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| Venezuela Cites Unrest in Expelling 3 U.S. Officials | Venezuela Cites Unrest in Expelling 3 U.S. Officials |
| (7 months later) | |
| CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela on Monday ordered three American Embassy officials to leave the country, saying they had been recruiting students to take part in violent antigovernment protests, in the latest in a series of expulsions that have marked a low point in relations between the two countries. | |
| The expulsions came as the country’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, was facing more than a week of sometimes violent demonstrations led by students in several cities, fueled by broad discontent over rampant crime, high inflation, product shortages and mounting government pressure on the media. Three people were shot to death during protests here in Caracas, the capital, last Wednesday. | The expulsions came as the country’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, was facing more than a week of sometimes violent demonstrations led by students in several cities, fueled by broad discontent over rampant crime, high inflation, product shortages and mounting government pressure on the media. Three people were shot to death during protests here in Caracas, the capital, last Wednesday. |
| It was the third time in less than a year that the government had expelled American diplomats, as Mr. Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of supporting opponents who he says are plotting a coup. But critics say that he regularly seeks to provoke crises with the United States to distract from problems at home. | It was the third time in less than a year that the government had expelled American diplomats, as Mr. Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of supporting opponents who he says are plotting a coup. But critics say that he regularly seeks to provoke crises with the United States to distract from problems at home. |
| Mr. Maduro announced the expulsions Sunday night, and on Monday the foreign minister, Elías Jaua, said the three officials, who all worked for the embassy’s consular section, had 48 hours to leave the country. | Mr. Maduro announced the expulsions Sunday night, and on Monday the foreign minister, Elías Jaua, said the three officials, who all worked for the embassy’s consular section, had 48 hours to leave the country. |
| Mr. Jaua said that the officials had been visiting universities under the pretext of granting visas to students. He charged that “at bottom that is a cover to establish contacts with leaders who they recruit for training, for financing and the creation of youth organizations through which violence is promoted in Venezuela.” | Mr. Jaua said that the officials had been visiting universities under the pretext of granting visas to students. He charged that “at bottom that is a cover to establish contacts with leaders who they recruit for training, for financing and the creation of youth organizations through which violence is promoted in Venezuela.” |
| The State Department denied the accusations. | The State Department denied the accusations. |
| “The allegations that the United States is helping to organize protesters in Venezuela is baseless and false,” a State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said in a written statement. “Venezuela’s political future is for the Venezuelan people to decide.” | “The allegations that the United States is helping to organize protesters in Venezuela is baseless and false,” a State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said in a written statement. “Venezuela’s political future is for the Venezuelan people to decide.” |
| Mr. Jaua said the activities of the consular officials were part of a longstanding pattern of meddling by the United States government in Venezuelan politics. To make his point, he read from three diplomatic cables sent from the American Embassy to the State Department. | Mr. Jaua said the activities of the consular officials were part of a longstanding pattern of meddling by the United States government in Venezuelan politics. To make his point, he read from three diplomatic cables sent from the American Embassy to the State Department. |
| Mr. Jaua said the cables were among several documents that either were released by the antisecrecy group WikiLeaks or were unearthed by Venezuelan intelligence services. But a search of WikiLeaks documents obtained by The New York Times appeared to show that all of the cables read by Mr. Jaua were among a collection of documents released by WikiLeaks in 2010. | Mr. Jaua said the cables were among several documents that either were released by the antisecrecy group WikiLeaks or were unearthed by Venezuelan intelligence services. But a search of WikiLeaks documents obtained by The New York Times appeared to show that all of the cables read by Mr. Jaua were among a collection of documents released by WikiLeaks in 2010. |
| There are dozens of WikiLeaks cables from the American Embassy that include references to the financing of civil society groups and some refer to accusations by the Venezuelan government that the activity represented improper meddling in Venezuelan politics. | There are dozens of WikiLeaks cables from the American Embassy that include references to the financing of civil society groups and some refer to accusations by the Venezuelan government that the activity represented improper meddling in Venezuelan politics. |
| But Mr. Jaua appeared to frequently misrepresent the content of the cables he quoted by inserting references to student or youth groups or saying that the embassy acknowledged that financing was meant to support partisan groups, when the cables said the opposite. He also exaggerated the financial support the United States gave to such groups and tried to suggest the activity was more recent than the cables indicated. | But Mr. Jaua appeared to frequently misrepresent the content of the cables he quoted by inserting references to student or youth groups or saying that the embassy acknowledged that financing was meant to support partisan groups, when the cables said the opposite. He also exaggerated the financial support the United States gave to such groups and tried to suggest the activity was more recent than the cables indicated. |
