MIDEAST: CHIRAC ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PLANS; WESTERN

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000090 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: MIDEAST: CHIRAC ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PLANS; WESTERN HEMISPHERE: VENEZUELA, CHAVEZ'S RULE BY DECREE; SAO PAULO ¶1. "Middle East Is A Politicians' Swamp" Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo's Paris correspondent Giles Lapouge commented (2/2): "Concerned with the idea that the world will be an orphan - when he leaves the presidency in two months - French President Jacques Chirac wanted to render a last service to the planet. Convinced that he could calm down both the furious Iranians in Tehran and nervous Americans in Washington, he told three perplexed journalists that, after all, it would not be that serious if Iran produced nuclear bombs and launched one or two of them over Israel.... Such a baroque idea was so original that it displeased everyone....By explaining that two Iranian bombs would not be even a needle prick, Chirac also disgusted Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad." ¶2. "The Danger Coming From The North" Political columnist Joao Mellao Neto wrote in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (2/2): "Democracy is not only the prevalence of the majority's will. Were that the cause, Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany could have been considered democratic. Democracy is also, and mainly, respect for the right of minorities, the free existence of autonomous institutions independent from the Executive.... The so-called 'popular will' is nothing but a semantic crutch supporting populist dictators to justify their arbitrariness.... Considering all this, is it possible to consider Hugo Chvez's Venezuela a democratic nation? Obviously not. But our unique president understands the contrary. According to what Lula has said, 'there is too much democracy in Venezuela, 'alluding to elections and referenda through which Chvez is increasingly becoming a dictator.... Everything would be much simpler if the problem were restricted to Venezuela. But Chvez has greater ambitions. He wants to become a continental leader and interferes in internal affairs of several nations of the region.... He is neither an idiot nor ignorant.... He knows exactly what he is doing and why he is doing that. The Brazilian government does not perceive the danger that he represents.... Chvez's intentions are clear and most of them hostile to Brazil. Lula is the only one who has not yet understood that.... Chvez has nothing to teach us, except how to kill a democracy." McMullen