UNTIMELY CHAVEZ-LULA VISIT

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002153 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV BR SUBJECT: UNTIMELY CHAVEZ-LULA VISIT ¶1. (U) On August 11 Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez made a stop-off in Brasilia during a quick tour of South American countries, and called on President Lula da Silva. Over dinner, official releases from the presidency indicate they discussed bilateral relations, focusing on a joint venture between the two country's parastatal petroleum companies, Brazil's Petrobras and Venezuela's PDVSA. Although the presidency affirmed the focus of the meeting was the &strategic alliance8 forged between the two in February, many political analysts here questioned the timing of Chavez's sudden visit (announced only yesterday) in light of the corruption scandals that have rocked the GOB. Some analysts posit that the house call was really a disguised political huddle between South America's most prominent left-of-center leaders. ¶2. (U) Both opposition figures and some media criticized the visit as inappropriate in light of the current political crisis in Brazil. Chavez was uncharacteristically evasive with the press, although he did apparently leave one sound bite behind in which he claimed Lula's woes were the result of a rightist conspiracy. Lula has reportedly bristled at recent critical comparisons of his appeals to lower class voters for support amidst the crisis with populist tactics of the Venezuelan leader. In that sense his meeting with Chavez at this juncture seems jarringly ill-timed. ¶3. (SBU) We are seeking additional information on the meeting with presidency officials at the earliest opportunity. LINEHAN