VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0576/01 0822158
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 232158Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7649
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 5919
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 1149
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 4554
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO IMMEDIATE 6312
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000576 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AR VZ BO UR
SUBJECT: K MAY WANT GOOD RELATIONS, BUT GOA DEFENSIVE OF 
USG CRITICISM OF CHAVEZ RALLY 
 
REF: BUENOS AIRES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
  ¶1.  (C)  Summary.  "Kirchner truly believes that the USG 
abandoned Argentina," Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan 
told the Ambassador on March 20 in an attempt to explain why 
Kirchner allowed Venezuelan President Chavez to host an 
anti-US rally in Buenos Aires during President Bush's visit 
to Uruguay.  Garcia Moritan insisted, however, that Kirchner 
also wants a good relationship with the US government despite 
recent events, adding that Kirchner called Evo Morales to ask 
him not to join the March 9 Chavez rally in Buenos Aires.  He 
suggested that the relationship move forward at the 
Ministerial level with Argentina perhaps proposing a joint 
initiative that could be developed together. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Local press coverage of Under Secretary Burns's 
remarks to the Council of the Americas on March 22 was 
largely balanced, noting his praise for Argentina's 
cooperation on Iran, Haiti, and non-proliferation issues, as 
well as his criticism that the GOA decision to allow Chavez's 
anti-US summit was "unfortunate" and "inappropriate". 
Foreign Minister Taiana, Cabinet Chief Fernandez, and 
Interior Minister Fernandez all strongly rejected the USG 
criticism, characterizing the rally as a legitimate form of 
freedom of expression.  Taiana called Burns's comments 
"unacceptable."  Kirchner still has not reacted to Under 
Secretary Burns's remarks, and it is possible that the 
 
SIPDIS 
statements from his Cabinet chiefs are an attempt to preempt 
Kirchner from saying something that could escalate the 
rhetoric and potentially damage the bilateral relationship. 
End Summary. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
DFM Garcia Moritan on K's Abandonment Issues 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  During a March 20 one-on-one meeting with Argentine 
Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan (protect), the 
Ambassador expressed in detail our serious dismay at the 
GoA's decision to host Chavez's anti-U.S. rally during 
President Bush's visit to Uruguay.  Garcia Moritan disclosed 
that Kirchner originally turned down Chavez's request that 
Argentina host the rally and that Kirchner only conceded 
later the same day when Chavez persisted.   Although Kirchner 
allowed the Chavez rally to take place, he drew the line at 
Chavez's invitation for Bolivian President Morales to join in 
the rally, calling Morales asking him not to attend, Garcia 
Moritan claimed. 
 
¶4.  (C)  In an attempt to explain why Kirchner ultimately 
allowed the rally to take place, Garcia Moritan cited several 
reasons.  First, he said that "Kirchner truly believes the 
USG abandoned Argentina."  Second, he reiterated that, at the 
November 2005 Summit of the Americas, Kirchner was 
particularly upset over the USG's decision not to include 
language addressing the Falklands/Malvinas islands 
sovereignty question in the Summit declaration.  Third, he 
stated that Kirchner was concerned that the U.S. was trying 
to divide Mercosur by visiting only Brazil and Uruguay. 
Nevertheless, Garcia Moritan stated that at the same time, 
Kirchner genuinely wants to improve US-Argentine relations, 
thus his attempt to distance himself and the GOA from the 
March 9 rally.  Garcia Moritan stated that he understood that 
relations at the Presidential level would most likely not be 
repaired, but suggested that the relationship should move 
forward at the Ministerial level.  He suggested, for example, 
that Foreign Minister Taiana might propose a joint 
U.S.-Argentine initiative of some sort that could be 
developed together.  Garcia Moritan repeated several times 
that the U.S. and Argentina have such an important bilateral 
relationship on such topics as non-proliferation, 
counter-terrorism, fighting drugs, Haiti, etc., that we need 
to work hard to keep the cooperation moving ahead. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Press on Burns's remarks is balanced... 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  On March 22, newswires reported Under Secretary 
Burns's remarks to the Council of the Americas where he 
discussed the President's positive agenda for Latin America 
and criticized Argentina for its decision to allow Chavez to 
organize an anti-U.S. rally during President Bush's trip to 
Uruguay.  Local press reports on March 23 were largely 
balanced, noting that Burns praised Argentina for its 
cooperation on Iran and Haiti, its leadership on 
 
