Wikileaks: Catholic Bishop Attempts Subversion of Venezuelan Government

[justinaforjustice]

The Catholic Archbishop of Merida State in Venezuela has long been actively working to subvert the Chavez government, but the just published Wikileaks cable from the then U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela details that the Archbishop was expressly asking the U.S. to increase its own subversive efforts in Ve:

http://cablesearch.org/cable/view.php?id=05CARACAS90&hl=Hugo+Chavez

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 00009
SIPDIS

NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON
HQ USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KIRF VE
SUBJECT: ARCHBISHOP URGES MORE USG CRITICISM OF CHAVEZ

Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor,
for Reasons 1.4(b).

-------
Summary
-------

¶1. (C) Venezuelan Archbishop Baltazar Porras, head of the
council of Catholic bishops of Venezuela, told Ambassador
January 6 the USG ought to be more outspoken in its criticism
of HUGO CHAVEZ. Porras urged more international community
involvement to contain CHAVEZ's regional aspirations, though
he admitted that political will to do so is minimal. He
asserted that CHAVEZ will continue to dismantle democratic
civil society such as organized labor, the business sector,
and the church. The Archbishop lamented the GOV's subtle
campaign to sideline the church from its traditional work in
poor neighborhoods, the educational system, and the military.
End Summary.

--------------------------------------------- -----
Senior Church Leader Urges Engagement, Containment
--------------------------------------------- -----

¶2. (C) At the invitation of the Papal Nuncio, the Ambassador
attended a lunch on January 6 with Baltazar Porras,
Archbishop of Merida and head of the Venezuela Council of
Bishops (CEV). Porras, one of President HUGO CHAVEZ's
strongest public critics, told the Ambassador that there is
widespread perception among the opposition that the USG
softened its message against CHAVEZ after the August 2004
referendum because of energy interests. Porras suggested
that the USG be more clear and public in its criticism of the
CHAVEZ administration.

¶3. (C) Porras said the international community also needs to
work and speak out more to contain CHAVEZ and the export of
his revolution. Porras said most regional governments have
deferred to Brazilian President Ignacio "Lula" da Silva to
handle CHAVEZ because the two share leftist ideologies. Lula
has been unwilling to engage, however, which has stymied
regional efforts to contain CHAVEZ, the Archbishop asserted.
Porras said the Europeans have been just as weak on CHAVEZ,
especially since the departure of Spanish President Jose
Maria Aznar. The Archbishop said that both Latin America and
Europe need strong leadership from the USG.

-------------------------

The Archbishop should be prosecuted for treason, or at least have the tax-free status of his church removed.

[malaise]

1. They always support the right wing elements

and them claim to care for the poor.

[davidinalameda]

2. treason?

speaking out against Chavez is now treason?

not surprised that people think that

[demosincebirth]

3. I guess here on DU it is...uh, just against Chavez

[justinaforjustice]

6. Subversion of Democratically Elected Government.

Under the U.S. Constitution, treason is:

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

The U.S. is certainly an enemy of Venezuela, and he was "adhering" to the enemy and giving "aid and comfort" to the U.S. by going to the U.S. Embassy and inviting the U.S. to involve itself and its financial resources in the local acts of the Venezuelan Catholic Church in order to subvert the democratically elected government.

So yes, under U.S. law, the Archbishop could arguably be tried for treason. He certainly could be prosecuted criminally for violating the U.S. law against negotiating with officers of foreign states without government authorization.

[RZM]

4. 'Prosecuted for teason?'

I'm not sure prosecuting a religious figure for speaking out against Chavez would send the right message, if you catch my drift . . .

[Arctic Dave]

5. I don't know if what the bishop is doing is treason as much as he pissed

their racket is being shut down.