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### Viewing cable 04CARACAS2200, CHAVEZ'S FORMER PARTNER DISCUSSES THE DEVELOPMENT

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
04CARACAS2200 | 2004-07-09 15:03 | 2010-11-30 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Caracas

`

    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 SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 002200

    SIPDIS

    NSC FOR CBARTON
    HQ USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
    USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2014
    TAGS: PGOV VE
    SUBJECT: CHAVEZ'S FORMER PARTNER DISCUSSES THE DEVELOPMENT
    OF HIS POLITICS

    CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM ABELARDO A. ARIAS FOR REASONS 1.4 (D)

    -------
    SUMMARY
    -------

    ¶1. (C) HERMA MARKSMAN, CHAVEZ'S FORMER COMMON-LAW WIFE FROM
    1984-1993, SPOKE TO POLOFFS ON JULY 1 ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT
    OF CHAVEZ'S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. SHE CLAIMS THAT CHAVEZ WAS
    INFLUENCED BY 1960'S GUERRILLAS. MARKSMAN DISAGREED WITH THE
    OPPOSITION'S PORTRAYAL OF CHAVEZ AS AN IDIOT AND WARNED THAT
    HE IS A DETERMINED MAN WHO TRUSTS FEW PEOPLE. WHILE WE
    ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF HER INFORMATION MAY BE BIASED, WE
    THOUGHT WASHINGTON MAY APPRECIATE AN INSIGHT INTO CHAVEZ FROM
    SOMEONE WHO KNEW HIM INTIMATELY BEFORE HE ENTERED THE
    NATIONAL STAGE. END SUMMARY.

    ---------------------------------------
    ROOTS OF CHAVEZ'S BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION
    ---------------------------------------

    ¶2. (C) HERMA MARKSMAN, A HISTORY PROFESSOR AND CHAVEZ'S
    FORMER COMMON-LAW WIFE, DISCUSSED HOW CHAVEZ ARRIVED TO HIS
    CURRENT POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. (NOTE: COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE IS
    A WIDESPREAD PRACTICE IN VENEZUELA.) AS A POOR CHILD GROWING
    UP IN THE RURAL STATE OF BARINAS, MARKSMAN ALLEGES CHAVEZ WAS
    INFLUENCED BY A TEACHER, WHO ADMIRED FIDEL CASTRO AND CHE
    GUEVARA. SHE CLAIMS THAT CHAVEZ WAS AMBITIOUS FROM AN EARLY
    AGE AND EVEN THOUGHT OF RUNNING THE COUNTRY AS A 20 YEAR-OLD.

    ¶3. (C) AS A JUNIOR OFFICER, CHAVEZ SOON FELL UNDER THE
    INFLUENCE OF DOUGLAS BRAVO, A FORMER COMMUNIST AND GUERRILLA
    LEADER DURING THE 1960S. CHAVEZ'S BROTHER, ADAN, PLAYED A
    KEY ROLE IN INTRODUCING CHAVEZ TO BRAVO, ACCORDING TO LOCAL
    PRESS REPORTS. MARKSMAN STATED THAT IT WAS BRAVO, NOT
    CHAVEZ, WHO DEVELOPED THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BOLIVARIAN
    REVOLUTION, WHICH IS ROOTED IN THE WORKS OF SIMON RODRIGUEZ,
    SIMON BOLIVAR, AND EZEQUIEL ZAMORA. BRAVO'S MOVEMENT
    STRESSED THE NEED FOR CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION TO IMPLEMENT
    THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION. WHILE CHAVEZ BROKE WITH BRAVO IN
    1986, HE MAINTAINED BRAVO'S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, WHICH PLAYED
    A KEY ROLE IN CHAVEZ'S FAILED COUP IN 1992. MARKSMAN ALLUDED
    TO THE FAILED COUP--WHICH SHE HAS PUBLICLY CRITICIZED--AS A
    CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HER ENDING THE RELATIONSHIP, THOUGH
    SHE DID NOT DIRECTLY STATE THE REASON FOR ENDING THE AFFAIR
    WITH CHAVEZ.

