Ambassador Visits Argentina's Chief Coastal City with Press

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000254 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO ECON AR SUBJECT: Ambassador Visits Argentina's Chief Coastal City with Press in Tow Ref: Buenos Aires 213 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) During his February 26-27 visit to the resort city of Mar del Plata, the Ambassador met with the acting mayor, toured a renovated historical hotel, visited a coast guard base in Argentina's largest fishing port, and delivered an address on the new administration's agenda to an influential NGO. Press coverage was positive and extensive, in part because it occurred at the height of the local furor over CIA Director Panetta's comments regarding Argentina. The visit was featured on the front page of the main local daily, led newscasts on the local TV station, and was cited in the Buenos Aires press. End Summary. -------------- Ambassador Speech to Influential Locals -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a February 26-27 trip to Mar del Plata, a major coastal resort city in Buenos Aires province, Ambassador delivered a speech on the challenges facing the Obama administration to a group of about 50 influential local politicians, businesspeople, media representatives, academics, and civil society members. The event, which originated the decision to travel to Mar del Plata, was hosted by the local chapter of the Fundacion Universitaria Rio de la Plata (FURP). FURP is a national organization which has collaborated frequently with Post by working together on various projects to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between Argentina and the United States and to provide young leaders with an accurate knowledge of U.S. social, political, and economic institutions. ¶3. (SBU) A question-and-answer session followed the speech. Some questions focused on the upcoming G-20 meeting in London on April 2, including national Congressman and former Mar del Plata mayor Daniel Katz asking if the agenda would include discussion of debt forgiveness for developing countries. Ambassador responded that the role of multilateral development banks was one of the key topics on the agenda. Daniel Chain, Buenos Aires Minister of Urban Development, asked about USG plans to address clean energy and climate change. Ambassador cited the existing Hemispheric Energy Agenda, plans to expand that agenda, and mentioned he would meet with GoA Energy Secretary Cameron shortly, in part to discuss alternative energy cooperation. A farmer asked if the USG might subsidize Argentine farmers; the Ambassador emphasized the need for cooperation in devising responses to the current crisis, and noted President Obama's comments two days before that he would endeavor to reduce U.S. agricultural subsidies. Additional questions concerned the possible new directions of U.S. policy on Cuba, the effects of the U.S. bailout plan on Argentina, and Chinese investment in Africa. FURP board member Hernan Vela (who works for Chain) closed the session by quoting from "The Audacity of Hope" by President Obama. -------------- -------------- City Issues, Coast Guard - and Intense Press Interest -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Ambassador discussed city government issues with Acting Mayor (and head of the local city council) Marcelo Artime during a tour of the renovation project of the enormous and historical Hotel Provincial. (Mayor Gustavo Pulti was out of town.) Their host was Florencio Aldrey Iglesias, owner of the Provincial and a local mogul who owns another major hotel (the site of the 2005 Summit of the Americas),a casino, Mar del Plata's largest daily and local TV station, and a Buenos Aires daily. Mar del Plata will host the Fifth Summit of Latin American Mayors from September 2-4 this year. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador, along with Naval Attache, visited Mar del Plata's Prefectura (Coast Guard equivalent) base February 27th, the 147th anniversary of the base's founding. Mar del Plata is a significant port, home base to a significant share of Argentina's one billion dollar-plus fishing industry and is Argentina's top summer vacation destination, receiving upwards of two million primarily domestic tourists in the January-February vacation high season. ¶6. (SBU) Press coverage was positive and extensive -- in part, due to a controversy generated by the media misrepresentation of press conference references to Argentina by CIA Director Panetta on Argentina (Reftel),which helped place the visit on the front page of the leading local daily as well as in Buenos Aires press. Indeed, reporters followed the Ambassador around Mar del Plata on the 26th, seeking his comments. The attention was so great that FURP, which had planned to allow two television stations to film the Ambassador's remarks, excluded cameras and reporters from the event (the media members who attended were owners and editors, not reporters). A local activist called on local citizens to march on the hotel where the FURP event was held, though the only visible result was increased police presence. The leading local daily and TV station both interviewed Ambassador on the 27th, and portions of the TV interview led newscasts at noon and on the evening news the same day, covering both the city visit and the GoA response to and USG follow-up on Panetta's comments. WAYNE