US embassy cable - 05CARACAS90

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON 
HQ USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, KIRF, VE 
SUBJECT: ARCHBISHOP URGES MORE USG CRITICISM OF CHAVEZ 
 
Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor, 
for Reasons 1.4(b). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Venezuelan Archbishop Baltazar Porras, head of the 
council of Catholic bishops of Venezuela, told Ambassador 
January 6 the USG ought to be more outspoken in its criticism 
of Hugo Chavez.  Porras urged more international community 
involvement to contain Chavez's regional aspirations, though 
he admitted that political will to do so is minimal.  He 
asserted that Chavez will continue to dismantle democratic 
civil society such as organized labor, the business sector, 
and the church.  The Archbishop lamented the GOV's subtle 
campaign to sideline the church from its traditional work in 
poor neighborhoods, the educational system, and the military. 
 End Summary. 
 
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Senior Church Leader Urges Engagement, Containment 
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2. (C) At the invitation of the Papal Nuncio, the Ambassador 
attended a lunch on January 6 with Baltazar Porras, 
Archbishop of Merida and head of the Venezuela Council of 
Bishops (CEV).  Porras, one of President Hugo Chavez's 
strongest public critics, told the Ambassador that there is 
widespread perception among the opposition that the USG 
softened its message against Chavez after the August 2004 
referendum because of energy interests.  Porras suggested 
that the USG be more clear and public in its criticism of the 
Chavez administration. 
 
3. (C) Porras said the international community also needs to 
work and speak out more to contain Chavez and the export of 
his revolution.  Porras said most regional governments have 
deferred to Brazilian President Ignacio "Lula" da Silva to 
handle Chavez because the two share leftist ideologies.  Lula 
has been unwilling to engage, however, which has stymied 
regional efforts to contain Chavez, the Archbishop asserted. 
Porras said the Europeans have been just as weak on Chavez, 
especially since the departure of Spanish President Jose 
Maria Aznar.  The Archbishop said that both Latin America and 
Europe need strong leadership from the USG. 
 
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Fighting Chavez Long Term 
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4. (C) Porras described Chavez as a "long-term problem."  He 
said Chavez will continue to dismantle civil society groups 
necessary to foster democratic rule:  organized labor, the 
independent press, the business community, and the church. 
The Archbishop cited as an example the GOV efforts to 
penetrate the Catholic school system in Merida.  GOV 
officials insisted that the Catholics accept "community 
representatives" on their school boards, and once accepted 
these individuals began to push revolutionary "reforms." 
Porras also noted reduced contacts with the military, which 
had traditionally invited him to change of command ceremonies 
but had not done so in more than three years. 
 
5. (C) Porras offered to facilitate any USG efforts at the 
community level to demonstrate that non-GOV entities -- the 
church, the private sector, etc. -- can have a positive 
impact on Venezuela's poor.  He welcomed USG visits to church 
social programs in poor neighborhoods.  Porras warned that 
the longer the USG waits, the more successful GOV will be at 
undermining traditional democratic organizations.  He 
acknowledged an inherent conflict in his own analysis: 
Chavez is a long-term problem but the longer it takes to 
address, the stronger he becomes. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) Porras and the rest of the Catholic leadership have 
kept low profiles since the referendum, the results of which 
they grudgingly accepted.  Chavez has targeted the church, 
especially its leadership, which he sees as an ally of the 
previous political regime.  Chavez has a long-running 
conflict as well with Porras, who was among the first to 
accuse Chavez of authoritarian tendencies.  Rivalries aside, 
Porras is in touch with current domestic and international 
thought on Venezuela.  The Catholic social projects Porras 
seeks to promote, while not on the scale of the GOV's 
"missions," do have a history of solidarity with Venezuela's 
poor that is not so easily undone, despite Chavez's efforts. 
 
Brownfield