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Viewing cable 04CARACAS1159, CAPRILES, CNE AND CEV: VENEZUELA POLITICAL UPDATE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04CARACAS1159 2004-04-02 21:08 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Caracas
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS  CARACAS 001159 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM VE
SUBJECT: CAPRILES, CNE AND CEV: VENEZUELA POLITICAL UPDATE 
-- APRIL 2, 2004 
 
REF: CARACAS 00950 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (U) The Criminal Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court 
(TSJ) dismissed on procedural ground the order to detain 
Baruta Mayor Henrique Capriles April 1, and ordered the case 
sent to a new court.  Supporters of President Hugo Chavez 
objected to the possibility National Electoral Council (CNE) 
alternate director Miriam Kornblith assuming the role CNE 
Vice President out on medical leave.  The National Assembly 
(NA) fired its chief economic advisor, Francisco Rodriguez, 
after he publicly accused NA President Francisco Ameliach of 
unduly pressuring the semi-autonomous analysis economic 
analysis.  The Episcopal Council of Venezuela (CEV) denounced 
the GOV for blocking the "democratic and peaceful" path of 
the presidential recall referendum and for violating human 
rights.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
TSJ Annuls Capriles Detention Order 
 
SIPDIS 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) On April 1, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court 
(TSJ) struck down the order to detain Baruta Mayor Henrique 
Capriles for alleged crimes perpetrated during the April 2002 
siege of the Cuban Embassy in Caracas (ref).  The Chamber, in 
a 2-1 decision, annulled the March 16 order, saying it did 
not adequately specify the nature of the crimes, among other 
procedural flaws.  The Chamber ordered the case be reassigned 
to a new court and, addressing one of the principal stumbling 
blocks in the case, instructed the lower court to give 
Capriles' lawyers access to the investigation file.  Capriles 
appeared publicly for the first time since the warrant was 
issued the same evening to declare that "justice is not lost 
in Venezuela."  Capriles condemned the GOV for using public 
institutions to intimidate political opponents.  Minister of 
Communication Jesse Chacon decried the decision as engineered 
by magistrates with ties to opposition parties and asked why 
Capriles received "privileged" treatment by the Chamber when 
thousands of Venezuelans were awaiting trials. 
 
--------------------- 
CNE Alternate Opposed 
--------------------- 
 
3. (U) National Electoral Council (CNE) Vice President 
Ezequiel Zamora (pro-opposition) requested a medical leave of 
absence for 15 days from the CNE on March 29 (rumored to be a 
controllable type of cancer).  Zamora requested that his 
alternate, Miriam Kornblith, replace him on the board during 
his temporary absence, according to press reports.  CNE 
Director Jorge Rodriguez immediately assailed Kornblith, who 
has been an outspoken critic of the GOV's handling of the 
referendum, saying her political statements disqualified her 
from serving on the board.  Chavez's campaign committee, the 
"Comando Ayacucho," requested that the Constitutional Chamber 
of the Supreme Court (TSJ) name a new alternate.  The Chavez 
supporters cited Kornblith's links to a project carried out 
by the NGO Sumate, and funded by the National Endowment for 
Democracy, as evidence of her political bias.  Kornblith 
attempted to attend a CNE meeting April 1 to insist she be 
allowed to substitute for Zamora, but the other members of 
the CNE reportedly refused to receive her. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
National Assembly Economic Advisor Sacked 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) The National Assembly (NA) its chief economic advisor, 
Francisco Rodriguez, after he publicly accused NA President 
Francisco Ameliach of denying the Assembly's Office of 
Economic and Finance Counsel (OEAF) its budget for four 
months and of withholding financial information.  Rodriguez 
claimed that the OEAF, a semi-autonomous economic analysis 
shop within the Assembly, is being persecuted because it has 
 
 
warned the NA's Finance Committee of imprudent spending 
within the budget.  Rodriguez was suspended on March 29 for 
"questioning the honor of the President of the National 
Assembly."  The pro-GOV majority voted on March 30 to dismiss 
Rodriguez along with his deputy and six other economists. 
The debate turned blatantly political as pro-Chavez deputies 
accused Rodriguez of working for the opposition and 
supporting the April 2002 "coup" against President Hugo 
Chavez. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Catholic Bishops Call For Referendum, No Repression 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
5. (U) The Episcopal Council of Venezuela (CEV), composed of 
Venezuela's Catholic bishops, held an extraordinary session 
to discuss the political crisis and recent allegations of 
human rights abuses.  The CEV released a statement April 1 
supporting the presidential recall referendum.  CEV President 
Baltazar Porras told reporters that the referendum was the 
"peaceful and democratic" path out of Venezuela's political 
crisis.  If that path is closed, he said, violence will 
result.  The CEV denounced violence whatever its cause, and 
specifically criticized the GOV for a disproportionate 
response to opposition demonstrations.  The CEV also 
condemned polarizing rhetoric that classifies people either 
as "patriots" or "coup-plotters." 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
NNNN 
 
      2004CARACA01159 - UNCLASSIFIED