Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08RIODEJANEIRO171
2008-06-30 19:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Cable title:  

Rio de Janeiro Pol/Econ Round-Up, June 2008

Tags:  ENRG EPET EIND PARM CASC PGOV BR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6660
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHRI #0171 1821902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301902Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4533
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0874
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 5165
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 3437
UNCLAS RIO DE JANEIRO 000171 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EPET EIND PARM CASC PGOV BR
SUBJECT: Rio de Janeiro Pol/Econ Round-Up, June 2008

Summary
-------

UNCLAS RIO DE JANEIRO 000171

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EPET EIND PARM CASC PGOV BR
SUBJECT: Rio de Janeiro Pol/Econ Round-Up, June 2008

Summary
--------------


1. The following are highlights of Political/Economic activity in
Rio de Janeiro's reporting district during the month of June 2008.

- Three Brazilian Youth Murdered by Rival Drug Dealers After Corrupt
Soldiers Turn Them Over
- Dual citizen killed by a military policeman in Rio
- Salvador: Return to Legacy Politics?
- Brazil Plans to Enrich Own Uranium by 2014

Three Brazilian Youth Murdered by Rival Drug Dealers After Corrupt
Soldiers Turn Them Over
--------------


2. On June 18, the bodies of three young men were discovered after
they had been tortured and murdered by rival drug dealers in Rio de
Janeiro. The boys had been abducted by Army soldiers deployed in
Morro da Providncia favela (shanty town) in the central part of the
city and "sold" to drug dealers in another favela. The Army had
been deployed to Morro da Providncia to provide security protection
for a social project "Cimento Social" sponsored by one of Rio's
Mayoral candidates (and current member of the Senate),Marcelo
Crivella.

Dual Citizen Killed By Military Policeman in Rio
--------------


3. Rio's State Attorney Marfan Vieira has promised to thoroughly
investigate the murder of student Daniel Duque, 18, outside an
Ipanema night club in the early hours of June 28. Duque was shot by
an on-duty military policeman working security detail for the son of
a district attorney. The policeman claims he acted in self defense.
The family of Daniel Duque, however, says he was shot in the back,
point-blank. Daniel's father, an American citizen, still resides in
the United States. Although Daniel lived almost his life in Brazil,
he was a dual citizen, and the family has requested support from the
U.S. Consulate in Rio to follow the criminal investigation.

Salvador: Return to Legacy Politics?
--------------


4. Salvador's mayoral race marks the likely return of legacy
politics to Bahia. The current front-runners are Antonio Carlos
Magalhces Neto (Federal Deputy, also known as "ACM Neto") and
Antonio Imbassahy (former Mayor of Salvador). Both candidates have
strong ties to the deceased three-time Governor of Bahia Antonio
Carlos Magalhces or "ACM," who long dominated Bahia politics. ACM
Neto is ACM's grandson and Imbassahy was an allied mayor during
ACM's tenure. Current Salvador Mayor Joco Henrique Carneiro was
elected as a departure from ACM-politics, and is running for
reelection. However, his administration's low approval ratings
suggest that Salvador will vote for a candidate with ties to the ACM
dynasty.

Plans for Private Ethanol Pipeline Challenge Petrobras Monopoly
--------------


6. Cosan SA Industria e Comercio, the world's biggest sugar-cane
processor, Cosan and exporting cooperatives Copersucar and
Crystalsev will spend 1.6 billion reais (US $990 million) to build
an ethanol pipeline, which will link the city of Ribeirao Preto to
the port of Santos in Sao Paulo state. Currently, Rio-based energy
company Petrobras has a monopoly on ethanol pipeline in Brazil.
Cosan predicts that it will become one of Brazil's 10 biggest energy
suppliers in four years, with the capacity to produce 1,300
megawatts of electricity from bagasse, sugar cane's cellulose-rich
waste. The pipeline will transport 14 billion liters (3.7 billion
gallons) of ethanol a year, and is expected to cut the price of its
ethanol transport by 35-40 percent, the company announced.

Brazil Plans to Enrich Own Uranium by 2014
--------------


5. At the Annual Symposium of the Latin American Section of the
American Nuclear Society held in Rio de Janeiro June 16-20, the
Ministry of Energy's Secretary for Planning and Energy Development
Altino Ventura predicted that Brazil will be able to process all of
its own uranium for use at its two nuclear power plants, Angra 1 and
2, by 2014. Brazil currently sends its uranium abroad for
industrial-scale processing.

MARTINEZ