VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSO #0176 0721704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131704Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6519
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7627
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7874
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2738
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT BUSH TRAVEL TO BRAZIL; WESTERN
HEMISPHERE: VENEZUELA, CHAVEZ'S REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
INFLUENCE; SAO PAULO
1. "Chances And Obstacles Of A Positive Agenda With The US"
Business-oriented Valor Economico (3/13) editorialized: "President
Bush's goal today is to recover his popularity in the final half of
his second term, as well as to recover some maneuvering room before
Republican and Democratic Congress members and improve as best he
can the Republican Party's electoral chances. Bush's selective tour
in Latin America is part of this forced strategic realignment, in
which Brazil has a relevant role to perform as became evident in the
US President's visit to Sao Paulo.... President Bush has given
international visibility to the Brazilian ethanol program.... Bush's
intention is to become free from dependence on oil supplies from
chronically instable nations, such as those in the Middle East, or
those ruled by hostile governments, like Venezuela.... The exchange
of fossil fuels for ethanol is feasible and necessary to reduce the
effects of gas emissions that contribute to global warming -
something that Bush refuses to consider.... But the good [USG]
intentions have been tied to the old US protectionism, whose
barriers increase the price of imported ethanol by 46%.... There is
room for productive understanding both in regards to the US policy
for ethanol and the Doha Round negotiations. Without great
expectations, but with the necessary pragmatism, it is possible to
advance in this path. This may become clearer after President Lula's
upcoming visit to the US later this month."
2. "Positive Agenda And Subservience"
Former Brazilian Ambassador in Washington Rubens Barbosa commented
in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (3/13): "President Bush's visit
to Brazil helped the GOB to expand its relationship with the US.
Such an evolution is welcome and cannot and should not be considered
subservience to the US as the attitude of those who urge this
'renewal' has been unfairly classified by the GOB.... We hope that
beginning with this adjustment, which is still in rhetorical stage,
more pragmatic measures will prevail in the formulation of Brazil's
foreign policy and trade negotiations."
3. "Colonel Chvez's Axis"
Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo (3/13)
maintained: "The Caracas-Buenos Aires-La Paz axis that Colonel Hugo
Chvez believes he is creating is not promising. The Venezuelan
caudillo has only one advantage: his nation's treasury is full of
petrodollars that he does not hesitate in distributing in the
process of luring allies. But many factors conspire against him.
First, his 'Bolivarian' project, even vague as it was, had a
reasonably romantic character that could attract ingenuous
followers. But the evolution of that project, the '21st Century
socialism,' is nonsense that frightens all those who become
acquainted with it. Second, the Colonel has been showing for a long
time his dictatorial vocation, and not all Latin American populist
leaders are willing to follow him. Finally, Hugo Chvez is a big
mouth boaster who in his crazy speeches spreads insults and
aggression in all directions - and as a result of this behavior,
causes constraints that not all 'compaeros' are willing to
tolerate.... Chvez believes that all Latin America has latent a
germ of anti-Americanism, and he is trying to exploit this
characteristic. Actually, he created a foreign enemy to have a
pretext - which is classic in the history of dictatorships - to
eliminate fundamental rights and civil liberties of his people."
McMullen