US embassy cable - 04CARACAS3373

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 003373 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, PHUM, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S TRAVEL TO MARACAIBO 
 
Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, 
for Reason 1.4(b). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) The Ambassador visited Maracaibo, Zulia State, October 
26-27, to meet with U.S. organizations, local leaders, and 
the press.  He called on Governor Manuel Rosales, Maracaibo 
Mayor Giancarlo DiMartino, and San Francisco Mayor Saady 
Bijani.  The Ambassador attended a lunch with business 
leaders hosted by Venamcham and a reception hosted by the 
binational center (CEVAZ).  Chevron-Texaco received the 
Ambassador at two of its social development projects, a 
public children's hospital and a boys' orphanage.  The 
Ambassador visited the editorial boards of Maracaibo dailies 
"Panorama" and "La Verdad" and gave several press interviews. 
 There is general optimism that the economy is rebounding in 
Zulia, a state that manifests a historic autonomous streak 
and, to a lesser extent, resistance to President Hugo Chavez. 
 End summary. 
 
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Zulian Politicos See Pains and Progress 
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2. (C) The Ambassador visited Zulia State capital Maracaibo, 
Venezuela's petroleum center and a key enclave of U.S. 
economic and social interests, on October 26-27.  Governor 
Manuel Rosales, who was in the midst of campaigning for 
re-election on October 31, told him the national government 
had given practically no support to his administration, and 
often worked at cross-purposes via Corpozulia, the GOV-run 
development corporation there.  Rosales said the GOV is 
operating under the guise of democracy and is run by people 
"with very different concepts of freedom of expression and 
human rights."  Rosales attributed President Hugo Chavez's 
victory in Zulia during the recall referendum to Colombians, 
some living in Zulia and some in Colombia, who received 
Venezuelan identity cards and were illegally permitted to 
vote.  Rosales also complained that ELN, FARC, and Colombian 
paramilitaries crossed freely into Venezuela, often to buy 
supplies, with the tacit approval of the Venezuelan military. 
 The Ambassador expressed his desire to boost the U.S. 
profile in Zulia using the bi-national center (CEVAZ), the 
Venamcham, and the Maracaibo Consular Agency.  Rosales 
encouraged the Ambassador to bolster relations with Zulia, 
noting possibilities in educational exchanges. 
 
3. (C) Maracaibo Mayor Giancarlo DiMartino, whom Chavez 
endorsed for re-election, recounted the achievements of his 
administration.  He noted that the Maracaibo police force had 
been re-designed via a strategic alliance with the Miami-Dade 
Police in Florida.  DiMartino acknowledged that border crime, 
namely kidnapping and contraband, has grown more serious 
because of Colombian guerrilla and paramilitary groups.  He 
also noted the problems with illicit drug use in Maracaibo, 
including ecstasy.  The Ambassador offered to collaborate on 
counternarcotics matters, including investigation, 
interdiction, and education. 
 
4. (C) The Ambassador met with Saady Bijani, mayor of San 
Francisco (to the south of Maracaibo municipality) and 
president of the Venezuelan Mayors' Association (ADAVE). 
Bijani warned of GOV social programs with Cuban assistance, 
especially the medical program Barrio Adentro.  Bijani 
claimed that each Cuban "doctor" (often nurses, med students, 
or residents) has up to three other Cubans in charge of 
indoctrination of a specific poor neighborhood covered by the 
clinic.  Regarding election fraud, Bijani said that before 
the presidential recall referendum, the GOV added 43,000 new 
voters to his constituency, a 30-pct. increase over the 
150,000 voters previously registered.  Bijani said the GOV 
had done this around the country to make it numerically 
difficult for more than 100 opposition mayors to be 
re-elected.  Bijani also complained that the GOV is 
intentionally cutting off or delaying payments of legally 
entitled revenues to states and municipalities to weaken 
elected officials who oppose Chavez.  The Ambassador assured 
Bijani the USG would continue to stand by its principles of 
supporting democratic institutions and promoting human rights 
in Venezuela. 
 
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Visits To U.S. Organizations 
 
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5. (U) The Maracaibo Committee of the Venezuelan-American 
Chamber of Commerce (Venamcham) hosted a lunch for the 
Ambassador attended by more than 30 U.S. and Venezuelan 
business leaders.  Participants expressed concern about 
kidnappings and other criminal activities of armed groups 
operating on the Colombian border.  The Ambassador 
highlighted the need to break the nexus between the armed 
groups and narco-trafficking, a fundamental tenet of Plan 
Colombia.  At a meeting with the Venezuelan-American Center 
(CEVAZ) board, the Ambassador expressed interest in 
augmenting CEVAZ's activities in Maracaibo and offered to 
help promote the center.  CEVAZ hosted a reception for more 
than 100 ex-pats and community leaders as well.  The 
Ambassador also visited the American school, Escuela Bella 
Vista (EBV), addressing high school and elementary students. 
 
