Cablegate: Possible Venzuelan Meddling

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARAMARIBO 000725

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958 DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS NS
SUBJECT: Possible Venzuelan Meddling

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MARSHA E. BARNES, REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D)

1. (C) A member of Desi Bouterse's National Democratic Party (NDP)
claims Bouterse is receiving funding and tacit political support from
Venezuela. End summary

2. (C) A member of the Mission has been told by a self described
member of the NDP that former military dictator Desi Bouterse has
made a number of recent trips to Venezuela; that he is receiving
financial support from Venezuela; and that President Chavez has
promised him recognition and support should Bouterse succeed in his
stated goal of bringing down the government of President Venetiaan.

3. (C) The Mission member says that in his contacts, spanning more
than two years, the Surinamese individual has been consistently
honest and factual and delivered on his word. In response to a
question the Surinamer indicated that he wanted his information to
reach the appropriate U.S. authorities. He is described as a
Surinamese nationalist concerned about outside influence, although
he finds some of President Chavez's anti-capitalist rhetoric
appealing. He has never previously offered comment on internal NDP
matters, although he constantly offers a well left of center take on
world events.

4. (C) Bouterse is the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant.
However post has little reason to doubt that he could easily depart
via charter from Suriname's international airport. A close associate
of his handles all general aviation.

5. (C) Post has no other information to support or refute information
presented. Some observers of the local political scene have suggested
that Bouterse's recent much publicized walks through the central
market and very poor neighborhoods are taken from Chavez' playbook.
While these walks have generated some favorable comments from the
disgruntled, they have failed to produce scenes of Bouterse trailed
by enthusiastic followers.

BARNES

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