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### Viewing cable 09CARACAS1181, THE CUBANS IN VENEZUELA'S PORTS

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09CARACAS1181 | 2009-09-09 12:12 | 2010-11-30 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Caracas

`

    VZCZCXYZ0019
    RR RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHCV #1181/01 2521224
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 091224Z SEP 09
    FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
    TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
    INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
    RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY
    RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 001181

    SIPDIS

    NSC FOR LROSSELLO
    TREASURY FOR MKACZMAREK
    USDOC FOR 4332 MAC/ITA/WH/JLAO
    HQ SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2019
    TAGS: ECON PGOV ETRD EINV MARR CU VE
    SUBJECT: THE CUBANS IN VENEZUELA'S PORTS

    REF: CARACAS 1022 AND PREVIOUS

    CARACAS 00001181 001.2 OF 002

    Classified By: Economic Counselor Darnall Steuart for reasons 1.4 (b) a
    nd (d)

    ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Post has comfirmed that a wholly Venezuelan
    government-owned company, Bolipuertos, is now charged with
    the management of Venezuela's ports. Cuba's ASPORT has a 49
    percent share in Puertos del Alba, a separate company, which
    will reportedly be focused on business development. Contacts
    in shipping circles, however, tell us that the Cubans are
    active in the ports as "advisors" to Bolipuertos and were
    instrumental in pushing for the take over of port operations.
    Bolipuertos has taken over private warehouse operations at
    three ports named in the original March 25 Decree (Guamache,
    Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello) as well as a fourth -- La Guaira,
    the port serving Caracas. Shipping contacts report rumors
    that the government may nationalize stevedoring and customs
    agent services. Insurance premiums have reportedly increased
    35-40 percent since May. END SUMMARY.

    BOLIPUERTOS & PUERTOS DEL ALBA
    ------------------------------

    ¶2. (SBU) Post has clarified the issue of the management of
    Venezuela's ports. Two companies of virtually the same name
    have been decreed by the Government of the Bolivarian
    Republic of Venezuela (GBRV). The first -- Bolivariana de
    Puertos S.A. (BPSA or Bolipuertos) -- was founded by Decree
    on June 12, 2007. This company was to be a mixed
    Venezuelan-Cuban company with Cuba's Grupo Empresarial de la
    Industria Portuaria (ASPORT) having a 49 percent share. We
    understand that this first Bolipuertos was never actually
    registered as a company. The second Bolivariana de Puertos
    (BP or Bolipuertos) was created by Decree No. 6,645 dated
    March 25, 2009, to "maintain, administer and develop"
    Venezuela's ports. According to that Decree, the Venezuelan
    state holds 100 percent of the capital of the second
    Bolipuertos which was assigned to the Ministry for Public
    Works and Housing. Neither of these companies is Puertos del
    Alba in which the Cubans have a significant investment.

    ¶3. (C) On July 29, 2009, as reported reftel, the GBRV
    published another Decree in the National Gazette authorizing
    the creation of Puertos del Alba, a state-owned company to be
    charged with "modernizing, renovating, equipping, and
    constructing" ports in Venezuela and Cuba. Cuba's ASPORT has
    a 49 percent share in Puertos del Alba with the 51 percent
    majority share remaining with Bolipuertos. A close Embassy
    contact tells us that the intent of the GBRV is to "follow
    the Cuban model" by installing a company (Bolipuertos) that
    will run all aspects of port operations in Venezuela while
    Puertos del Alba will act as its business development arm.
    Other contacts assert that Bolipuertos retains Cuban
    "advisors" on staff, but they do not believe that the Cubans
    have formal managerial responsibility in the company. These
    advisors, however, are believed to have urged the GBRV to
    move ahead with taking control of the ports.

    ¶4. (C) The March 25, 2009, Decree creating (or re-creating)
    Bolipuertos stipulated that it would be responsible for the
    infrastructure of Puerto El Guamache (the Isla Marguerita
    cruise ship port), Maracaibo Port, Puerto Cabello
    (Venezuela's largest port), as well as that of "any ports to
    be developed in the future." As reported reftels, a
    subsequent Decree dated July 30, declared the immediate
    nationalization of private warehouse operations at the three
    ports named in the March 25 Decree as well as a fourth -- La
    Guaira, the port serving Caracas. Our contacts in the
    shipping industry tell us that it appears likely that
    Bolipuertos will also take control of port operations at
    Guanta, Palua/Puerto Ordaz, Guiria and Cumana.

    PORT SERVICES STILL TROUBLED
    ----------------------------

    ¶5. (C) Operations in Puerto Cabello were interrupted for
    four days following the take over of warehouse operations at
    the beginning of August. Reports of significant problems
    have continued since the resumption of operations. Former
    Petroleum Chamber President Andres Duarte (protect
    throughout) informed Econoffs that his stevedore company has
    not been allowed to remove equipment from the port for
    maintenance or weekend storage in what many believe is a

    CARACAS 00001181 002.2 OF 002

    precursor to the expropriation of stevedoring and other
    terminal services. Another contact whose company provided
    warehouse services at Puerto Cabello, directed Econoffs'
    attention to another company, Venezolana de Exportaciones y
    Importaciones, C.A. (VEXINCA), established by Decree No.
    38954 dated June 17, 2008. According to this contact,
    VEXINCA, which is run by the military as are the ports at
    this point, is actively offering customs services to the
    clients of private sector customs agents. Our contact
    speculates that VEXINCA may eventually be designated as the
    sole provider of customs services in Venezuela.

    INSURANCE AND OTHER RISKS
    -------------------------

    ¶6. (C) Duarte informed Econoffs that insurance premiums have
    increased 35-40 percent since the May 2009 announcement of
    the Marine Committee of the Lloyd's Market Association that
    it had withdrawn maritime war-risk policy coverage for
    Venezuela. Other local shipping contacts have confirmed a
    bulletin that ran in a British shipping magazine in August
    noting that it may be difficult to make claims against
    Bolipuertos for robbery, damage etc. According to Duarte,
    Norweigan and Panamanian owned ships that used to bring soda
    ash to Venezuela have already been swapped out for older
    vessels with much smaller cargo capacity that cannot maintain
    the previous off-loading rate of 50,000 tons per day. Duarte
    also confirmed that the GBRV will have to pay a higher
    premium on refrigerated shipping containers to European and
    Brazilian firms as Maersk will no longer send them to
    Venezuela as it has been unable to retrieve them in the past
    due to the chaos in the ports. It has also been reported that
    shipping line Hamburg Sud will no longer serve Venezuela.
    ¶7. (C) COMMENT: Many observers note that decreased traffic
    arising from the global recession has saved Venezuela's ports
    from complete strangulation. The wilderness of stacked
    containers at the ports has improved. However, few here
    believe that the GBRV has the know-how or the logistical
    experience to manage the ports even with the assistance of
    Cuban advisors. There is speculation that some port
    operations may ultimately be handed over to friendly
    governments on a concessionary basis.
    DUDDY

`