US embassy cable - 04CARACAS2389

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 002389 
 
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: CITIZENS ASSEMBLIES: CIVIL SOCIETY GETS ORGANIZED 
 
 
Classified By: A/DCM ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (d) 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (C)  Venezuela's Asambleas de Ciudadanos (Citizen 
Assemblies), as outlined in Article 70 of the 1999 
Constitution, are a means through which civil society can 
organize itself to address political concerns and attempt to 
establish government accountability.  The opposition's answer 
to President Chavez's grassroots organizing, the Asambleas 
have become a functional component of the Coordinadora 
Democratica's (CD) campaign to recall President Chavez in the 
August 15 referendum.  The Red de Asambleas (Network of 
Assemblies), the central leadership structure for the 
Asambleas de Ciudadanos, is currently working to marshal 
opposition support for the recall referendum.  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
FORM AND FUNCTION 
----------------- 
 
2.  (C)  Article 70 of Venezuela's 1999 Constitution provides 
the legal foundation for the creation of Asambleas de 
Ciudadanos (Citizen Assemblies).  Maxim Ross, editorialist 
for "El Universal" and key founding organizer for the 
Asambleas told poloff July 16 that the Asambleas de 
Ciudadanos were designed to serve as an instrument through 
which civil society could attempt to establish government 
accountability.  Asambleas exist predominantly in the major 
metropolitan areas throughout Venezuela.  There are 
approximately 130 to 150 Asambleas in Caracas.  While there 
are no prerequisite conditions to start an Asamblea de 
Ciudadanos, each Asamblea produces a charter to formalize its 
existence.  An elected coordinator and alternate coordinator 
head each Asamblea.  The general agenda for an Asamblea 
meeting is one hour of comments by guest speakers followed by 
one to two hours of open floor dialogue. 
 
3.  (C)  Thus far, opponents of President Hugo Chavez have 
been the only sector of the population to invoke the 
constitutional right to organize Asambleas de Ciudadanos. 
Irene Romanchuck, the Red de Asambleas representatives to the 
Coordinadora Democratica (CD), told poloff July 22 that the 
Asambleas are the opposition's counterpart to Chavez's 
Circulos Bolivarianos and grassroots organizing.  While 
Asambleas are political entities, they are not dominated by 
any one political party.  The Asambleas organized 
mobilization campaigns for the opposition signature drive and 
the appeals process, and are currently working to marshal 
electoral participation for the August 15 recall referendum. 
 
---------------- 
RED DE ASAMBLEAS 
---------------- 
 
4.  (C)  The Red de Asambleas (Network of Assemblies) is the 
central leadership structure for the Asambleas, and is 
comprised of the coordinators from each of the Asambleas. 
The Red meets weekly and collectively works to set the 
thematic agenda of the individual Asamblea meetings.  The Red 
serves as an intermediary between civil society and the CD 
and the government.  The Red has one official representative 
in the leadership structure of the CD.  Maxim Ross told 
poloff that the Red also has lobbied members of the National 
Assembly on behalf of civil society to protest the new 
organic law governing Venezuela's Supreme Court. 
 
-------------------- 
ASAMBLEAS AND THE CD 
-------------------- 
 
5.  (C)  The relationship between the CD and the Asambleas de 
Ciudadanos is strong but unbalanced.  Irene Romanchuck told 
poloff that the Coordinadora Democratica continuously uses 
the Asambleas as an audience for opposition leaders and a 
forum to disseminate information and propaganda, but does not 
permit the Asambleas representation to have a voice in 
 
opposition's campaign agenda.  Romanchuck also commented that 
the Asambleas are committed to opposition's campaign to 
recall President Chavez, but tensions exist between the Red 
de Asambleas and the leadership of the CD. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6.  (C)  The Asambleas are valuable to the CD as a means to 
publicize and generate grassroots support for its campaign to 
recall Chavez.  While the Asambleas tend to only attract 
those individuals who were already faithful to the 
opposition's agenda, they are still provide a legion of 
willing volunteers who will take the campaign to the streets 
to rally participation for the recall effort. 
McFarland 
 
 
NNNN 
      2004CARACA02389 - CONFIDENTIAL