US embassy cable - 05CARACAS1485

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: PREL, VE 
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ'S BRIEF CHARM OFFENSIVE 
 
Classified By: Eric Geelan, Acting Political Counselor, 
for Reason 1.4(d) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (U) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaking May 4 and 
Vice-President Jose Vincente Rangel speaking May 2 each made 
statements calling for a "constructive" relationship with the 
U.S. Rangel spoke in response to Brazilian President Luiz 
Lula de Silva's April 29 call for better U.S.-Venezuelan 
relations, and Chavez responded to Assistant Secretary of 
State Roger Noriega's comments concerning Venezuela at the 
35th conference of the Council of the Americas. However, 
Chavez's and Rangel's remarks this week concerning the U.S. 
as a "terrorist state" and "U.S. imperialism" signal the end 
of last week's short-lived charm offensive. End Summary. 
 
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Charm Offensive 
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2. (U) Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel 
initiated last week's charm offensive May 2 stating that 
Venezuela's political differences with Washington could be 
discussed "the same way that Washington discusses its 
differences with France, Russia or Japan." Speaking with 
Spanish news agency Efe in response to Lula's April 29 
statements that Venezuela and the U.S. "need one another", 
Rangel pointed to Venezuela's "excellent" cooperation with 
the U.S. on terrorism and counter-narcotics. Rangel also 
described Secretary of State Rice as "an intelligent woman" 
who he hoped would "pick up the new signals of Latin America." 
 
3. (U) A/S Noriega's remarks at the Council of the Americas 
met with a positive response from Venezuelan President Chavez 
during a May 4 national broadcast. Referring to A/S Noriega 
by name, Chavez stated that this was "the first time since I 
have known him that (Noriega) has been decent to Venezuela." 
Chavez later stated that he hoped A/S Noriega's statements 
were true and said that Venezuela "was still open to a 
constructive relationship with (the U.S.)... We do not want a 
war with the United States."  Chavez's remarks to the press 
were similarly positive, stating that "(The U.S.) wants a 
healthy and constructive relationship" and that, "we also 
want that type of relation." 
 
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Charm Over 
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4. (U) Rangel's remarks accusing the U.S. of harboring "a 
terrorist of the likes of Posada Carriles" signaled the end 
of last week's short-lived charm offensive. In statements 
published May 9, Rangel accused the U.S. of acting like a 
"terrorist state" when it "invades countries and attacks 
entire peoples." From the South American-Arab Summit in 
Brazil, Chavez also went on the attack, stating May 10 that 
Washington wants to "control the world" and is attempting to 
"oblige us at canon point to accept its model." 
 
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Comment 
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5. (C) This brief charm offensive shows Lula's influence on 
Chavez, who was forced to respond to Lula's call to lower the 
rhetoric. Given Rangel's and Chavez's latest remarks however, 
it appears that charm has once again been replaced by 
bravado. 
McFarland 
 
 
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      2005CARACA01485 - CONFIDENTIAL