    -----------------------
    CHAVEZ IS NOBODY'S FOOL
    -----------------------

    ¶4. (C) THROUGHOUT HER MEETING WITH POLOFFS, MARKSMAN ASSERTED
    THAT CHAVEZ SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. SHE DESCRIBED THE
    PRESIDENT AS AN EXCELLENT STORYTELLER, WHO OFTEN
    CHARACTERIZES HIS OPPONENTS AS DEVILS, WHICH IS A POWERFUL
    RELIGIOUS SYMBOL AMONG THE POOR. WHILE THE EDUCATED CLASS
    MAY SCOFF AT CHAVEZ'S FIVE-HOUR TELEVISION BROADCASTS,
    MARKSMAN CLAIMED THAT THE POOR BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
    INTERESTED IN THEIR ISSUES. SHE ALSO STATED THAT CHAVEZ IS
    FOCUSED ON HIS GOAL OF TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY AND IS
    WILLING TO WIN AT ANY COSTS. CHAVEZ WOULD ONLY HAVE AGREED
    TO THE PRESIDENTIAL RECALL REFERENDUM IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD
    WIN, ACCORDING TO MARKSMAN.

    ------------------------
    CHAVEZ'S INNER CIRCLE
    ------------------------

    ¶5. (C) MARKSMAN STATED THAT CHAVEZ IS LOYAL TO NO ONE AND
    DOES NOT HAVE TRUE FRIENDS. IF HE HAS A PROBLEM, HE WILL
    ONLY CONFIDE IN HIS BROTHER, ADAN, WHOM SHE CHARACTERIZED AS
    A COMMUNIST, AND CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO. SHE ALLEGED THAT

    CARACAS 00002200 002 OF 002

    OUPS IN LATIN AMERICA. SHE
    STATED THAT CHAVEZ DOES HAVE SEVERAL OF ADAN'S FRIENDS IN
    GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING GUILLERMO GARCIA PONCE--A POLITICAL
    ADVISER TO CHAVEZ, MEMBER OF THE DEFUNCT POLITICAL
    PARTICIPATION COMMISSION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL,
    EDITOR OF VEA NEWSPAPER, AND COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIAL.

    ¶6. (C) SHE LISTED SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHOM SHE CONSIDERED TO
    BE THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING DIOSDADO
    CABELLO (FORMER INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER, NATIONAL LOGISTICS
    COORDINATOR FOR THE COMANDO MAISANTA AND GUBERNATORIAL
    CANDIDATE FOR MIRANDA STATE); AND ELIECER OTAIZA (FORMER
    DIRECTOR OF CIVILIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, DISIP, AND THE
    CURRENT DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATIVE
    EDUCATION, INCE). AS CHIEF OF INCE, OTAIZA HAS RUN VARIOUS
    "MISSION" PROGRAMS, ACCORDING TO MARKSMAN. SHE ALSO
    MENTIONED WILLIAM IZARRA, DIRECTOR OF IDEOLOGY FOR THE
    COMANDO MAISANTA, JESSE CHACON, COMMUNICATIONS AND
    INFORMATION MINISTER, AND RONALDO BLANCO LA CRUZ, GOVERNOR OF
    TACHIRA STATE.

    -------
    COMMENT
    -------

    ¶7. (C) WHILE MARKSMAN'S STATEMENTS MAY BE BIASED, SHE DOES
    OFFER A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE INTO THE CURRENT PRESIDENT. HER
    CHARACTERIZATION OF CHAVEZ AS AN AMBITIOUS, DETERMINED MAN
    CONTRASTS WITH THE OPPOSITION'S PORTRAYAL OF HIM AT TIMES AS
    A BUFFOON. CHAVEZ'S UNWILLINGNESS TO TRUST OTHERS, HOWEVER,
    LIKELY CONTRIBUTES TO HIS GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE IN EXECUTING
    MANY OF HIS INITIATIVES.
    MCFARLAND

    NNNN
    2004CARACA02200 - CONFIDENTIAL

`