VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #2515 3401204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061204Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0493
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1189

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 002515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL VE CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - VENEZUELA, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
 
¶1. On September 5, conservative, independent "La Tercera" (circ. 
101,000) ran an editorial entitled "Latin America and the Election 
in Venezuela."  Quote: 
 
"The Venezuelan election concludes a year of elections -- ten -- in 
Latin America, all of them in a context marked clearly by two axis, 
a dichotomy largely the product of Chavez' foreign policy....  The 
Venezuelan President has actively tried to project his 'Bolivarian 
revolution' to the region...but judging from the results in several 
elections, this goal has not had the strength or scopes that Chavez 
or his opponents expected....  Chavez has had less success finding 
acceptance for his ideas.  For example, in Peru, the former 
nationalist candidate that strongly identified with Chavez 
discovered the affiliation hurt his chances....  In Mexico, the 
candidate supported by Chavez also lost....  In Ecuador and 
Nicaragua, both leftists, the candidates initially were close to 
Chavez, but the Ecuadorian stepped back in the final stage of the 
campaign and improved his standing in the polls....  In sum, the 
region does not seem to be moving in the direction that Chavez hopes 
it would....  His victory is the expression of the will of a 
majority of Venezuelans.  However, we would hope to find greater 
harmony with what appears to be the dominant sentiment in the 
region, and that is a rejection of confrontational speeches and 
old-time anti-Americanism.  Both of these elements distract from the 
task of finding ways to come out of underdevelopment and to 
integrate Latin America in the phenomenon of globalization." 
 
¶2. On December 5, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record "El 
Mercurio" (circ. 129,000) ran an editorial entitled "Chavez 
Reelected."  Quote: 
 
"The repercussions of his (Chavez') reelection go beyond Venezuela's 
borders.  His plans are to continue promoting his set of ideas in 
the continent and have shown no limits or respect for the 
sovereignty of other states....  The Venezuelan President has gained 
influence in South America, and the region has moved farther away 
from the Untied States, which by the way has been focusing its 
priorities in other continents for some time.  But there also has 
been the emergence of an organized opposition to Chavez and greater 
concern in the international community with the course of democracy 
in Venezuela." 
 
KELLY