Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SAOPAULO508
2006-05-11 12:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Sao Paulo
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: BOLIVIA, GAS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0046 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSO #0508 1311216 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 111216Z MAY 06 FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5031 INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6172 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7084 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2426
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000508
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: BOLIVIA, GAS
NATIONALIZATION, BRAZILIAN REACTION; SAO PAULO
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000508
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: BOLIVIA, GAS
NATIONALIZATION, BRAZILIAN REACTION; SAO PAULO
1. "Fake Nationalism"
Economist Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr. commented in liberal Folha de
S. Paulo (5/11): "Brazil must not react violently to the Bolivian
government's decisions. First, because Bolivia has its reasoning
and those reasons should not be underestimated. Second, because
aggravating the conflict is not in Brazil's interest. Despite
differences with [state-owned oil company] Petrobras and other
Brazilian companies, Bolivia is our natural ally. Retaliations and
drastic measures would affect not only our relations with that
nation, but with the entire South American integration project....
It is true that Brazil actually does not need the rest of South
America to build its economic and social development project. If our
neighbors decide to take the course of chaos or of mere
subordination to the US (one possibility does not exclude the
other),Brazil will not need to follow them.... The US will never
support the creation of a bloc in South America. But conditions
continue to be basically favorable to South American integration.
The so-called 'Washington Consensus' did not produce the expected
results. Economic policies supported by the USG and multilateral
financing organizations failed in many nations of the region. South
American political forces aligned with the US have successively
fallen either by electoral defeats or through popular rebellions.
Thanks to President Bush's truculence, the US prestige is declining
worldwide and in South America in particular.... The world will be
multi-polar regardless of what the ideologists who have predominated
in Bush administration want."
2. "The Foreign Minister's Testimony"
Center-right O Estado de S. Paulo editorialized (5/11): "The Lula
administration's foreign policy is based on two big mistakes. The
first was to think that Brazil and President Lula da Silva would
exert political and economic leadership in South America.... The
second was to divide the planning and the execution of foreign
policy between Foreign Minister Celso Amorim - who became
responsible for trade negotiations and the 'rest of the world, the
presidential advisor for international affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia
- in charge of Latin America and the relationship with 'brother
parties,' and the Foreign Ministry's secretary general, Samuel
Pinheiro Guimaraes - responsible for tailoring Brazilian diplomacy
according to Third World patterns. All setbacks and failures of
Brazilian foreign policy in these almost three and a half years have
resulted from these two capital sins. The attack against Brazilian
interests in Bolivia was just another one in a long series of
fiascos. The fact is that by making concession after concession,
Brazilian diplomacy has lost its strength, Hugo Chavez acts as
regional leader and Evo Morales felt at ease attacking Brazil with
the fait accompli of expropriating Petrobras' installations."
3. "Lula For President... In Bolivia"
University of Sao Paulo Economist Roberto Macedo underscored in
center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (5/11): "President Lula's posture
in the dispute between Brazil and Bolivia + Venezuela is shocking.
He has always argued for our adversaries as if he were the Bolivian
main leader.... In view of what has already occurred, the GOB should
have at least the common sense to give up the idea of the highly
expensive [Chavez-proposed South American] gas pipeline, which would
make Brazil dependent on gas supply from another nation ruled by an
unrealiable leader, Venezuela and its President Hugo Chavez. The
project's economic, environmental and political feasibility has not
yet been considered. Everything is based on the political will of a
trio of leaders, which includes the Argentine president, in a bad
arrangement according to which Brazil would assume the major risks
and probably the highest costs. What is clear in the Bolivian gas
question is that Brazilian interests have been poorly defended."
McMullen
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: BOLIVIA, GAS
NATIONALIZATION, BRAZILIAN REACTION; SAO PAULO
1. "Fake Nationalism"
Economist Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr. commented in liberal Folha de
S. Paulo (5/11): "Brazil must not react violently to the Bolivian
government's decisions. First, because Bolivia has its reasoning
and those reasons should not be underestimated. Second, because
aggravating the conflict is not in Brazil's interest. Despite
differences with [state-owned oil company] Petrobras and other
Brazilian companies, Bolivia is our natural ally. Retaliations and
drastic measures would affect not only our relations with that
nation, but with the entire South American integration project....
It is true that Brazil actually does not need the rest of South
America to build its economic and social development project. If our
neighbors decide to take the course of chaos or of mere
subordination to the US (one possibility does not exclude the
other),Brazil will not need to follow them.... The US will never
support the creation of a bloc in South America. But conditions
continue to be basically favorable to South American integration.
The so-called 'Washington Consensus' did not produce the expected
results. Economic policies supported by the USG and multilateral
financing organizations failed in many nations of the region. South
American political forces aligned with the US have successively
fallen either by electoral defeats or through popular rebellions.
Thanks to President Bush's truculence, the US prestige is declining
worldwide and in South America in particular.... The world will be
multi-polar regardless of what the ideologists who have predominated
in Bush administration want."
2. "The Foreign Minister's Testimony"
Center-right O Estado de S. Paulo editorialized (5/11): "The Lula
administration's foreign policy is based on two big mistakes. The
first was to think that Brazil and President Lula da Silva would
exert political and economic leadership in South America.... The
second was to divide the planning and the execution of foreign
policy between Foreign Minister Celso Amorim - who became
responsible for trade negotiations and the 'rest of the world, the
presidential advisor for international affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia
- in charge of Latin America and the relationship with 'brother
parties,' and the Foreign Ministry's secretary general, Samuel
Pinheiro Guimaraes - responsible for tailoring Brazilian diplomacy
according to Third World patterns. All setbacks and failures of
Brazilian foreign policy in these almost three and a half years have
resulted from these two capital sins. The attack against Brazilian
interests in Bolivia was just another one in a long series of
fiascos. The fact is that by making concession after concession,
Brazilian diplomacy has lost its strength, Hugo Chavez acts as
regional leader and Evo Morales felt at ease attacking Brazil with
the fait accompli of expropriating Petrobras' installations."
3. "Lula For President... In Bolivia"
University of Sao Paulo Economist Roberto Macedo underscored in
center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (5/11): "President Lula's posture
in the dispute between Brazil and Bolivia + Venezuela is shocking.
He has always argued for our adversaries as if he were the Bolivian
main leader.... In view of what has already occurred, the GOB should
have at least the common sense to give up the idea of the highly
expensive [Chavez-proposed South American] gas pipeline, which would
make Brazil dependent on gas supply from another nation ruled by an
unrealiable leader, Venezuela and its President Hugo Chavez. The
project's economic, environmental and political feasibility has not
yet been considered. Everything is based on the political will of a
trio of leaders, which includes the Argentine president, in a bad
arrangement according to which Brazil would assume the major risks
and probably the highest costs. What is clear in the Bolivian gas
question is that Brazilian interests have been poorly defended."
McMullen