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U.S. Corporate Social Projects 
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6. (U) The Ambassador visited the sites of two social 
development projects sponsored by Chevron-Texaco (CTX).  The 
Pediatriatrics Specialties Hospital is a free public hospital 
operated by Zulia State that CTX helped to complete.  The 
hospital serves hundreds of patients daily, and has modern 
facilities and equipment.  The Ambassador also visited the 
Simon Rodriguez Orphanage, built by CTX and home to more than 
30 orphaned boys.  The Ambassador presented a collection of 
books on American history and culture to the boys.  He 
highlighted corporate social responsibility and the strong 
relationship between the U.S. and Venezuelan people in his 
comments to the press. 
 
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The University of Zulia 
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7. (U) Leonardo Atencio, the recently-elected rector of the 
state-run University of Zulia (LUZ), hosted a lunch for the 
Ambassador.  The Ambassador encouraged Atencio to consider 
increasing cooperation with U.S. universities (student and 
teacher exchanges) and to take advantage of CEVAZ's expertise 
in English language instruction.  The Ambassador also 
highlighted the Fullbright and Cochran fellowship programs as 
opportunities for educational exchange.  Atencio mentioned 
LUZ is in the process of renewing its working agreement with 
CEVAZ and would look for ways to improve upon it. 
 
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Press Interviews 
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8. (C) Esteban Pineda, Director of the Chavez-leaning daily 
"Panorama," told the Ambassador his newspaper made a business 
decision in 2002 not to "act like a political party" and 
oppose Chavez.  Pineda said Chavez has capitalized on a 
long-term social movement though he has had problems 
converting it into a political movement.  Pineda, who also 
heads an important business group in Zulia, said there are 
strong signs that Zulia's economy is improving.  The 
Ambassador also met with Juan Carlos Abudei and Luis Perez, 
editors of "La Verdad," a pro-opposition newspaper founded in 
1998.  Abudei said the paper received a boost in circulation 
when "Panorama" began to support Chavez.  Abudei predicted 
fraud in the October 31 elections, claiming that some 176,000 
Colombians had been illegally registered to vote in Zulia for 
the recall referendum.  Asked his impressions of the Social 
Responsibility in Radio and Television Law, Perez said the 
bill does not currently contemplate print media.  He said, 
however, he fears that once the law is passed, the courts 
could interpret it to apply to newspapers. 
 
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Press Coverage 
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9. (U) The trip generated three days of extensive press 
coverage in both print dailies as well as television and 
radio.  In the press encounters, the Ambassador stayed on 
message about U.S.-Venezuela relations, noting that the USG 
will look to improve cooperation in those areas where we can 
(illegal drugs, terrorism, and energy) and disagree where we 
cannot (democratic institutions, rule of law, human rights, 
etc.).  He refused to be dragged into the debate over 
 
regional elections, saying they are an internal affair for 
Venezuala.  The press took special note of the Ambassador's 
Zulia connection (Maracaibo having been his first diplomatic 
assignment) and of his sense of humor (legendary throughout 
the State of Texas). 
 
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Comment 
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10. (C) The Ambassador was well received by the press and 
public and was able to present U.S. policy goals in Venezuela 
outside of the politicized atmosphere of Caracas.  Zulia has 
a fierce independence streak and, therefore, instinctive 
resentment toward the national government in Caracas.  Though 
the state broke 51-49 in favor of Chavez in the referendum, 
Zulia remains a bastion of opposition to Chavez -- even the 
Chavista candidates have to run as moderates.   There is 
relative optimism in Zulia that the economy is improving. 
Opposition politicians, however, are glum about Chavez's 
apparent abuse of state authority to dismantle political 
resistance in Zulia. 
 
11. (C) Ambassador requested a meeting with Alberto 
Gutierrez, the Chavez-backed candidate for governor, but 
received no response.  Similarly, a request for a meeting 
with senior regional military commander Gen. Wilfredo Silva 
went unanswered, though Post learned informally that Silva's 
commanding officer in Caracas denied permission for the 
meeting. 
Brownfield 
 
 
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      2004CARACA03373 - CONFIDENTIAL