MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: VENEZUELA; SAO PAULO.

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000869 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: VENEZUELA; SAO PAULO. ¶1. Venezuela Begins To React An editorial in center-right national circulation daily O Estado de ¶S. Paulo (10/27) maintained: "It's certain that in a few days the Venezuelan National Assembly will approve a reform aimed at establishing in that nation a regime that will submit all political, economic, social and cultural activities to the will of a single man. This is in fact the ultimate purpose of a reform tailored according to and for Hugo Chvez: to give an aspect of constitutional legitimacy to a dictatorship. But, one can also certainly notice that Hugo Chvez no longer has the support from all the Venezuelan society.... Significant portions of the population have realized that Chavism is not only a populist fashion or a legitimate alternative to many decades of political alternation in power of two corrupted parties, but a real and immediate threat to individual and political liberties.... The most visible demonstration so far was the students' march through Caracas streets last Tuesday.... The Chvez-controlled National Assembly will approve a constitution that will sacrifice freedom. But the street demonstrations show that from now on Chvez cannot continue pretending to be a democratic government. Only repression through police and military force will be able to avoid that his reign finishes before he will." ¶2. Gift To Chvez Center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (10/28) editorialized: "The Brazilian government took another step towards presenting Mercosul to Venezuelan president Hugo Chvez and submitting Brazil's trade diplomacy to his interests and humor.... Those who accept Chvez's goals and methods as well as his militia as democratic, may also agree with them in Brazil and in the other nations of the region.... The conditions so far defined are only advantageous to Venezuela.... Chvez intends to have a Mercosul tailored according to his own conveniences, and he has never concealed this fact. On the contrary, he has already made clear his intention to liquidate the old Mercosul and create a new one in accordance with his criteria.... Venezuela's entry in Mercosul will not bring any gain to Brazilian trade.... Venezuela's admittance in Mercosul involves very serious risks greater than the envisioned benefits. It is still time to avoid it." White