MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: CRISIS BETWEEN COLOMBIA

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000104 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: CRISIS BETWEEN COLOMBIA AND ECUADOR; SAO PAULO ¶1. "Time For diplomacy" Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo editorialized (3/4): "Colombia owes an explanation to Ecuador and the international community for having violated Ecuadorian territory.... No one questions Bogota's right to harass the FARC, a Marxist guerrilla that has become a gang of bandits that finance their actions with drug trafficking.... The need to fight the FARC, however, does not give Colombia the right to invade a neighboring nation to capture or kill guerrillas, even if they are camped on the other side of the border.... Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is right to demand from his colleague Alvaro Uribe a firm commitment that such operations will not happen again.... The Uribe administration's reasoning that Ecuador would be providing refugee to FARC members is part of a diversionist maneuver.... Chvez's attitude of sending troops to the border with Colombian was irresponsible. While the world diplomatic efforts are engaged in facilitating an understanding between Colombia and Ecuador, the Caracas' caudillo went beyond his irresponsibility and made the situation even more explosive.... Neighboring nations must help Colombia in its fight against the FARC. Nothing justifies open or veiled support for a criminal organization that kidnaps and murders." ¶2. "Serious Diplomatic Crisis In Brazil's Neighborhood" Business-oriented Valor Economico maintained (3/4): "There is little doubt whether Alvaro Uribe violated Ecuadorian territory and sovereignty. A right winger that has been antagonized by neighboring nations and that has the support and arms provided by the USG to fight drug trafficking, Uribe has not given up tough actions against the FARC.... Uribe's action gave Chvez the pretext he needed to once again demonstrate his inclination for irresponsible gestures and his alliance with the FARC.... In his rhetoric, Chvez was accompanied by Fidel Castro, who condemned in the same tone the 'genocidal plans of Yankee imperialism'.... Venezuela's recent arms race was aimed at facing situations like the current one, which, in the Chavist language is another US affront. It is hard to predict what may happen with three hard line presidents involved in a, so far, verbal duel.... By pointing out Rafael Correa and Hugo Chvez as FARC allies, based on suspect documents, Colombia can not only be trying to legitimate its actions of invading neighboring nations, but also paving a political way for future similar operations. Uribe's calculation certainly includes the US' tacit support in view of any armed conflict with Chvez." ¶3. "Cold Water Douses The Fire" Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo opined (3/4): "The incident would not provoke the reactions showed by Presidents Rafael Correa and Hugo Chvez if both were not increasingly committed with the FARC.... The Venezuelan government has for a long time accepted the presence of narco-guerrillas in its territory, either in rest and training bases or in cocaine trafficking actions - the FARC's main source of income, beyond the profitable industry of kidnappings and extortion. And President Hugo Chvez has used his good relations with FARC leaders to exert political pressure on President Alvaro Uribe, whom he accuses of being servile to Yankee imperialism. In addition, now it is possible to see that Chvez's influence on Rafael Correa is much more than it was thought.... The fact is that both Chvez and Correa have supported the fight of a group of terrorists and drug traffickers against a legitimately elected government that has the approval of the immense majority of the Colombian people." ¶4. "Neutrality Is Not The Case" Columnist Clovis Rossi wrote in liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo (3/4): "Brazil can and must be neutral between the two neighbors [Colombia and Ecuador], but it cannot or should not be neutral between the legitimate Colombian government and the delinquent FARC group.... The FARC have for long abandoned any veiled political action through armed means to become a delinquent organization that live on drug trafficking and kidnappings." ¶5. "Clarions Of War" Columnist Eliane Cantanhede noted in liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo (3/4): "Colombian President Alvaro Uribe determined his isolation in South America after having violated Ecuadorian territory to attack the FARC and kill the second man in the guerrilla's hierarchy.... It is fundamental now that Uribe clearly apologizes to Ecuador. But Rafael Correa will also have to explain how and why the FARC have easily operated within Ecuadorian territory. After all, it is a drug trafficking guerrilla fighting a constitutionally elected government." White