VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1119/01 1361828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161828Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4565
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, 
WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION US SANCTION ON VENEZUELA 
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CHAVEZ US-CHINA-IRAN US TROOPS TO 
US-MEXICAN BORDER US-LIBYA NOMINEE FOR US AMBASSADOR 
TO ARGENTINA ANTHONY WAYNE 05/16/06 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Local papers lead with the US imposing a ban on arms 
sales to Venezuela because of a lack of support by 
President Chavez's government for counterterrorism 
efforts; the USG decision to send troops to the US- 
Mexican border; the alleged confrontation of the US 
and China in Iran; similarities and differences 
between President Chavez and Peruvian presidential 
candidate Garcia; the resumption of diplomatic ties 
between the US and Libya; and an Argentine 
legislator's response to statements from nominee for 
US Ambassador to Argentina, Anthony Wayne. 
 
Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" and daily- 
of-record "La Nacion" carry placements of PAS press 
release on the new Embassy Website, which provides 
updated information on the US-Argentine bilateral 
relationship as well as on the US foreign policy, 
society and cultural values. 
 
Business-financial "El Cronista" carries an opinion 
piece by Chuck Hagel, Republican senator for Nebraska 
and member of the US Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee, which is headlined "The US should look to 
Iran with a broader approach. The military option is 
not a long-term solution aimed at preventing Tehran's 
nuclear ambitions." 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "First US sanction on Venezuela: a ban on arms 
sales" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading 
"Clarin," writes (05/16) "The US banned yesterday the 
sale of arms to Venezuela because it believes the 
Chavez administration 'does not fully cooperate' in 
the global war on terrorism. 
 
"According to US Assistant Secretary for Hemispheric 
Affairs Thomas Shannon, the USG decision was made 
'with reluctance.' And he explained that Venezuela has 
close ties with Cuba and with Colombian guerrilla 
groups, namely the FARC and the NLA. Both groups 
appear in the US State Department's listing of 
terrorist organizations. Shannon also referred to 
Venezuela's ties with Iran, particularly due to 
Venezuela's stance during the voting in which it was 
decided to submit the Iranian case to the UN. 
 
"The ban, the first sanction Washington imposes on the 
Chavez administration, also includes every kind of US 
arms and military technology on behalf of third 
countries. This means that, from now on, no country 
may sell to Venezuela not even spare parts for the US 
weapons it already has in its arsenal. 
 
"... Thomas Shannon noted that the USG already has 
'decertified' Venezuela for lack of cooperation in 
fighting drug trafficking." 
 
- "Garcia vs. Chavez, in a round of populist leaders" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece 
by contributor Andres Oppenheimer, who writes (05/16) 
"During an interview, Alan Garcia said 'I am against 
imperialism because I do not like the US presence in 
Iraq and because I do not like Chavez's oil and money 
in Peru. This is what I call being anti- 
imperialistic.' 
 
"The bad news is that, in the first round of 
elections, Peruvians decided that Garcia will be 
Humala's rival. The good news is that if Garcia wins, 
he will probably lead a Latin American movement 
against Chavez's 'imperialism.' If there is a 
political leader in the region that can reply to 
Chavez using his same language, it is Garcia." 
 
- "The balance of power is also at stake in Asia" 
 
Leading "Clarin" carries an op-ed piece by Sergio 
Cesarin, political analyst and researcher, who writes 
(05/16) "One needs to understand Iran's latest moves 
 
 
 
in the internaional scenario as part of the world 
scenario in which the US and China are competing. Iran 
is another point of confrontation of the two 
countries. 
 
"China is perceived by Washington as a proliferating 
country... 
 
"What most disturbs Washington is that state companies 
that are part of the Chinese military complex appear 
among the main suppliers of nuclear capabilities 
transfers to Iran. 
 
"Iran can be compared with Cuba in this regard. In the 
Cuban case, the Chinese technical, economic and 
financial cooperation softens the negative 
consequences of the US embargo. 
 
