US embassy cable - 99CARACAS1305

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001305 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  04/28/09 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, VE 
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON 
 
REF: (A) FRIEDMAN-AKUETTHEH 4/28/99 FAX, (B) CARACAS 00691, (C) 
CARACAS 00560 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOHN F. MAISTO.  REASON:  1.5(D). 
 
1.  (U) DURING AN APRIL 28 MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER RANGEL, 
AMBASSADOR WAS PRESENTED WITH A LETTER FROM VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT 
HUGO CHAVEZ TO PRESIDENT CLINTON.  (LETTER AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 
WERE PASSED TO WASHINGTON PER REF. A, TEXT BELOW.)  UPON EXITING 
THE FOREIGN MINISTER'S OFFICE, RANGEL PRESENTED THE CHAVEZ LETTER 
TO AMBASSADOR FORMALLY BEFORE THE WAITING MEDIA CORPS.  AMBASSADOR 
RESPONDED TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS "GOOD."  ASKED WHY THE 
PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA FELT IT NECESSARY TO PERSONALLY SEND A 
MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT CLINTON NOW, AMBASSADOR SUGGESTED THE REPORTER 
ASK FOREIGN MINISTER RANGEL, ADDING THAT IT IS ALWAYS POSITIVE 
WHENEVER CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES COMMUNICATE 
DIRECTLY. 
 
2. (C) IN THE PRIVATE MEETING BEFORE THE UNEXPECTED, SET-UP PUBLIC 
PRESENTATION, AMBASSADOR CALLED RANGEL'S ATTENTION TO THE LETTER'S 
LAST PARAGRAPH, SPECIFICALLY ASKING IF CHAVEZ WAS REFERRING THEREIN 
TO THE JANUARY MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND THEN 
PRESIDENT-ELECT CHAVEZ.  RANGEL ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. 
AMBASSADOR TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECALL HIS PREVIOUS 
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND WITH CHAVEZ THAT ANY 
FUTURE VISIT BY CHAVEZ TO THE U.S. SHOULD BE PREDICATED UPON THE 
COMPLETION OF A CONCRETE AGENDA OF AGREEMENTS IN AREAS OF MUTUAL 
INTEREST, SUCH AS EXPANDED NARCOTICS COOPERATION, A MARITIME 
AGREEMENT, A BILATERAL INVESTMENT TREATY, AND NOW A CLEAR 
UNDERSTANDING PERMITTING U.S. AIRCRAFT TO OVERFLY VENEZUELA AS PART 
OF A FORWARD OPERATING LOCATIONS (FOL) AGREEMENT IN CURACAO AND 
ARUBA, AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, AMONG OTHERS (OUTLINED IN REFS. B 
AND C.)  RANGEL AGREED, ADDING THAT THE GOV WOULD FOCUS ON THESE 
ISSUES AFTER CHAVEZ' MEETING WITH PRESIDENT PASTRANA AND HIS VISIT 
TO BRAZIL, BOTH IN EARLY MAY. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  THE GOV HAS HIGHLIGHTED CHAVEZ' LETTER TO THE 
PRESIDENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISPEL LOCAL SPECULATION ABOUT THE STATE 
OF RELATIONS, STEMMING FROM THE CANCELLATION OF EB A/S LARSON'S 
VISIT (SEPTEL), AND THE AT TIMES BLUNT PUBLIC AIRING OF DIFFERENCES 
OVER UNHRC HUMAN RIGHTS POSITIONS BETWEEN THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND 
THE U.S. AMBASSADOR LAST WEEK.  EMBASSY UNDERSTANDS THAT RANGEL IS 
FEELING VULNERABLE.  THE MEDIA EVENT WAS LARGELY INTENDED TO 
DEMONSTRATE PUBLICLY THAT U.S.-VENEZUELAN RELATIONS ARE ON TRACK. 
AMBASSADOR INFORMED RANGEL AFTER THE EVENT THAT NICE WORDS ARE 
FINE, BUT THAT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP WILL BE 
DETERMINED BY CONCRETE COOPERATION--OF WHICH THERE HAD THUS FAR 
BEEN NONE WITH THE CHAVEZ GOVERNMENT, AND THAT WE, OF COURSE, ARE 
LOOKING FORWARD TO FUTURE COOPERATION IN THE AREAS WE HAVE 
DISCUSSED.  RANGEL SAID HE AGREED, AND THAT WE WILL BE HEARING FROM 
THE GOV. 
 
