US embassy cable - 05CARACAS2258

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 002258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA AND NSC SHANNON FROM BROWNFIELD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2010 
TAGS: PREL 
SUBJECT: THE CHURCH (FINALLY) STIRS IN VENEZUELA 
 
REF: CARACAS 02206 
 
Classified By: WILLIAM R. BROWNFIELD FOR REASON 1.4 (d) 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  See Para. 8. 
 
2. (C) SUMMARY.  After a year of relative silence, the 
Venezuelan Church has come alive in challenging President 
Hugo Chavez's authoritarian tendencies.  Chavez has 
counterattacked viciously.  The Vatican in-country 
representatives are not supporting the Venezuelan Church,s 
recent activism.  We need allies here in Venezuela, and the 
Church may be the best possible choice for reaching out to 
the poor communities.  Ambassador recommends that we reach 
out to the Church leadership in the Vatican, the Papal Nuncio 
in Washington, and the U.S. Church leadership to urge public 
and clear support for the Venezuelan Church in their 
challenge to Chavez.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (C) After several years as a strong player in Venezuela,s 
Chavez drama, the Catholic Church refrained from active 
engagement through most of 2004 and 2005.  Church leaders 
made few political pronouncements, and their engagement with 
us was low key.  The Church,s silence was probably driven by 
three factors: 
 
-     Desire to tone down the rhetoric and explore a modus 
vivendi following Chavez, August 2004 recall referendum 
victory. 
-     Concern that Chavez was undercutting Church control of 
its own institutions by inserting revolutionary 
representatives in their schools and social programs. 
-     Desire to name a new Archbishop of Caracas, 
traditionally the senior prelate in Venezuela, over whose 
naming Chavez holds a veto under the Vatican-Venezuela 
Concordat of 1964. 
 
4. (C) Embassy policy over the past year has been to engage 
the Church as far as they are willing, but low key in 
deference to their sensitivities.  USAID has supported 
Catholic schools, orphanages, senior centers, day care, 
street children and health centers.  I have visited as many 
as possible on my in-country travel, emphasizing our desire 
to support and work with the Church in poor communities.  I 
met quietly with Archbishop Baltazar Porras of Merida (head 
of the Episcopal Conference) and other senior prelates 
several times.  I emphasized our willingness to support them 
with a positive message of outreach to the Venezuelan poor. 
 
5. (C) The former Vatican representative in Venezuela, Mons. 
Dupuy (French), was tougher on Chavez than was the Venezuelan 
Church.  As Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the Nuncio made no 
effort to conceal his skepticism about Chavez, authoritarian 
tendencies, infuriating Chavez by reading at one diplomatic 
event a letter lightly suggesting some concerns.  Dupuy 
departed Caracas in April 2005. 
 
6. (C) The Church came to life in June.  Archbishop Porras 
told me in May that he was going to be more open in his 
criticism of Chavez when he crossed democracy red lines, and 
he has been good to his word.  Chavez supporters responded 
graciously by suggesting he had stolen Church funds and 
should be prosecuted.  Retired Cardinal Rosalio Castillo Lara 
unloaded on Chavez authoritarian tendencies in early July 
(reftel).  Chavez responded that he was a demon who should be 
sent to Hell.  Other senior Church leaders (as well as 
opposition leaders and the press) came to the Cardinal,s 
defense. 
 
7. (C) After more than a year biding their time, the Church 
has come to life in Venezuela.  Paradoxically, the Vatican 
representatives are moving in the opposite direction.  The 
new Nuncio, who has been at post for three months and 
presented credentials, has offered no public comment in 
defense of the national Church leadership.  His deputy 
(please protect) tells us that he arrived with instructions 
to normalize relations with Chavez.  The Nuncio has not 
responded to my three invitations for a low profile meeting, 
a clear sign that he is nervous about annoying Chavez. 
Wealthy businessman and philanthropist Alberto Vollmer 
(protect) told me last week that he brought a message to 
Chavez from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano 
in May that the Vatican had withdrawn their previous Nuncio, 
refrained from critical commentary; and proposed 
noncontroversial Archbishop of Valencia Jorge Urosa Savinoas 
the new Archbishop of Caracas; they now wanted Chavez, 
concurrence.  To be fair, Vollmer said his message also 
carried an implied threat that the Vatican would abrogate the 
Concordat and name the Archbishop unilaterally if Chavez did 
not soon agree. 
 
8. (C) At risk of belaboring the obvious, we could use some 
allies down here.  The opposition parties are in disarray, 
 
organized labor and business are intimidated, the NGO,s are 
nervous, and the media very careful.  The Church is perhaps 
the only institution in Venezuela today that can take on 
Chavez head-to-head in the poor communities that represent 
his political base.  I do not want to wrap the Church in a 
giant, public U.S. Government hug.  I do not want to push 
them into a negative posture, or go further in challenging 
Chavez than they are comfortable going.  But I want to make 
clear to them here, in Washington, and in the Vatican that 
they are not alone, and we will support them.  I suggest 
three steps we can take right now: 
 
-     First, reach out directly to senior Church leadership 
in the Vatican at the highest possible level.  Emphasize that 
the GOV is showing many of the same signals to the Church 
today that Cuba showed in the 1960,s.  It is in the 
Vatican,s interest to take clear, objective positions on 
democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, and respect for 
the Church.  We are not suggesting that the Vatican get out 
in front of the Venezuelan Church, only that it support them. 
 
-     Second, reach out to the Papal Nuncio in Washington at 
the highest possible level.  Same message. 
 
-     Third, engage the U.S. Church hierarchy.  Archbishop 
Porras is a good friend of the Archbishop of Washington.  If 
the Venezuelan Church is going to take on the Chavez project, 
they must be certain they have support from the Vatican and 
other national Church leaderships.  The U.S. Church is a good 
place to start.  A robust exchange program and some U.S. 
missions to Venezuela would be a good way to do it. 
Brownfield 
 
 
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      2005CARACA02258 - CONFIDENTIAL