MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 16, 2005

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001290 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE, WHA/EPSC AND WHA/CEN DEPT. PASS USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO ETRD HO USTR SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 16, 2005 ¶1. Editorial in San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" on 6/16, titled "North-South." "In the North American view, Latin America is actually divided into two blocks, with different objectives and point of views concerning the continental future and also a different political conceptualization. The blocks' `North-South' structure implies countries grouping themselves together according to their interests and their political orientation and their commercial relationships with the U.S." "There is now a more concrete alignment: the North block is compose of the U.S., Mexico, Canada, which are associated by CAFTA. In addition Chile, Central American countries, Dominican Republic which are in progress of establishing a similar CAFTA, and maybe Colombia. The South block is composed of Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and which, according to Ambassador Rocha, former U.S. ambassador, doesn't have commercial relationships or a significant population presence with the U.S." "For example, within the mechanical conception it would be necessary to explain Mexico's situation and its historical bipolar relationships with the U.S. and also with Canada with its Anglo-French dichotomy. There are two Mexicos, the north and south. South is in an integration process with Central America and in part with Colombia in the Puebla- Panama Plan context, Mexico's development plan." "On the other hand we shouldn't leave the existence of Latin American common culture unwarned which also plays a preponderant role in the towns' relationships. Teddy Roosevelt's `Panamericanism' (`America for all Americans') didn't disappear, even less no other exceeded it. The `Americanism' of the great Latin American thinkers haven't lost value, they even have new spirit." "It's very clear that within the `panamericanist' model there has been transcendental progress, like the politics of the `good neighbor' President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Alliance for Progress by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, naturally derived from World War II and its extension to the Cold War which in the end reunited Germany and the European Union arose. This new version of U.S. continental politics, including the `panamericanism,' comes from a particular interpretation in leading the world war against terrorism. In these conditions the theory offers big gaps and formidable concerns."