US/VENEZUELA/ VISIT TO WASHINGTON OF MINISTERS OF INTERIOR AND OF THE PRESIDENCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R001003840201-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2008
• Sequence Number: 201
• Publication Date: April 22, 1981
• Content Type: CABLE

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FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO SECSTATE wASHDC IMMEDIATE 5975
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C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 4196
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E 0 12065: GDS 4/22/87 (LUEPS, WILLIAM H) ORaM
TAGS: VE
SUBJECT: US/VENEZUELA/ VISIT TO WASHINGTON OF MINISTERS
OF INTERIOR AND OF THE PRESIDENCY
1. C-ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARYI MINISTER OF INTERIOR MONIES DE OCA CONFIRMED TO
ME APRIL 21 THAT HE AND MINISTER OF THE PRESIDENCY GONZALO
GARCIA BUSTILLOS HAVE THE PRESIDENTS PERMISSION AND ENCOURAGEMENT
TO PAY A VISIT TO WASHITALKn'FRANKLYIAAOUTYVENEZUELAS DE OCA
SAID THE PURPOSE IS TO
VIEW OF THE IMPORTANT HEMISPHERIC AND GLOBAL POLITICAL ISSUES.
THE TWO M.INISTERS'WANT TO MEET FOR SUBSTANTIVE TALKS WITH TOP
MEMBERS OF THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND WITH KEY MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS. THEY COULD COMMIT TO ABOUT THREE WORKING DAYS AND
MAY POSSIBLY REMAIN IN WSHINGTON THROUGH MAY 9. THE TWO
KEY MEETINGS FOP THEM ARE WITH VICE PRESIDENT BUSH AND
SECRETARY OF STATE HAIG. END SUMMARY.
THE TWO KEY GOV MINISTERS. THESE TWO MINISTERS RARELY
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LEAVE VENEZUELA AND IF THEY DO, IT IS USUALLY FOR LESS THAN
48 HOURS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE
COUNTRY AT THE SAME TIME. THEY ARE THE POLITICAL LINCHPINS
OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR IS TRADITION-
ALLY REFERRED TO AS THE "PRIME MINISTER? SERVING AS "ACTING
PRESIDENT" IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PRESIDENT AND COORDINATING ALL
GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES. THE MINISTER 00 THE PRESIDENCY IS THE
EXPEDITER AND RIGHT HAND OF THE PRESIDENT FUNCTIONING AS A
ROUGH EQUIVALENT IN THE U S OF A COMBINED HEAD OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL AND CHIEF OF THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF. MONIES
DE OCA IS PROBABLY THE CLEAREST AND TOUGHEST THINKER IN THE
GOVERNMENT AND INDEED IN `1HE COPEI PARTY ON POLITICAL FOREIGN
POLICY QUESTIONS. BOTH MEN APE USED BY THE PRESIDENT TO COMMUNICATE
WITH BROAD SEGMENTS OF THE VENEZUELAN AND INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY.
4. THE VENEZUELAN AGENDA. MONTES DE OCA SAID HE AND GARCIA
BUSTILLOS WANT TO GIVE VENEZUELA'S VIEW OF THE HEMISPHERIC
AND GLOBAL ISSUES. THEY WANT TO SPEAK FRANKLY ABOUT THE
DIFFERENCES AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE,U S ON THESE ISSUES.
HE LISTED AS EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED THE
FOLLOWING=
--BRAZIL. HOW WE SEE THIS MAJOR COUNTRY ANDITS POLE,
--CUBA. HOW WE AND VENEZUELA SHOULD REACT IF CUBA, FOR
EXAMPLE, SHOULD RETURN TO INTERVENTIONIST POLICIES SIMILAR
TO THOSE IN THE EARLY 1960'S,
--CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. REGIONAL AND COUNTRY
BY COUNTRY DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS AND STRATEGIES FOR DEALING
WITH THEM, INCLUDING COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES,
--THE ANDEAN PACT. ITS IMPORTANCE TO VENEZUELA AND
THE ATTITUDE OF THE U S,
--CHINA. WHY VENEZUELAN RELATIONS ARE GROWING WITH CHINA AND
WHAT THEY MEAN,
--ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. BOTH ECONOMIC AND SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
THESE ARE ISSUES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THEIR DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT
POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS AND HOW TO BEST CLARIFY
AND COORDINATE OUR APPROACHES.
59 THE U S AGENDA. WE WILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE SAME
POLITICAL ISSUES. IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE OR DESIRABLE
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FOR US TO GET INTO ECONOMIC, PETROLEUM OR EVEN NORTH-SOUTH
ISSUES, ALTHOUGH WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO 8E RESPONSIVE.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS wE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER ARE=
--EAST/WEST- INFORM THEM OF HOW WE SEE US/SOVIET
RELATIONS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO HEMISPHERE ISSUES (REALIZING
THAT VENEZUELA THINKS WE MAY BE OVEREMPHASIZING THE EAST/
WEST RELATIONSHIP TO THE DETRIMENT OF EFFECTIVE POLICY IN THE
HEMISPHERE).
