VZCZCXYZ0013
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSO #0625 3291159
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241159Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8727
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9883
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8927
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 3212
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000625
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 XM XR BR
SUBJECT: Chavez- The Oligarch - Sao Paulo Media Reaction
Title- Chavez, the Oligarch
Lead editorial in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (November 23)
says: "...In any country governed for almost ten years by a
president with a 62% popularity rating, the conquest, by the
opposition, of some rich and populous States would be a setback for
him - in Chavez's case, this would be a disaster. First of all,
because this would destroy forever the image of unbeatable chief at
the ballot box... and secondly, but no less important, because it is
from the control of the states that Hugo Chavez intends to
resuscitate the Bolivarian constitution - which transformed
Venezuela into a socialist country, without capitalism and private
initiative, in addition to allow indefinite re-election -, which was
repudiated by the voters. The Bolivarian dictatorship of Chavez is
no different from typical Latin American military dictatorships.
Established to repair deteriorated political practices, to put the
richness of the country at the people's service and modernize
institutions and the national economy, in a very short period of
time it has transformed itself into all that it promised to
combat."
White