US embassy cable - 05MOSCOW8915

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 008915 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, VE, RS 
SUBJECT: RUSSIA UNCONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY IN VENEZUELA 
 
REF: STATE 117165 
 
Classified By: MINISTER-COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
KIRK AUGUSTINE. REASONS: 1.4(B/D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The GOR shares none of the concerns 
outlined in reftel regarding current political trends in 
Venezuela.  Unless events in Caracas take a major turn for 
the worse, the GOR is unlikely to do anything that might 
jeopardize this incipient -- if still marginal -- 
relationship.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) On July 20, poloff delivered reftel demarche to MFA 
Latin America specialist Dmitriy Yakushev, leaving talking 
points behind as a non-paper.  When asked about his 
government's views on the threats to democracy in Venezuela, 
Yakushev focused on last year's presidential recall 
referendum, asserting it had passed muster with both the 
Organization of American States and the Carter Center.  He 
said Chavez continued to govern within the provisions of the 
current constitution and according to "democratic norms." 
 
3.  (C) With respect to Venezuela's military expansion and 
arms purchases, Yakushev said that the GOR views Venezuela's 
creation of a 2.5 million man militia as an internal matter, 
adding wryly that President Chavez has stated that he fears a 
U.S. invasion and that the contemplated militia was intended 
only to defend the country against external aggression. 
Turning to Venezuela's arms acquisitions, he said Russia was 
entirely within its rights to sell Venezuela 100,000 
Kalashnikov rifles, noting that Venezuela was neither a 
current participant in an armed conflict, nor subject to a UN 
arms embargo.  He insisted that the deal was transparent and 
said Venezuela's neighbors did not seem particularly 
concerned.  He did not mention other possible arms deals 
between the two countries. 
 
4.  (C) Yakushev said he was unaware of any evidence 
supporting the contention that the GOV permits foreign 
terrorist groups to operate within its territory or that it 
is supporting efforts to destabilize its neighbors.  He said 
the GOR was not unduly concerned about setbacks to the GOV's 
counter-narcotics policies. 
 
5.  (C) There are currently no concrete plans, Yakushev said, 
for a high-level visit by officials of either country to the 
other.  (Note: Chavez last visited Putin in Moscow in 
November 2004, his third visit to Moscow since 2001.  End 
note.)  However, the two governments have been discussing the 
possibility of scheduling later this year a session of their 
inter-governmental commission on economic and commercial 
relations, which is headed by a Russian Deputy PM and 
Venezuela's Vice President.  Such a meeting remains tentative. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  The GOR sees Venezuela as a cash-flush and 
eager customer for Russian munitions, a possible partner for 
Russian companies in the development of energy resources, and 
an additional voice intoning the mantra of a "multi-polar 
world."  Seen through a Russian prism, trends in Caracas do 
not represent a cause for concern.  Unless the situation in 
Caracas deteriorates to such an extent that maintaining close 
relations with Chavez carries significant international 
opprobrium, our concerns about developments there will likely 
fall on deaf ears in Moscow. 
 
 
VERSHBOW