Paraguayan Media Focuses on Chavez Barbs at US and

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASUNCION 000807

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA, PDAS DERHAM, DAS JEWELL; WHA/PD
(GOULD); R/PPR (WHITAKER)
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS; LAC/AA
FRANCO
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY, TOM SHANNON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO PA
SUBJECT: Paraguayan Media Focuses on Chavez Barbs at US and
Venezuelan Oil Deal



1. SUMMARY: News coverage of the 06/20 speeches of
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the Paraguayan Congress
and the National University focused on comments attacking
the United States and Chavez' interpretation of the benefits
of an anticipated Venezuelan/Paraguayan oil deal. Coverage
in newspapers was extensive and TV covered the speeches, at
least in part, live, as did news radio channels. END
SUMMARY.

U.S. BASHING
--------------

2. In his 6/20 visit to the Paraguayan Congress, Chavez
spoke for about three hours in which he insisted that Latin
American countries should break up with "imperialist
domination," especially with the U.S. and build a new model
of development based on national projects where the
priority, among other things, is the recuperation of the
natural energy resources which are in the hands of
multinational companies. Chavez criticized heavily
President Bush and referred to him as "Mister Danger" --
accusing him of being a danger to humanity.


3. In this speech, he also referred to 9/11 -- describing a
book written by "a man" who recounts his experience after he
visited the place where the Twin Towers were destroyed and
how he became aware of what he had done in his life. Chavez
said this man called himself an "economic assassin" and
realized that the planes that crashed were a result of the
"American century." Chavez said that, in a way, this is a
response, a response he does not agree with, but somehow a
response to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Afghanistan, Iraq,
Fallujah, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guantanamo, etc.


4. In separate comments at the end of the Mercosur Summit,
Chavez was quoted by several newspapers as saying "Whoever
wants to see hell, should take the path recommended by
Washington," apparently in response to positive comments by
Colombian President Uribe.


5. In "La Nacion," Paraguay's third-largest and business-
oriented daily, Chavez was quoted as saying that "Capitalism
is the devil itself and its paths lead to hell." The paper
noted negative remarks about U.S. economic policy and the
use of nicknames referring to President Bush were cheered by
the audience during the speeches at the Congress and
University. (Note: The audience at the Congress included
many guests from outside Congress -- including the Cuban
Ambassador to Paraguay and members of campesino groups.) At
the university, Chavez said that, like him, Castro feels
young because he continues believing in the revolution and
in fighting against the system imposed from the "empire," as
he called the U.S.

Oil for ???
--------------

6. Major attention was also paid in the media to Chavez'
comments about the benefits of a deal for inexpensive oil to
Paraguay via a special credit granted by his government to
Paraguay.


7. "ABC Color," Paraguay's largest and most influential
daily, under the title "The trickery of the Venezuelan
President" in its lead editorial on 06/21 said: "...This is
simple sophistry from Chavez ... If he really wanted to help
Paraguay, Chavez would have authorized blank credit to
advance education and public health -- not for the purchase
of oil that the state monopoly, Petropar, commercializes in
the internal market.... The silent majority of the
population, honest and hardworking people who love their
country and want to see an end to backwardness, poverty and
defeat, as well as the politicians who still have a minimum
of patriotism, should be alert and firmly reject this
trickery of Hugo Chavez, who only seeks to acquire influence
over Paraguayan politics and economy through our dependence
on financed oil."

Almost On The Air and Almost Not in Print
--------------

8. In media reports, Chavez also announced that cable
channel TEVESUR will launch in August as a Latin American
alternative to CNN.


9. A "chavista" show in a bar downtown is the title of an
article run by "ABC Color." Chavez entered a downtown bar
with a group of people. A photographer from ABC snapped a
photo of Chavez. One of the Venezuelan president's security
guards grabbed the photographer's press credential and
demanded the photo chip. The reporter took refuge with
other people from the newspaper nearby and eventually the
guard returned the credential when they had to admit that
Chavez was in a public place and it was not an official act
restricted to media photo ops only.

COMMENT
--------------

10. Chavez' knack for spicy material for the media
guarantees him coverage in sensation-loving Paraguayan
media. At the same time, the media recognize his
tendencies, referring to him as 'noisy' in the gossip
columns and in the one editorial published to date
concerning his remarks, as full of trickery. END COMMENT.
JOHNSONKEANE