US embassy cable - 05CARACAS2371

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 002371 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, VE 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH EVANGELICAL COUNCIL LEADER 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JOHN CREAMER FOR REASONS 1.4 (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) The Ambassador met with Evangelical Council (CEV) 
leader Samuel Olson (dual national AmCit) July 29.  Olson 
told the Ambassador the CEV was beginning to emerge as a 
public voice, and that plans were underway to 
institutionalize this development.  Olson said that after 
years of operating under the political radar, Evangelicals 
felt compelled to speak out because recent GOV legislation 
threatened their organization. He classified the CEV's recent 
stand against the National Assembly's move to decriminalize 
abortion as a success and said it was the first time the CEV 
had spoken out on a political issue.  The council was equally 
concerned by the proposed Education Law and the Law of 
Religions; the CEV was reaching out behind the scenes to make 
its opQion known to the GOV.  The Ambassador encouraged the 
CEV's nascent political activism and offered the Embassy's 
support on social projects. Olson welcomed Embassy 
involvement with Evangelical community outreach partners, and 
provided suggestions for getting a positive U.S. social 
message out to a broader audience.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) Olson told the Ambassador that the Evangelicals had 
become a stronger public voice over the last few years.  He 
classified the CEV's recent stand against the 
decriminalization of abortion as the first time the 
Evangelicals had spoken out on a political issue, and 
described council opposition to the measure as a 
confidence-builder for future activity.  He said the CEV had 
distributed a document outlining its opposition to 
decriminalization to political deputies, and had hosted a 
conference at which two MVR deputies spoke.  Olson told the 
Ambassador that the council had decided to decentralize its 
control over organization communications to encourage future 
involvement, and was creating regional alliance chapters to 
speak out on local issues.  Olson said that 22 local alliance 
chapters currently existed in the country, and estimated that 
this number would increase to approximately 40 chapters by 
the year's end. 
 
3. (C) Olson said Chavez's message of anti-corruption and 
concern for the poor resonated deeply with Evangelicals. 
Many still believed in the "dream", even as reality about 
Chavez set in.  He noted that the poor were learning how to 
access the GOV's largesse in the barrios to help themselves 
temporarily, even if Chavez's economics would not flatten 
social inequity over the long-term.  An Evangelical community 
activist had recently been given a large warehouse to build 
an indigent center by the Mayor of Caracas Freddy Bernal.  He 
said that many Evangelicals were becoming more indebted to 
the new system, despite emerging doubts about Chavez's 
long-term goals. 
 
4. (C) Olson said past political failures, including a failed 
political party, made many Evangelicals wary of taking on a 
larger political role. Evangelicals who reached out to the 
GOV as intermediaries lacked a strong Evangelical support 
base and could not credibly claim to speak on behalf of the 
community.  Still, he noted a shift in the community's 
willingness to let organization leaders speak out on 
political issues.  He also noted that the potential adverse 
impact of GOV legislation on education and religion on 
Evangelical institutions was spurring greater Evangelical 
political activism. 
 
5. (C) Olson told the Ambassador the Education Law would do 
away with theological education in the country by prohibiting 
the existence of educational institutions.  According to 
Olson, this law would impact the Catholic church as well 
because it eliminated seminaries. He said the Education Law 
would also do away with a Ministry of Education agreement 
which allows volunteers to teach Christian values in schools. 
Olson said the CEV was heavily invested in this program and 
had approximately 4,000 volunteers trained to participate. 
Olson told the Ambassador that the immediate fallout from the 
Law of Religions was not as serious, but noted that it could 
be used to create a council of religions such as exists in 
Cuba. 
 
6. (C) Olson outlined a behind the scenes communications 
 
strategy for approaching GOV leaders on legislation.  He said 
the CEV wanted to stay out of the public eye as much as 
possible so as to appear "unthreatening."  The council would 
try to reach out to the GOV as much as possible behind closed 
doors.  The Ambassador emphasized the importance of religious 
institutions as a counterbalance to the GOV, and encouraged 
the CEV's nascent political initiative.  He offered Embassy 
support for Evangelical social projects. 
 
7. (C) Olson welcomed Embassy support for community outreach 
projects run by Evangelical partners, and offered suggestions 
for getting a positive U.S. social message out to a broader 
audience.  Olson classified the U.S. message highlighting 
support for social projects as "strong and meaningful." 
However, he listed the public's suspicion of underlying U.S. 
motives as well as the difficulty of reaching the bulk of the 
population which relies on word of mouth for information as 
two obstacles to conveying this message.  Olson suggested 
bigger, more impactful projects and Ambassadorial surprise 
visits to community outreaches as two potential means of 
overcoming these obstacles. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8. (C) The CEV's willingness to play a more political role is 
a positive step.  Still, the organization's overall impact as 
an opposition voice will be limited by its desire to keep a 
low profile and its inherent vulnerability to GOV pressure. 
The council is fragmented by competing internal groups and 
lacks a strong international support system.  Still, the 
Evangelicals represent a sizable, growing percentage of the 
Venezuelan population and their emerging political 
involvement should be encouraged.  Post will continue to 
reach out and foster Evangelical initiatives in the political 
sphere. 
 
9. (C) AMBASSADOR'S COMMENT. Right now, the Catholic Church 
and the Evangelical movement are probably the only two 
institutions capable of challenging Chavez in his political 
base of the poor.  The Catholic Church has less credibility, 
but is better organized.  The Evangelicals are growing in the 
poor neighborhoods, but are less organized and uncertain 
about their political role.  Both are key institutions.  We 
have to work with them if we want to penetrate Chavez' 
political support base. 
Brownfield 
 
 
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      2005CARACA02371 - CONFIDENTIAL