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<h1>New WikiLeaks cable reveals US embassy strategy to destabilize
Chavez government</h1>
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<span class="time"> Published time: April 04, 2013 23:56 </span><br>
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<p>In a secret US cable published online by WikiLeaks, former
ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, outlines a comprehensive
plan to infiltrate and destabilize former President Hugo Chavez'
government.</p>
Dispatched in November of 2006 by Brownfield -- now an Assistant
Secretary of State -- the document outlined his embassy’s five core
objectives in Venezuela since 2004, which included: “<i>penetrating
Chavez’ political base,</i>” “<i>dividing Chavismo,” “protecting
vital US business”</i> and “<i>isolating Chavez
internationally.</i>”<br>
<br>
<a
href="http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=06CARACAS3356&version=1314919461"
target="_blank">The memo</a>, which appears to be totally
un-redacted, is plain in its language of involvement in these core
objectives by the US embassy, as well as the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the Office of Transition
Initiatives (OTI), two of the most prestigious agencies working
abroad on behalf of the US.<br>
<br>
According to Brownfield, who prepared the cable specifically for US
Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the “<span style="font-style: italic;">majority</span>”
of both USAID and OTI
activities in Venezuela were concerned with assisting the embassy
in accomplishing its core objectives of infiltrating and subduing
Chavez’ political party:<br>
<br>
“<i>This strategic objective represents the majority of USAID/OTI
work in Venezuela. Organized civil society is an increasingly
important pillar of democracy, one where President Chavez has not
yet been able to assert full control.”<br>
</i><br>
In total, USAID spent some one million dollars in organizing 3,000
forums that sought to essentially reconcile Chavez supporters and
the political opposition, in the hopes of slowly weaning them away
from the Bolivarian side.<br>
<br>
Brownfield at one point boasted of an OTI civic education program
named “<span style="font-style: italic;">Democracy Among
Us</span>,” which sought to work through NGOs in low income
regions, and had allegedly reached over 600,000 Venezuelans.<br>
<br>
In total, between 2004 and 2006, USAID donated some 15 million
dollars to over 300 organizations, and offered technical support
via OTI in achieving US objectives which it categorized as seeking
to reinforce democratic institutions.<br>
<br>
Much of the memo details efforts to highlight instances of human
rights violations, and sponsoring activists and members of the
political opposition to attend meetings abroad and voice their
concerns against the Chavez administration:<br>
<br>
“<span style="font-style: italic;">So far, OTI has sent Venezuelan
NGO leaders to Turkey, Scotland, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Chile,
Uruguay, Washington and Argentina (twice) to talk about the law.
Upcoming visits are planned to Brazil, Mexico, and
Colombia.</span>”<br>
<br>
In his closing comments, Brownfield remarked that, should President
Chavez win re-election during the December 2006 elections, OTI
expected the <i>“atmosphere for our work in Venezuela</i>” to
become more complicated.<br>
<br>
Ultimately, it seems that the former ambassador’s memo wisely
predicted a change in conditions. Following his re-election,
President Chavez threatened to eject the US ambassador from
Venezuela in 2007, amid accusations of interfering in internal
state affairs.
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