MEDIA REACTION ON OAS, JUNE 02, 2005

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001185

SIPDIS

FOR IIP/G/WHA AND IIP/T/ES,
FOR WHA/PDA, WHA/USOAS, AND WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP PREL KPAO PGOV KDEM HO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON OAS, JUNE 02, 2005



1. On 6/02, the San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo"
carried an op-ed by Pedro A. Brizuela entitled "Where the
OAS is heading." "In the OAS Secretary General election we
have witnessed events that haven't happened in the past. For
the first time Latin AMERICA made a proposition to the U.S.
for a peaceful change in inter-American relationships. It is
true that there is no existing document but the message
relies on the facts. The recent events indicate that the OAS
is heading southward."

"South AMERICA is changing the region's politic view towards
Latin America's dignity and democracy. We have been living
until now in a false system; the so-called democracy is
artificial. We are now harvesting this human misery where
the government has become a cave of Ali Baba and its 40
officials."

"The North American government has become the `big loser' by
failing to place one of its unconditional candidates as
Secretary General. But is the OAS a different institution?

SIPDIS
We all have witnessed that the OAS has been a docile
instrument of the unconditional power of the U.S. to impose
its authority to Latin America."

"There will be two very difficult aspects to change in the
OAS: its mercenary conduct and bad reputation. The first
aspect will be determined by the resistance of Latin
American societies and Uncle Sam's pressure to impose its
will on the region. The bad reputation will depend on the
corrections of past mistakes. But what seems clearer each
time is the changes in social policies. The OAS always blew
north now the winds go south."

Palmer