--EL SALVADOR- WE WILL WANT A FOCUSED DISCUSSION ON
EL SALVADOR--INCLUDING LONG AND SHORT TERM STRATEGY INCLUDING
OUR THINKING ON THE POLITICAL NEGOTIATIONS.
--MEXICO, ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL. HOW VENEZUELA SEES ITS
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS WiTH THESE THREE COUNTRIES EVOLVING IN
RELATION TO U S POLICIES.
--DRUGS. WE MIGHT WANT TO SPEND ONE HALF HOUR WITH MONIES DE
OCA ON IMPROVING OUR COORDINATION ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL.
I WILL HAVE MOPE ON THIS TO SAY IN A SEPARATE CABLE.
--PETROLEUM NATIONALIZATION QUESTIONS. IF WE CAN BE READY, I
LIKE THE VICE PRESIDENT TO. RAISE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT PETROLEUM
NATIONALIZATION CLAIMS AND ASK THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR TO
CONVEY TO PRESIDENT HERRERA U S WILLINGNESS TO WORK QUIETLY
BUT SPEEDILY TOWARD AN OVERALL SETTLEMENT, LEAVING IT TO ME TO
FOLLOW UP HERE ON MODALITIES.
--COORDINATION OF POLICY. WE WILL WANT TO SET UP A REGULAR
PATTERN OF POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS WITH VENEZUELA, *HICH IS OUR
MAIN "ALLY" IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THECIBBEAN. OCA WHETHER
--ARMS SALES. *E MIGHT WANT TO TELL MONTES
WE WILL SELL VENEZUELA THE F-16, HE IS BEHIND THE IDEA AND
HOPES WE WILL. WE COULD DISCUSS PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS, TIMING
AND STRATEGY,
69 I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING MEETINGS FOR A THREE-DAY VISIT:
--A MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT. A LUNCH HOSTED BY THE
VICE PRESIDENT WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE BUT A SUBSTANTIVE
MEETING WITH HIM IS ESSENTIAL FOR THEM TO MAKE THE TRIP.
--A MEETING WITH SECRETARY HAIG. THIS IS THE SECOND ESSENTIAL
MEETING. THEY KNOW THE. SECRETARY WILL NOT RETURN UNTIL MAY 6,
AGAIN, A BREAKFAST OR LUNCH WOULD HE HIGHLY DESIRABLE, BUT
IT SHOULD OT BE A COURTESY CALL OR THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT
IS DEFEATED.
--A MEETING, POSSIBLY A BREAKFAST OR WORKING LUNCH ON THE
CONFIDENTIAL
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HILL, HOSTED BY THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, PLUS
OTHER SELECT MEETINGS, POSSIBLY WITH THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE. MONIES DE UCA, BY THE WAY, IS EXTREMELY PERSUASIVE
ON THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA, PARTICULARLY EL SALVADOR.
BROAD EXPOSURE ON THE HILL WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF U S POLICY.
--A MEETING WITH CIA DIRECTOR CASEY AT LANGLEY.
--A SUBSTANTIVE "GLOBAL" DISCUSSION INCLUDING EXCHANGE OF
VIEWS ON US/SOVIET, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICAN ISSUES PERHAPS
CHAIRED BY WALTER STOESSEL INCLUDING S/P AND P/M REGIONAL
BUREAU REPRESENTATIVES.
--A SEPARATE FIRST CLASS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING IN SPANISH
WITH VISUALS (PERHAPS IW OPERATIONS CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM)
COVERING A FEW SELECT TOPICS--IRAQ/IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, CHINA/
SOVIET UNION9 CENTRAL AMERTCA--IF IT IS NOT FRESH, CRISP, AND
CLASSIFIED BETTER NOT TO BOTHER.
--SELECT MEETINGS KITH KEY JOURNALISTS - NOT A PRESS
CONFERENCE. PERHAPS A WORKING LUNCH AT THE WAASHINGTON POST
AND ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH KEY COLUMNISTS.
7. OTHER ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED:
--THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHOULD SUPPLY A FIRST-CLASS INTER-
PRETER TO HE WITH THEM FULL TIME. M.ONTES DE OCA NEITHER SPEAKS
NOR UNDERSTANDS ENGLISH. GARCIA BUSTILLOS HANDLES ENGLISH WELL
BUT PREFERS SPANISH.
--THEY ARE BOTH BPINGING THEIR WIVES.
--A PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE AGREED TO BEFORE THEIR
TRIP ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT SEEK OP EXPECT MAJOR PRESS COVERAGE.
8. ONE FINAL THOUGHT, MONTES DE OCA KNOWS NEXT TO NOTHING
ABOUT WASHINGTON NOR THE U S POLITICAL SYSTEM. THIS EXPOSURE
WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR HIM. HE IS 50 IMPORTANT TO U S INTERESTS
IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD WE SHOULD TRY TO LAY IT ON BUG.
LUERS
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