MEDIA REACTION BOLIVIAN AGRARIAN REFORM US

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001059 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION BOLIVIAN AGRARIAN REFORM US CANCELING HUMALA'S US VISA VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S INTERVENTIONISM IN LATIN AMERICA UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL EU-LATIN AMERICAN SUMMIT US MILITARY UNIPOLARITY 05/10/06 ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's key international stories include the prevailing fear in Bolivia due to the Government's planned agrarian reform; the US canceling Ollanta Humala's US visa; Brazilian President Lula's irritation with Venezuelan President Chavez's interventionism in the region; the Kirchner administration's economic performance; Argentina becoming a member of the UN Human Rights Council; President Kirchner's trip to Vienna to participate in the EU/Latin American Summit; and the academic establishment's criticism of the "US military unipolarity." ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES - "Fear in Bolivia due to the agrarian reform" Daily-of-record "La Nacion" remarks (05/10/06) "Bolivian business assemblies and federations harshly questioned the government plan to redistribute unused productive lands among farmers with a forecasted initial reversion rate ranging from 11 to 14 million hectares. "Mauricio Roca, head of the East Agricultural Chamber of Commerce, said 'We will not allow this to happen. It is not acceptable that decades of family tradition and sacrifice are damaged by a political act.' "... The measure could benefit some 2.5 million people, and it could affect foreign land owners... The amount in hectares corresponds to roughly 10% of the national territory. According to a 2003 governmental report, 87% of productive lands are owned by 7% of owners of agricultural establishments." - "The US cancels Humala's visa due to 'acts against democracy'" Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (05/10) "Less than one month away from Peruvian runoff election, the US Embassy in Lima cancelled Ollanta Humala's visa to the US... "According to a spokesperson, authorities made this decision based on the fact that US visas are automatically canceled in the event 'the person is involved in some act against a democratic regime.'" - "In praise of populism?" Michael Soltys, executive editor of liberal, English- language "Buenos Aires Herald," writes (05/10) "... President Nestor Kirchner's unerring ability to do everything wrong and get everything right continues to baffle economists and laypeople alike with the question: 'How long can this last? undoubtedly the most common in both business and general circles. "With three consecutive years of nine percent growth showing every sign of heading into a fourth, it is perhaps time that the sustainability of Argentina's current economic model received a more in-depth answer than being attributed to pickup, good luck with the international trade cycle, import substitution or any other pat explanation. "... Perhaps the key question concerning the sustainability of this model thus lies in the medium term and the answer to that question is anybody's guess." - "Lula is bothered with Chavez due to his interventionism in the region" Business-financial "El Cronista" reports (05/10) "According to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, Brazilian President Lula warned his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, that his regional interference will harm South American integration and its project to manufacture a gas pipe line. "The Brazilian Senate Foreign Relations and Defense Committee asked Amorim what the impact will be in Brazil of the recent Bolivian nationalization of hydrocarbons... Several senators criticized Chavez's participation in the Puerto Iguazu presidential summit, held last week." - "Argentina obtained support and it will become a member of the UN Human Rights Council" Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," comments (05/10) "Argentina obtained broad support in yesterday's elections in the UN General Assembly to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council. "Thank to the energetic international lobbying of the Argentine Foreign Ministry and particularly by Argentine Ambassador to the UN Cesar Mayoral, our country obtained 158 votes to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council." - "With the burden of all the problems" Fernando Cibeira, on special assignment to Vienna for left-of-center "Pagina 12," writes (05/10) "President Nestor Kirchner will arrive today in Vienna to participate in the EU-Latin American Summit, which will reveal more conflicts than agreement. "On the one hand, we have the eternal trade disagreement between the European and Latin American administrations over farm subsidies. "To this disagreement, the new clashes in Latin America, Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations will add themselves. "In this way, the expectations of Kirchner's visit will be focused on bilateral meetings to be held with European leaders and on the news regarding the paper mills conflict. The Argentine government is trying to lower expectations regarding both issues." - "The battle over the paper mills sways between Washington and Vienna" Eduardo van der Kooy, political columnist of leading "Clarin," comments (05/10) "The conflict over the paper mills between Argentina and Uruguay seems to be abandoning its natural scenario... Nestor Kirchner and Tabare Vazquez have decided to take their conflict out to the world. Both presidents will meet tomorrow at the EU-Latin American Summit. "... The Argentine Government's expectations are focused on Washington rather than on Vienna. The World Bank notified its plans to have environmental guarantees before deciding whether it will grant the loans requested by Botnia and ENCE to manufacture the paper mills." - "'Realism' recovers some space in the US" Leading "Clarin" carries an op-ed piece by Fabian Calle, political analyst and professor of International relations at UCA and UTDT, who writes (05/10) "The academic establishment of 'internationalists' at the main US universities has started to criticize the (US) military plans to stop Iran's nuclear program. "... It is not the first time that the realistic 'think tank' of US academic circles firmly criticizes the wars decided by Washington. "... To this debate we should add the criticism from a number of high-ranking US army officials of the way the Bush administration, and particularly Secretary Rumsfeld, have carried out the invasion and then the anti-insurgent war in Iraq. "... The prevailing tension with Iran will do nothing but deepen the current debate, and we will see whether comments made by realistic academicians and military have more influence than neo-conservatives and the US military unipolarity itself." ¶3. EDITORIALS - "The conflict between Venezuela and Peru" An editorial in leading "Clarin" reads (05/10) "In an unacceptable intervention in the Peruvian domestic affairs, Chavez gave explicit support for Ollanta Humala, and made insulting statements about Garcia... "The interdependence among Latin American policies and the foreign framework in which they work call for common approaches rather than rhetorical clashes among their leaders, which have negative consequences for all involved countries and for the rest of the region." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires GUTIERREZ