US embassy cable - 04CARACAS3892

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 003892 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PHUM, VE 
SUBJECT: TACHIRA STATE: VISIT TO THE VENEZUELAN BORDER 
 
 
Classified By: A/DCM Abelardo A. Arias for Reason 1.4(d) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Representatives of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) working near Venezuela's 
border with Colombia described the refugee situation as a 
growing political problem, particularly in the face of 
increasing security concerns on the border, during Poloffs 
visit to Tachira State December 13.  The director of the 
office of the Human Rights Ombudsman in Tachira State also 
told Poloff that gaining cooperation from other government 
agencies to assist refugees hampered by security concerns. 
There has been good response on necessities, she said, but 
the legal system lags behind.  End Summary. 
 
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Conditions of a Refugee Town 
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2. (C) Poloff visited a Colombian immigrant town of 6,000 to 
8,000 people close to the Venezuelan border town of Urena 
December 13.  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) field worker Marisol Suarez introduced Poloff to five 
Colombian women living in the town, at least four of whom 
were seeking refugee status.  Living conditions varied from 
brick shanties to wood and plastic bag constructions, 
depending on the length of time a family had been there. 
Some had arrived as recently as three months ago, while 
others had more than four years living there.  Two of the 
women's homes had provisionary water collection tanks, one 
had unreliable electricity. 
 
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UNHCR: Refugees and Security 
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3. (C) UNHCR field officer Markku Aikomus said that as of 
December 13, almost 3,800 Colombians had requested refugee 
status in Venezuela, and approximately 1,500 of those were in 
Tachira.  Aikomus said that traditionally most Colombians 
crossing the border came in small groups and assimilated into 
the local population, so only three or four towns like Urena 
existed in Tachira.  In the face of growing security concerns 
on the border, Aikomus said, police and National Guard 
authorities are becoming increasingly suspicious of 
Colombians, alleging that many are guerrilla or paramilitary. 
 Aikomus conceded it is hard to distinguish between genuine 
refugees and irregular forces.  He pointed out the 
inconsistency between the authorities alleged concern about 
who was coming across the border and the GOV,s lack of 
funding and focus on identifying individuals crossing the 
border. 
 
4. (C) Aikomus also reiterated concern, expressed by UNHCR 
regional representative Maria Virginia Trimarco in early 
December, about the radio statement made by the General in 
charge of the Theater of Operations in Apure State where he 
linked UNHCR activities to the CIA.  Aikomus said if the 
rumor became widespread, it could effect both the security of 
UNHCR's employees and its ability to do its job. 
 
5. (C) Aikomus asserted that he had seen a notable 
deterioration in the security situation on the border and an 
increased presence of paramilitary forces in the past year. 
Aikomus said he feared a backlash in the Venezuelan community 
that has traditionally been accepting and helpful towards 
refugees and Colombians crossing the border.  Aikomus said 
some Venezuelans worried about the deteriorating security 
situation are linking the Colombians to pro- or anti- GOV 
efforts.  Aikomus said some Venezuelans blame President Hugo 
Chavez's alleged affiliation with the FARC for his ignoring 
the deteriorating security situation on the border. Others, 
he said, blame the U.S. backing of Colombian security forces 
for pushing the conflict into Venezuela.  Others still blame 
the Colombian population directly for helping President 
Chavez defeat the opposition in the August 15 referendum. 
 
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Caritas 
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6. (U) Mercedes Ascano, the Caritas field office director in 
San Cristobal told Poloff that about 70% of the people 
 
Caritas helps in Tachira State were on the border, while 30% 
were dispersed throughout local communities in the interior 
of the state.  While security is a concern for Caritas 
workers, Ascano said she felt protected by the people Caritas 
helps.  After two years in the field, Ascano said the 
relationship with the National Guard and police had improved 
because Caritas was becoming more recognizable.  Ascano 
asserted that of the approximately 300 refugee cases that 
have been adjudicated in 2004, all the applicants were from 
Caracas where the National Refugee Commission headquarters is 
located, or from Tachira State where the GOV,s local refugee 
Technical Secretariat office accepts applications.  She 
lamented that the Technical Secretariat refugee field offices 
that were supposed to open in bordering Apure and Zulia 
State, where almost 60% of the refugee applications come 
from, were still conceptual rather than a reality. 
 
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Defensoria: Defending People's Rights 
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7. (C) Ilia Medina, the director of the Human Rights 
Ombudmans (Defensoria del Pueblo) in Tachira State, told 
Poloff December 14 that gaining cooperation from other 
government agencies to assist refugees was slow, but that 
that was to be expected because the work was long-term. 
Medina claimed that the most progress had been made in the 
areas of water, electricity and transportation.  The 
prosecutor's office, the judges and the court system, she 
said, were the most resistant to the Defensoria,s 
intervention and requests for information.  The deteriorating 
security situation in Tachira made the job more difficult 
because employees never knew who the person they were 
requesting information or an accounting from was associated 
with (guerrilla, paramilitaries). 
 
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Comment 
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8. (C) Security was a consistent topic of conversation in 
each meeting.  While the refugee workers did not cite 
incidents, the atmosphere of uncertainty makes their work 
more difficult.  The clearest sign of progress is that the 
GOV has adjudicated nearly 10% of the requests for refugee 
status; progress that exacerbation of the security situation 
on the border could easily stymie. 
Brownfield 
 
 
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      2004CARACA03892 - CONFIDENTIAL