non-proliferation issues, and its efforts to bring to justice 
the perpetrators of the 1990s terrorist attacks on the 
Israeli Embassy and the Argentine Israeli Mutul Association 
center.  At the same time, the press reported Burns's 
characterization of the anti-US rally as "unfortunate" and 
"inappropriate" and his request that Argentina's policy of 
"friendship" with the United States be more "coherent" and 
"consistent" to help strengthen the bilateral relationship. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  One article noted that the USG response to the 
anti-Bush rally took place thirteen days after the incident 
and suggested that the delay in response reflected 
Washington's decision not to dignify the event with an 
immediate response.  The same article speculated that 
Kirchner's decision to allow the rally to take place was a 
signal directed more at Uruguay than United States, given 
heightened tensions between Argentina and Uruguay over the 
pulp mills dispute. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
...but GOA calls comments "unacceptable" claiming rally was a 
legitimate form of free speech 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  FM Taiana, who is currently accompanying First 
Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on a trip to 
Ecuador and Venezuela, stated from Quito that it was 
"unacceptable" for Under Secretary Burns to "criticize a 
public rally organized by civil society organizations and a 
South American President.  The rally was an exercise in 
freedom of speech which is appropriate in all democratic 
countries."  Local press also reported Chief of Cabinet 
Alberto Fernandez and Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez 
separately asserting that the USG should respect GoA 
decisions and not interfere in the affairs of other 
countries.  Neither Burns nor anyone else will tell Kirchner 
what he can and cannot do.  Cabinet Chief Fernandez described 
the rally as a gathering held by a president of a sister 
nation for his Argentine supporters.  Both compared the 
Chavez gathering in Buenos Aires to his appearance in Harlem 
during the September 2006 UNGA, and questioned why Chavez 
should be allowed to hold a rally in New York but not Buenos 
Aires. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Argentine Ambassador to the United States Jose 
Bordon stated in an interview with Radio Diez that Burns's 
remarks do not equate to a formal complaint.  He said the USG 
has a right to be bothered by the incident, and Argentina has 
a right to respect the freedom of expression within its own 
borders.  He highlighted that the government did not 
participate in the rally, and compared the event to the 
freedom of expression that Argentine diplomats exercise when 
they travel to Venezuela and meet with the government as well 
as the opposition. 
 
¶9.  (C)  In a March 22 conversation between the Ambassador 
and Argentine Ambassador Bordon, both expressed concern over 
how President Kirchner would react to the Under Secretary's 
comments.  Bordon indicated that he he had already reached 
out to FM Taiana urgining him to work to avoid a public 
response by the President.  Comment: It is possible that 
Taiana's statement and subsequent comments from Kirchner's 
Cabinet Chief and Interior Minister are an attempt to preempt 
Kirchner from saying something that could escalate the 
rhetoric and potentially do more serious damage to the 
bilateral relationship. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (C)  The public comments by Under Secretary Burns on USG 
disapproval of the Chavez rally on March 9, while very 
balanced and polite (and accepted as such by much of the 
press) apparently left the GOA leadership feeling it needed 
to respond quickly and harshly.  The public comments by three 
Ministers on March 23 may be the end of this latest exchange. 
 Whether the statements by members of Kirchner's Cabinet will 
preempt Kirchner from railing against the United States, as 
he is wont to do, remains to be seen.  We note his recent 
public snipe at "countries that abandoned Argentina."  End 
Comment. 
WAYNE