VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1156/01 1421652
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221652Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4620
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001156 
 
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 IMMIGRATION BILL; 
VENEZUELA; MERCOSUR; IMF; ITALY 05/19/06 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's leading international stories include US 
President George W. Bush requesting additional funds 
from the US Congress for the construction of fences 
and temporary troop deployment on the US-Mexican 
border; Venezuela's scam invasion of the US, intended 
to train its military forces and community for a 
supposed war with the US; the future of Mercosur; the 
appointment of John Lipsky, VP, JP Morgan Bank, to 
replace Anne Krueger at the IMF; and the implications 
of the outcome of Italian elections. 
 
¶2. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Bush asks for more funds for the fence on the US- 
Mexican border" 
 
Conservative "La Prensa" reports (05/19) "Yesterday, 
US President George W. Bush promoted his immigration 
reform plan in Arizona and supported the construction 
of fences in some parts of the US-Mexican border. For 
this purpose, he asked for almost two additional 
billion dollars from the US Congress. He is also 
planning to use this money to temporarily deploy 
National Guard troops. 
 
"... Bush's trip coincided with an intense debate at 
the US Senate to reach consensus about the most 
ambitious immigration reform in the last twenty 
years." 
 
- "Venezuela's scam invasion of the US" 
 
Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" reports (05/19) 
"Hugo Chavez had at last the invasion he imagines day 
after day. Of course, it was fictitious, only an 
exercise to train Venezuelan military forces and 
community for a supposed war with the US. 
 
"... 4,000 Venezuelans, military and civilians, 
participated in the operation called Patriotic Armed 
Overall Defense Operation in the Paraguana peninsula, 
two days after Caracas denounced Washington to be 
preparing an attack against Venezuela." 
 
- "Venezuela is mistrustful about the US" 
 
Leading "Clarin" reports (05/19) "According to the 
Venezuelan Ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, 
the US is politicizing issues such as the struggle 
against drugs and terrorism as part of its actions 
against Venezuela, all of which 'has already been 
seen' in some other cases, and has led to a military 
invasion. 
 
"Alvarez pointed out that after a meeting with US 
Assistant Secretary Thomas Shannon in March, which was 
intended to pave the way for a fluent dialogue between 
Caracas and Washington, the US has, instead, deepened 
its campaign against Venezuela." 
 
- "The 'little Davos' summit and the end of Mercosur" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an op-ed piece by 
Juan Manuel Forn, VP, Board of Molinos Rio de la 
Plata, who writes (05/19) "Just a few weeks ago, the 
Latin American meeting of the World Economic Forum, 
called 'the Little Davos summit', was held in Sao 
Pablo. 
 
"Businessmen of the region were able to listen to the 
opinions of prestigious bankers and economists about 
what is happening in the region and the world, as well 
as those of important businessmen from other 
countries... They discussed globalization and regional 
integration or, rather, disintegration. 
 
"... Mercosur seems to have passed directly from its 
childhood to its old age in just a few years of 
enforcement in between. This did not happen only due 
to its own shortfalls but because the world has 
changed at an unthinkable speed. Globalization turned 
many regional blocs obsolete at least with their 
current rules and configuration." 
 
- "A banker will succeed Anne Krueger at the IMF top 
 
brass" 
 
Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading 
"Clarin," comments (05/19) "With a declining prestige, 
yesterday some new faces appeared at the IMF. IMF 
Managing Director Rodrigo Rato named the successor of 
'Iron Lady' Anne Krueger. It will be the current VP of 
the JP Morgan Investment Bank and former IMF official, 
John Lipsky. 
 
"Rato also announced the creation of a committee that 
will analyze how the IMF can do to win more money in 
order to make up for the financial gap in its budget 
caused by the advanced payment of the debts of Brazil, 
Argentina and Uruguay..." 
 
¶3. EDITORIALS 
 
- "Italy's political renewal" 
 
An editorial in leading "Clarin" reads (05/19) "The 
presentation of the new Italian government, led by 
Romano Prodi, and the election of Giorgio Napolitano 
open a new stage in the Italian policy. 
 
"... After more than one decade of right-wing 
majorities..., the balance is inclined toward the left 
wing. Both ideological trends are deeply rooted in the 
Italian society and history. 
 
"... The election of Giorgio Napolitano, a former 
communist, as president of Italy summarizes this 
historic evolution." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