"In the same way, the Sino-Iranian relationship proves 
the limited effect of economic sanctions and how 
counterproductive they may turn with time for US 
interests." 
 
- "Bush announced it will send 6,000 troops to the US- 
Mexican border" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading 
"Clarin," comments (05/16) "... US President George W. 
Bush announced it will send 6,000 troops to the US- 
Mexican border in order to prevent illegal immigrants 
from entering the US. While he insisted on his 
proposal to give temporary work permits to 
undocumented immigrants, the president emphasized the 
importance of border security. 
 
"The purpose of sending troops is political rather 
than military. No one believes that the military will 
be able to really stop the entry of immigrants along 
the 3,200 kilometer-border. However, most analysts 
believe the main purpose of the decision is to ease 
tension among conservative Republicans, who believe 
that Bush has mismanaged the problem of illegal 
immigrants." 
 
- "Between authoritarianism and extreme social 
control" 
 
Oscar Raul Cardoso, international analyst of leading 
"Clarin," opines (05/16) "The imminent sending of US 
troops to the long US-Mexican border may be understood 
as the Bush administration's response to the 
increasing concern of society about the pressure from 
illegal immigrants. 
 
"In a broader context, the decision may be interpreted 
as part of the political architecture aimed at 
relieving that pressure without committing the many 
benefits businessmen obtain from the cheap labor of 
desperate immigrants. 
 
"And it can also be understood as another symptom of 
the mutation neo-conservatives are imposing on the 
G.O.P. - from a political force related to the idea of 
individual freedoms to a very different one, whose 
principles are based on the obscure territory of 
authoritarianism and extreme social control." 
 
- "Chavez unlimited" 
 
James Scott, columnist of liberal, English-language 
"Buenos Aires Herald," writes (05/16) "President Hugo 
Chavez has a new idea for Venezuelan term limits: 25 
years. At a recent event, the fiery Venezuelan 
leader... announced that he wanted to put the question 
of his political future in the hands of the people. 
 
"... The USG - the magnet for much of Chavez's scorn - 
has raised its concerns over his actions. Earlier this 
year, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Chavez 
was leading nations away from democracy... 
 
"So how has Chavez been able to do it? Observers point 
out that he is being aided by a weak and fragmented 
opposition. Rather than rally support against him, the 
opposition has chosen recently to boycott elections 
 
 
 
rather than face public defeat. That move, for 
example, helped Chavez-backed politicians in December 
win a majority of 167 seats in the national assembly. 
 
"... While the risk exists for Chavez to manipulate 
his opposition and politics, Alejandro Velasco, a 
professor at Duke University, said if he fails to 
deliver on promises to the people then he runs the 
risk of an uprising." 
 
- "US-Libyan relationship will be reestablished" 
 
Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (05/16) 
"The US announced yesterday that it will resume its 
full diplomatic relationship with Libya and will soon 
open an embassy in Tripoli in what is seen as the 
consequence of the North African country having 
publicly renounced its purposes to obtain WMD. 
 
"As a previous step, Libya was removed from the US 
State Department's 'black list' of countries 
sponsoring international terrorist groups." 
 
- "Diaz Bancalari compared Ambassador Wayne with 
Braden" 
 
Conservative "La Prensa" reports (05/16) "Deputy Jose 
Maria Diaz Bancalari '(We have) another (Spruille) 
Braden,' in reference to the new US ambassador to 
Argentina, Earl Anthony Wayne, who will succeed Lino 
Gutierrez. 
 
"The US diplomat has recently made some statements 
that were badly received (by some local deputies), and 
the US legislator replied that 'the opposition needed 
a Braden... and now it has it. It seems the times of 
the Union Democratica. Since this opposition, which is 
made up by Sobisch, Macri and Carrio, only accounts 
for 20%, it will need a Braden.' 
 
"Some days ago, Wayne praised the 'reforms' performed 
by Carlos Menem and explained that he would help 
change Argentines' 'distorted' image of the IMF. He 
added that 'it is important for Argentina to continue 
creating a more positive investment environment.'" 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