VZCZCXYZ0041
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #2085 2772014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 042014Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0101
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 2665
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 3323
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1107
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ OCT LIMA 4730

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 002085 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC PREL KMDR KPAO PGOV VE BR PA PE CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - VENEZUELA HELPING BOLIVIA BUILD MILITARY 
BASES NEAR ITS BORDER? 
 
¶1. Two Santiago dailies cited UDI Members of Congress who denounced 
Venezuela for providing assistance to Bolivia to build 26 military 
bases along its border with Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, and Peru. 
Excerpts follow: 
 
¶2. On October 4, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record "El 
Mercurio" (circ. 129,000): 
 
"The House Foreign Relations Committee accepted the request filed by 
UDI Congressman Ivan Moreira, and summoned Foreign Minister 
(Alejandro) Foxley and Defense Minister (Viviane) Blanlot to explain 
if they were aware that President Evo Morales had told Paraguayan 
television that Hugo Chavez was financially assisting him to build 
26 military bases in the triple frontier of Bolivia with Brazil, and 
Paraguay, and on the frontier with Chile and Peru." 
 
¶3. On October 3, conservative, afternoon daily "La Segunda" (circ. 
33,000): 
 
"UDI Members of Congress Ivan Moreira and Angelica Cristi denounced 
the presence of Venezuelan troops in Bolivia and the construction of 
military bases in that country.  They said this would 'raise 
tensions in the region and leads again to the question of whether 
Hugo Chavez should be trusted and Chile should support Venezuela in 
the UNSC.  Congressman Moreira said this development 'makes Latin 
America a geopolitical risk and is dangerous for Chile...." 
 
KELLY