| He said that the three cables he cited were from 2009 to 2011, but the document search revealed that the cables he appeared to be quoting dated instead from 2006 to early 2009. Two were from the time that George W. Bush was president and the United States maintained a more openly hostile posture toward Venezuela’s government, while the most recent one was from March 2009, less than three months after President Obama took office. | He said that the three cables he cited were from 2009 to 2011, but the document search revealed that the cables he appeared to be quoting dated instead from 2006 to early 2009. Two were from the time that George W. Bush was president and the United States maintained a more openly hostile posture toward Venezuela’s government, while the most recent one was from March 2009, less than three months after President Obama took office. |
| Mr. Jaua quoted one cable that he said was from 2011, which he said referred to an annual budget of $57 million for programs to “strengthen youth organizations,” and a request for an additional $30 million to increase those efforts ahead of Venezuela’s presidential election in 2012. | Mr. Jaua quoted one cable that he said was from 2011, which he said referred to an annual budget of $57 million for programs to “strengthen youth organizations,” and a request for an additional $30 million to increase those efforts ahead of Venezuela’s presidential election in 2012. |
| But the WikiLeaks cables end in early 2010, and a cable with almost the exact language as that quoted by Mr. Jaua — with some key differences — is dated March 27, 2009. It talks about annual spending of $7 million to support local governments and civil society groups and asks for an additional $3 million to increase outreach efforts and “to continue programs to strengthen civil society and prepare for the next round of elections in 2010.” | But the WikiLeaks cables end in early 2010, and a cable with almost the exact language as that quoted by Mr. Jaua — with some key differences — is dated March 27, 2009. It talks about annual spending of $7 million to support local governments and civil society groups and asks for an additional $3 million to increase outreach efforts and “to continue programs to strengthen civil society and prepare for the next round of elections in 2010.” |
| While the numbers are different, some of the language quoted by Mr. Jaua is almost identical, including a passage he emphasized that said that the American Embassy “helped create” some of the organizations that it was continuing to finance, and that those groups “arguably represent the best hope for a more open democratic system in Venezuela.” | While the numbers are different, some of the language quoted by Mr. Jaua is almost identical, including a passage he emphasized that said that the American Embassy “helped create” some of the organizations that it was continuing to finance, and that those groups “arguably represent the best hope for a more open democratic system in Venezuela.” |
| Mr. Jaua also read from another cable, which he said was from 2010, in which he said an American official told student leaders “that while all embassy programs are directed at strengthening civil society and stimulating participation in the opposition process, these actions should be perceived as being close to the embassy to send a clear message to the government.” | Mr. Jaua also read from another cable, which he said was from 2010, in which he said an American official told student leaders “that while all embassy programs are directed at strengthening civil society and stimulating participation in the opposition process, these actions should be perceived as being close to the embassy to send a clear message to the government.” |
| But the reference appears to come instead from a 2008 WikiLeaks cable that quotes the official saying something quite different. “While all embassy programs are directed at strengthening civil society and encouraging participation in the democratic process, not partisan politics, perceived proximity to the embassy may lead to BRV harassment,” he was quoted as saying, using an abbreviation for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. | But the reference appears to come instead from a 2008 WikiLeaks cable that quotes the official saying something quite different. “While all embassy programs are directed at strengthening civil society and encouraging participation in the democratic process, not partisan politics, perceived proximity to the embassy may lead to BRV harassment,” he was quoted as saying, using an abbreviation for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. |
| A Foreign Ministry official refused to provide copies of the documents cited by Mr. Jaua. | A Foreign Ministry official refused to provide copies of the documents cited by Mr. Jaua. |
| Mr. Maduro, who was elected in April, ordered the expulsion of the American chargé d’affaires and two other American diplomats in September. In March, on the same day that his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, died, he said he was expelling two American military attachés. In both cases, he said the officials were plotting against his government. | Mr. Maduro, who was elected in April, ordered the expulsion of the American chargé d’affaires and two other American diplomats in September. In March, on the same day that his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, died, he said he was expelling two American military attachés. In both cases, he said the officials were plotting against his government. |