM AN EARLY 
AGE AND EVEN THOUGHT OF RUNNING THE COUNTRY AS A 20 YEAR-OLD. 
 
 
3.  (C) AS A JUNIOR OFFICER, CHAVEZ SOON FELL UNDER THE 
INFLUENCE OF DOUGLAS BRAVO, A FORMER COMMUNIST AND GUERRILLA 
LEADER DURING THE 1960S.  CHAVEZ'S BROTHER, ADAN, PLAYED A 
KEY ROLE IN INTRODUCING CHAVEZ TO BRAVO, ACCORDING TO LOCAL 
PRESS REPORTS.  MARKSMAN STATED THAT IT WAS BRAVO, NOT 
CHAVEZ, WHO DEVELOPED THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BOLIVARIAN 
REVOLUTION, WHICH IS ROOTED IN THE WORKS OF SIMON RODRIGUEZ, 
SIMON BOLIVAR, AND EZEQUIEL ZAMORA.  BRAVO'S MOVEMENT 
STRESSED THE NEED FOR CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION TO IMPLEMENT 
THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION.  WHILE CHAVEZ BROKE WITH BRAVO IN 
1986, HE MAINTAINED BRAVO'S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, WHICH PLAYED 
A KEY ROLE IN CHAVEZ'S FAILED COUP IN 1992.  MARKSMAN ALLUDED 
TO THE FAILED COUP--WHICH SHE HAS PUBLICLY CRITICIZED--AS A 
CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HER ENDING THE RELATIONSHIP, THOUGH 
SHE DID NOT DIRECTLY STATE THE REASON FOR ENDING THE AFFAIR 
WITH CHAVEZ. 
 
 
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CHAVEZ IS NOBODY'S FOOL 
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    4. (C) THROUGHOUT HER MEETING WITH POLOFFS, MARKSMAN ASSERTED 
THAT CHAVEZ SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED.  SHE DESCRIBED THE 
PRESIDENT AS AN EXCELLENT STORYTELLER, WHO OFTEN 
CHARACTERIZES HIS OPPONENTS AS DEVILS, WHICH IS A POWERFUL 
RELIGIOUS SYMBOL AMONG THE POOR.  WHILE THE EDUCATED CLASS 
MAY SCOFF AT CHAVEZ'S FIVE-HOUR TELEVISION BROADCASTS, 
MARKSMAN CLAIMED THAT THE POOR BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS 
INTERESTED IN THEIR ISSUES.  SHE ALSO STATED THAT CHAVEZ IS 
FOCUSED ON HIS GOAL OF TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY AND IS 
WILLING TO WIN AT ANY COSTS.  CHAVEZ WOULD ONLY HAVE AGREED 
TO THE PRESIDENTIAL RECALL REFERENDUM IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD 
WIN, ACCORDING TO MARKSMAN. 
 
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CHAVEZ'S INNER CIRCLE 
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5. (C) MARKSMAN STATED THAT CHAVEZ IS LOYAL TO NO ONE AND 
DOES NOT HAVE TRUE FRIENDS.  IF HE HAS A PROBLEM, HE WILL 
ONLY CONFIDE IN HIS BROTHER, ADAN, WHOM SHE CHARACTERIZED AS 
A COMMUNIST, AND CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO.  SHE ALLEGED THAT 
 
CARACAS 00002200  002 OF 002 
 
OUPS IN LATIN AMERICA.  SHE 
STATED THAT CHAVEZ DOES HAVE SEVERAL OF ADAN'S FRIENDS IN 
GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING GUILLERMO GARCIA PONCE--A POLITICAL 
ADVISER TO CHAVEZ, MEMBER OF THE DEFUNCT POLITICAL 
PARTICIPATION COMMISSION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL, 
EDITOR OF VEA NEWSPAPER, AND COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIAL. 
 
6.  (C) SHE LISTED SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHOM SHE CONSIDERED TO 
BE THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING DIOSDADO 
CABELLO (FORMER INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER, NATIONAL LOGISTICS 
COORDINATOR FOR THE COMANDO MAISANTA AND GUBERNATORIAL 
CANDIDATE FOR MIRANDA STATE); AND ELIECER OTAIZA (FORMER 
DIRECTOR OF CIVILIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, DISIP, AND THE 
CURRENT DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATIVE 
EDUCATION, INCE).  AS CHIEF OF INCE, OTAIZA HAS RUN VARIOUS 
"MISSION" PROGRAMS, ACCORDING TO MARKSMAN.  SHE ALSO 
MENTIONED WILLIAM IZARRA, DIRECTOR OF IDEOLOGY FOR THE 
COMANDO MAISANTA, JESSE CHACON, COMMUNICATIONS AND 
INFORMATION MINISTER, AND RONALDO BLANCO LA CRUZ, GOVERNOR OF 
TACHIRA STATE. 
 
 
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COMMENT 
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7. (C) WHILE MARKSMAN'S STATEMENTS MAY BE BIASED, SHE DOES 
OFFER A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE INTO THE CURRENT PRESIDENT.  HER 
CHARACTERIZATION OF CHAVEZ AS AN AMBITIOUS, DETERMINED MAN 
CONTRASTS WITH THE OPPOSITION'S PORTRAYAL OF HIM AT TIMES AS 
A BUFFOON.  CHAVEZ'S UNWILLINGNESS TO TRUST OTHERS, HOWEVER, 
LIKELY CONTRIBUTES TO HIS GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE IN EXECUTING 
MANY OF HIS INITIATIVES. 
MCFARLAND 
 
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      2004CARACA02200 - CONFIDENTIAL