Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MADRID194
2007-02-06 11:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
SPAIN: TELEFONICA'S VIEW OF VENEZUELA AND REST OF
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UNCLAS MADRID 000194
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/FO (DMCCARTHY) AND EUR/WE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ECPS EFIN ETRD PREL
SUBJECT: SPAIN: TELEFONICA'S VIEW OF VENEZUELA AND REST OF
LATIN AMERICA
UNCLAS MADRID 000194
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/FO (DMCCARTHY) AND EUR/WE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ECPS EFIN ETRD PREL
SUBJECT: SPAIN: TELEFONICA'S VIEW OF VENEZUELA AND REST OF
LATIN AMERICA
1. DCM, accompanied by ECONOFF, met February 5 with Jose
Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez, President of Telefonica
International, to discuss Chavez's telcoms (e.g., CANTV)
nationalization threats and their potential impact on
Telefonica's Venezuela operations/investment.
Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica was very concerned by
Chavez's public remarks, but noted that it was still not
clear what he actually intended to do. The details of
Chavez's plans remain obscure (e.g., nationalization or
expropriation, cell or just land lines, price to be paid) and
until they were clarified, Telefonica could not assess their
impact on its Venezuela operations/investment. To try to
gain clarity, Alvarez-Pallete would fly to Caracas February
6. Alvarez-Pallete noted that Telefonica International
enjoyed a good working relationship with Verizon
International and that both were waiting for Telmex's offer
for Verizon's stake in CANTV (if not rendered moot by
Chavez's plans).
2. Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica's mobile phone
operation was far more important than its seven percent stake
in CANTV. He said that Telefonica was the largest of the
three players in the Venezuelan cell phone market (40 percent
market share) and was making money in the business.
Telefonica's problem, however, was repatriating profits out
of Venezuela.
3. Turning briefly to the rest of the continent,
Alvarez-Pallete said that the alleged leftist drift of Latin
America had been exaggerated and that Latin America at the
end of 2006 enjoyed a better business climate than at the
beginning of that year. He cited successful elections and
stable business climates in Brazil and Mexico, as well as the
stability of the Chilean, Peruvian and Central American
markets. He argued that Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador were
the exceptions, not the rule. He also stressed that
Telefonica was making money in Argentina and was in the
Argentine market for the long-haul, notwithstanding the
mercurial nature of the Argentine leadership.
4. Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica did business in
every Latin American country with the exception of Paraguay,
Bolivia and one other country whose name he could not recall.
He said that Telefonica participated in a group of 20-25
businesses that advised the Spanish political leadership with
respect to Spain's Latin America policy. He noted that
Telefonica was not in the U.S. market (except for a corporate
office in Miami) and was still smarting from its 2000
purchase of Lycos just before the tech bubble busted (a
operation in which he admitted that Telefonica "lost its
shirt"). He did underscore, however, that 20-30 percent of
Telefonica's stock was held by U.S. individuals and entities.
Asked for his views about U.S. policy in Latin America,
Alvarez-Pallete encouraged U.S. business to stay in the
region, noting that U.S, influence would decline if U.S.
business abandoned the playing field.
Aguirre
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/FO (DMCCARTHY) AND EUR/WE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ECPS EFIN ETRD PREL
SUBJECT: SPAIN: TELEFONICA'S VIEW OF VENEZUELA AND REST OF
LATIN AMERICA
1. DCM, accompanied by ECONOFF, met February 5 with Jose
Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez, President of Telefonica
International, to discuss Chavez's telcoms (e.g., CANTV)
nationalization threats and their potential impact on
Telefonica's Venezuela operations/investment.
Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica was very concerned by
Chavez's public remarks, but noted that it was still not
clear what he actually intended to do. The details of
Chavez's plans remain obscure (e.g., nationalization or
expropriation, cell or just land lines, price to be paid) and
until they were clarified, Telefonica could not assess their
impact on its Venezuela operations/investment. To try to
gain clarity, Alvarez-Pallete would fly to Caracas February
6. Alvarez-Pallete noted that Telefonica International
enjoyed a good working relationship with Verizon
International and that both were waiting for Telmex's offer
for Verizon's stake in CANTV (if not rendered moot by
Chavez's plans).
2. Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica's mobile phone
operation was far more important than its seven percent stake
in CANTV. He said that Telefonica was the largest of the
three players in the Venezuelan cell phone market (40 percent
market share) and was making money in the business.
Telefonica's problem, however, was repatriating profits out
of Venezuela.
3. Turning briefly to the rest of the continent,
Alvarez-Pallete said that the alleged leftist drift of Latin
America had been exaggerated and that Latin America at the
end of 2006 enjoyed a better business climate than at the
beginning of that year. He cited successful elections and
stable business climates in Brazil and Mexico, as well as the
stability of the Chilean, Peruvian and Central American
markets. He argued that Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador were
the exceptions, not the rule. He also stressed that
Telefonica was making money in Argentina and was in the
Argentine market for the long-haul, notwithstanding the
mercurial nature of the Argentine leadership.
4. Alvarez-Pallete said that Telefonica did business in
every Latin American country with the exception of Paraguay,
Bolivia and one other country whose name he could not recall.
He said that Telefonica participated in a group of 20-25
businesses that advised the Spanish political leadership with
respect to Spain's Latin America policy. He noted that
Telefonica was not in the U.S. market (except for a corporate
office in Miami) and was still smarting from its 2000
purchase of Lycos just before the tech bubble busted (a
operation in which he admitted that Telefonica "lost its
shirt"). He did underscore, however, that 20-30 percent of
Telefonica's stock was held by U.S. individuals and entities.
Asked for his views about U.S. policy in Latin America,
Alvarez-Pallete encouraged U.S. business to stay in the
region, noting that U.S, influence would decline if U.S.
business abandoned the playing field.
Aguirre