Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SAOPAULO677
2008-12-19 16:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Sao Paulo
Cable title:
CHAVEZ, BRAZILIAN LEADERSHIP AND THE CALC SUMMIT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0006 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSO #0677 3541640 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 191640Z DEC 08 FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8797 INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9949 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8949 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 3232
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000677
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: CHAVEZ, BRAZILIAN LEADERSHIP AND THE CALC SUMMIT
Contested Leadership
Lead editorial in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (12/19) says:
"Reacting to comments made by those [who attended] the Latin America
and Caribbean Summit (CALC),which gathered 33 countries in the
State of Bahia (Brazil) attests to the "incontrovertible leadership
of Brazil"...Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that Brazil is
not the only Latin American country to exert "an important
leadership" in the area. But neither Chavez nor the observers seem
to understand the peculiarity of the role played by Brazil in this
picnic of regional self-assertion, held under anti-American
rhetoric. Once more it demonstrates, clearly, that the previously
mentioned Brazilian leadership is not undisputed. However, it is
sufficiently robust to work as moderator in an event that otherwise,
would be at the mercy of inconsequential Bolivarianism bravado.
...If MERCOSUL and the Andean Pact, who gather, each one, handfuls
of countries; it does not work; what does it say about an entity
with 33 members that has little in common in addition to the
situation than being on the same continent."
White