148)
CONFIDENTIAL
153674 MDLIAN 1847
+KB 400
ACEIVED IN
"Y
07/1990
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1155
OF 04034OZ APRIL 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE CARACAS
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
146)
CARACAS TELNO 94: VENEZUELAN ACTING CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG
1.
WE WERE ASKED BY WAIZER TO BE AS DISCREET AS POSSIBLE OVER RAMIREZ'S SECOND COURT APPEARANCE AND HIS SUBSEQUENT DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG. WE WERE KEEN TO OBLIGE AS THE VENEZUELANS HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL IN ASSISTING WITH ENQUIRIES AT THIS END.
2. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE VENEZUELAN CONSULATE-GENERAL TOLD A REPORTER OVER THE WEEKEND THAT RAMIREZ HAD LEFT HONG KONG. IN RESPONDING TO PRESS QUERIES WE HAVE SAID: ''WE REQUESTED CERTAIN ASSURANCES FROM THE VENEZUELAN AUTHORITIES CONCERNING MR RAMIREZ. THE VENEZUELAN RESPONSE WAS POSITIVE AND MR RAMIREZ HAS LEFT HONG KONG TO RETURN TO VENEZUELA''.
3. THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO SENT IN NOTE FORM ON 3 APRIL TO ALL
MEMBERS OF THE CONSULAR CORPS.
4. COMMENT. THE MORE VOCIFEROUS REACTION TO THE RAMIREZ AFFAIR HAS COME FROM A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF THE CONSULS-GENERAL HERE. THE NORWEGIAN, WHO IS THE DEPUTY DOYEN, HAS BEEN RESTRAINED AND HAS GIVEN THE DOYEN SOME SOUND ADVICE. IT APPEARS THAT THE VENEZUELANS ARE ANXIOUS TO PLAY THE MATTER DOWN, AND PRESS INTEREST HERE SEEMS TO BE WANING.
WILSON
YYYY
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