4.  (U) BEGIN TRANSLATION OF CHAVEZ LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON: 
 
(LETTERHEAD) 
HUGO RAFAEL CHAVEZ FRIAS 
PRESIDENT 
REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA 
 
MIRAFLORES, APRIL 27, 1999 
 
DEAR PRESIDENT (HANDWRITTEN) 
 
I WAS PLEASANTLY IMPRESSED BY YOUR EXCELLENCY'S STATEMENTS DURING 
OUR AMBASSADOR, ALFREDO TORO HARDY'S PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS AT 
THE WHITE HOUSE. 
 
YOUR MESSAGE, WHICH I READ WITH GREAT INTEREST, VERY ELOQUENTLY 
EXPRESSES YOUR GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO RENEW AND REFORGE 
RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.  I VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY 
WELCOME THOSE INTENTIONS.  OUR GOVERNMENTS SHARE COMMON INTERESTS, 
AS DO OUR PEOPLE.  WE CERTAINLY SHARE THE DESIRE FOR A SOLID AND 
VIBRANT DEMOCRACY, THE KIND ENVISIONED AND PRACTICED BY MEN SUCH AS 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND SIMON BOLIVAR. 
 
THE CONSULTATIVE REFERENDUM HELD LAST SUNDAY, APRIL 25, AND THE 
NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY TO BE ELECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 
SEVERAL MONTHS, THROUGH FREE AND PLURALISTIC EXPRESSION, ARE 
MECHANISMS CHOSEN BY THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE TO PEACEFULLY RE- 
ESTABLISH THE REPUBLIC, THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, MARKED BY A 
PROCESS CHARACTERIZED BY FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER DURING HIS 
VISIT TO CARACAS LAST DECEMBER AS A REAL "DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION." 
 
AS YOUR EXCELLENCY WISELY POINTED OUT, MY COUNTRY FACES A SERIES OF 
SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES WHICH WE ARE CONFRONTING RESPONSIBLY AND WITH 
AN ENTIRELY VENEZUELAN CONSCIOUSNESS.  WE INHERITED AN ECONOMY IN 
CRISIS.  WE PROPOSE RECOVERING IT THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL POLICIES ORIENTED TOWARD PRODUCTIVE 
REACTIVATION AND ECONOMIC EQUILIBRIUM, BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE 
PEOPLE.  MR. PRESIDENT, WE ALSO INHERITED AN ETHICALLY TROUBLED 
COUNTRY.  WITH UNSWERVING DETERMINATION, HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEGUN TO 
RE-ESTABLISH THE MORAL CODE THAT MUST DRIVE EVERY SOCIETY, 
RELENTLESSLY FIGHTING THE SERIOUS DISEASE OF CORRUPTION, THROUGH 
WHICH RESOURCES EQUIVALENT TO FIVE "MARSHALL PLANS" WERE SQUANDERED 
IN VENEZUELA. 
 
WE SHARE YOUR OPINION THAT "OUR ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION CAN HELP 
IMPROVE THE SITUATION."  THEREFORE, MR. PRESIDENT, OUR COUNTRY IS 
OPEN TO ALL TYPES OF U.S. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR INITIATIVES TO 
ADVANCE OUR COUNTRIES' MUTUAL DEVELOPMENT.  LIKEWISE, I FULLY SHARE 
THE FIRM INTENTION TO FIGHT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ALL CRIMES RELATED 
TO THAT DISEASE. 
 
I AM PLEASED TO ACCEPT YOUR INVITATION TO VISIT YOUR COUNTRY.  I 
THANK YOU FOR WARM EXPRESSIONS OF FRIENDSHIP, WHICH ARE RECIPROCAL. 
I FORMALLY PROPOSE THAT THE ITEMS MENTIONED IN THIS LETTER BE 
INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT CONVERSATION IN WASHINGTON. 
 
SINCERELY, 
(SIGNED BY PRESIDENT CHAVEZ) 
 
END TRANSLATION 
 
 
MAISTO