US embassy cable - 04CARACAS3273

UNCLAS CARACAS 003273 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA LEBENS/BANKS/PROCTOR, WHA/PPC GALLEGOS, 
WHA/AND CUE/COLLINS, IIP/SC/IPI TLEVENTHAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PGOV, OPRC, PROP, VE 
SUBJECT: LEAD EDITORIAL IN PRO-CHAVEZ DAILY ATTACKS `FRAUD' 
IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. The lead editorial in the 10/22 edition of very pro- 
Chavez daily DIARIO VEA, signed by editor Guillermo Garcia 
Ponce, accused the followers of President Bush of having 
committed massive voter fraud in Florida in 2000.  It says 
that the close 2004 race is raising fears that the Bush 
campaign will do it again.   END SUMMARY. 
 
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HEADLINE AND FULL TEXT 
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2. DIARIO VEA (pro-government, circ. 25,000) 
10/22 lead editorial headline: "The Robbery of the Century" 
 
Selected Quotes: "George Bush's fall in the opinion 
polls.has created a fear among many American that the 
rightist-fundamentalists will put into effect new 
machinations in order to repeat the election fraud of 
November 7, 2000.  That was no fraud but rather a scandalous 
robbery.  Bush's friends paid to have all voters `suspected' 
of having a criminal record scrubbed from the voter list in 
Florida.  At one stroke George Bush's brother, Jeb Bush, the 
governor of Florida, eliminated thousands of Democratic 
Party voters, 173,000 to be exact.  Among these were those 
who had already completed their sentences or who had 
committed crimes such as illegal parking or marijuana 
possession. 
"Al Gore, the Democratic candidate, lost his advantage due 
to the cheating and falsifications carried out by George W. 
Bush.. Significant bribes financed by large corporations 
cleared the way for the occupation of the White House by the 
interests of the American ultra-right and their policy of 
`permanent war.' 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. The Chavez administration and the Chavistas have been 
stung by the continuous opposition claims of fraud in the 
August 15 referendum and the opposition's belief that the 
October 31 regional elections will be marred by fraud.  This 
editorial is making the concealed point that the United 
States is in no position to judge voter fraud in Venezuela. 
In his most recent "Alo Presidente" TV program, Venezuelan 
President Hugo Chavez said "the people of the United States 
will decide [the presidential elections], at least I hope 
that it will be the people of the United States that 
decide."    End Comment. 
 
 
Brownfield 
 
 
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      2004CARACA03273 - UNCLASSIFIED