K MAY WANT GOOD RELATIONS, BUT GOA DEFENSIVE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000576

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL AR VZ BO UR
SUBJECT: K MAY WANT GOOD RELATIONS, BUT GOA DEFENSIVE OF
USG CRITICISM OF CHAVEZ RALLY

REF: BUENOS AIRES

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. "Kirchner truly believes that the USG
abandoned Argentina," Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan
told the Ambassador on March 20 in an attempt to explain why
Kirchner allowed Venezuelan President Chavez to host an
anti-US rally in Buenos Aires during President Bush's visit
to Uruguay. Garcia Moritan insisted, however, that Kirchner
also wants a good relationship with the US government despite
recent events, adding that Kirchner called Evo Morales to ask
him not to join the March 9 Chavez rally in Buenos Aires. He
suggested that the relationship move forward at the
Ministerial level with Argentina perhaps proposing a joint
initiative that could be developed together.


2. (C) Local press coverage of Under Secretary Burns's
remarks to the Council of the Americas on March 22 was
largely balanced, noting his praise for Argentina's
cooperation on Iran, Haiti, and non-proliferation issues, as
well as his criticism that the GOA decision to allow Chavez's
anti-US summit was "unfortunate" and "inappropriate".
Foreign Minister Taiana, Cabinet Chief Fernandez, and
Interior Minister Fernandez all strongly rejected the USG
criticism, characterizing the rally as a legitimate form of
freedom of expression. Taiana called Burns's comments
"unacceptable." Kirchner still has not reacted to Under
Secretary Burns's remarks, and it is possible that the

SIPDIS
statements from his Cabinet chiefs are an attempt to preempt
Kirchner from saying something that could escalate the
rhetoric and potentially damage the bilateral relationship.
End Summary.

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DFM Garcia Moritan on K's Abandonment Issues
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3. (C) During a March 20 one-on-one meeting with Argentine
Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan (protect),the
Ambassador expressed in detail our serious dismay at the
GoA's decision to host Chavez's anti-U.S. rally during
President Bush's visit to Uruguay. Garcia Moritan disclosed
that Kirchner originally turned down Chavez's request that
Argentina host the rally and that Kirchner only conceded
later the same day when Chavez persisted. Although Kirchner
allowed the Chavez rally to take place, he drew the line at
Chavez's invitation for Bolivian President Morales to join in
the rally, calling Morales asking him not to attend, Garcia
Moritan claimed.


4. (C) In an attempt to explain why Kirchner ultimately
allowed the rally to take place, Garcia Moritan cited several
reasons. First, he said that "Kirchner truly believes the
USG abandoned Argentina." Second, he reiterated that, at the
November 2005 Summit of the Americas, Kirchner was
particularly upset over the USG's decision not to include
language addressing the Falklands/Malvinas islands
sovereignty question in the Summit declaration. Third, he
stated that Kirchner was concerned that the U.S. was trying
to divide Mercosur by visiting only Brazil and Uruguay.
Nevertheless, Garcia Moritan stated that at the same time,
Kirchner genuinely wants to improve US-Argentine relations,
thus his attempt to distance himself and the GOA from the
March 9 rally. Garcia Moritan stated that he understood that
relations at the Presidential level would most likely not be
repaired, but suggested that the relationship should move
forward at the Ministerial level. He suggested, for example,
that Foreign Minister Taiana might propose a joint
U.S.-Argentine initiative of some sort that could be
developed together. Garcia Moritan repeated several times
that the U.S. and Argentina have such an important bilateral
relationship on such topics as non-proliferation,
counter-terrorism, fighting drugs, Haiti, etc., that we need
to work hard to keep the cooperation moving ahead.

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Press on Burns's remarks is balanced...
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5. (SBU) On March 22, newswires reported Under Secretary
Burns's remarks to the Council of the Americas where he
discussed the President's positive agenda for Latin America
and criticized Argentina for its decision to allow Chavez to
organize an anti-U.S. rally during President Bush's trip to
Uruguay. Local press reports on March 23 were largely
balanced, noting that Burns praised Argentina for its
cooperation on Iran and Haiti, its leadership on

non-proliferation issues, and its efforts to bring to justice
the perpetrators of the 1990s terrorist attacks on the
Israeli Embassy and the Argentine Israeli Mutul Association
center. At the same time, the press reported Burns's
characterization of the anti-US rally as "unfortunate" and
"inappropriate" and his request that Argentina's policy of
"friendship" with the United States be more "coherent" and
"consistent" to help strengthen the bilateral relationship.


6. (SBU) One article noted that the USG response to the
anti-Bush rally took place thirteen days after the incident
and suggested that the delay in response reflected
Washington's decision not to dignify the event with an
immediate response. The same article speculated that
Kirchner's decision to allow the rally to take place was a
signal directed more at Uruguay than United States, given
heightened tensions between Argentina and Uruguay over the
pulp mills dispute.

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...but GOA calls comments "unacceptable" claiming rally was a
legitimate form of free speech
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7. (SBU) FM Taiana, who is currently accompanying First
Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on a trip to
Ecuador and Venezuela, stated from Quito that it was
"unacceptable" for Under Secretary Burns to "criticize a
public rally organized by civil society organizations and a
South American President. The rally was an exercise in
freedom of speech which is appropriate in all democratic
countries." Local press also reported Chief of Cabinet
Alberto Fernandez and Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez
separately asserting that the USG should respect GoA
decisions and not interfere in the affairs of other
countries. Neither Burns nor anyone else will tell Kirchner
what he can and cannot do. Cabinet Chief Fernandez described
the rally as a gathering held by a president of a sister
nation for his Argentine supporters. Both compared the
Chavez gathering in Buenos Aires to his appearance in Harlem
during the September 2006 UNGA, and questioned why Chavez
should be allowed to hold a rally in New York but not Buenos
Aires.


8. (SBU) Argentine Ambassador to the United States Jose
Bordon stated in an interview with Radio Diez that Burns's
remarks do not equate to a formal complaint. He said the USG
has a right to be bothered by the incident, and Argentina has
a right to respect the freedom of expression within its own
borders. He highlighted that the government did not
participate in the rally, and compared the event to the
freedom of expression that Argentine diplomats exercise when
they travel to Venezuela and meet with the government as well
as the opposition.


9. (C) In a March 22 conversation between the Ambassador
and Argentine Ambassador Bordon, both expressed concern over
how President Kirchner would react to the Under Secretary's
comments. Bordon indicated that he he had already reached
out to FM Taiana urgining him to work to avoid a public
response by the President. Comment: It is possible that
Taiana's statement and subsequent comments from Kirchner's
Cabinet Chief and Interior Minister are an attempt to preempt
Kirchner from saying something that could escalate the
rhetoric and potentially do more serious damage to the
bilateral relationship.

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Comment
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10. (C) The public comments by Under Secretary Burns on USG
disapproval of the Chavez rally on March 9, while very
balanced and polite (and accepted as such by much of the
press) apparently left the GOA leadership feeling it needed
to respond quickly and harshly. The public comments by three
Ministers on March 23 may be the end of this latest exchange.
Whether the statements by members of Kirchner's Cabinet will
preempt Kirchner from railing against the United States, as
he is wont to do, remains to be seen. We note his recent
public snipe at "countries that abandoned Argentina." End
Comment.
WAYNE