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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0176 0721704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131704Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6519
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7627
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7874
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2738

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000176 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT BUSH TRAVEL TO BRAZIL; WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE: VENEZUELA, CHAVEZ'S REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL 
INFLUENCE; SAO PAULO 
 
 
¶1. "Chances And Obstacles Of A Positive Agenda With The US" 
 
Business-oriented Valor Economico (3/13) editorialized: "President 
Bush's goal today is to recover his popularity in the final half of 
his second term, as well as to recover some maneuvering room before 
Republican and Democratic Congress members and improve as best he 
can the Republican Party's electoral chances.  Bush's selective tour 
in Latin America is part of this forced strategic realignment, in 
which Brazil has a relevant role to perform as became evident in the 
US President's visit to Sao Paulo.... President Bush has given 
international visibility to the Brazilian ethanol program.... Bush's 
intention is to become free from dependence on oil supplies from 
chronically instable nations, such as those in the Middle East, or 
those ruled by hostile governments, like Venezuela.... The exchange 
of fossil fuels for ethanol is feasible and necessary to reduce the 
effects of gas emissions that contribute to global warming - 
something that Bush refuses to consider.... But the good [USG] 
intentions have been tied to the old US protectionism, whose 
barriers increase the price of imported ethanol by 46%.... There is 
room for productive understanding both in regards to the US policy 
for ethanol and the Doha Round negotiations.  Without great 
expectations, but with the necessary pragmatism, it is possible to 
advance in this path. This may become clearer after President Lula's 
upcoming visit to the US later this month." 
 
¶2. "Positive Agenda And Subservience" 
 
Former Brazilian Ambassador in Washington Rubens Barbosa commented 
in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (3/13): "President Bush's visit 
to Brazil helped the GOB to expand its relationship with the US. 
Such an evolution is welcome and cannot and should not be considered 
subservience to the US as the attitude of those who urge this 
'renewal' has been unfairly classified by the GOB.... We hope that 
beginning with this adjustment, which is still in rhetorical stage, 
more pragmatic measures will prevail in the formulation of Brazil's 
foreign policy and trade negotiations." 
 
¶3. "Colonel Chvez's Axis" 
 
Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo (3/13) 
maintained: "The Caracas-Buenos Aires-La Paz axis that Colonel Hugo 
Chvez believes he is creating is not promising. The Venezuelan 
caudillo has only one advantage: his nation's treasury is full of 
petrodollars that he does not hesitate in distributing in the 
process of luring allies. But many factors conspire against him. 
First, his 'Bolivarian' project, even vague as it was, had a 
reasonably romantic character that could attract ingenuous 
followers. But the evolution of that project, the '21st Century 
socialism,' is nonsense that frightens all those who become 
acquainted with it. Second, the Colonel has been showing for a long 
time his dictatorial vocation, and not all Latin American populist 
leaders are willing to follow him. Finally, Hugo Chvez is a big 
mouth boaster who in his crazy speeches spreads insults and 
aggression in all directions - and as a result of this behavior, 
causes constraints that not all 'compaeros' are willing to 
tolerate.... Chvez believes that all Latin America has latent a 
germ of anti-Americanism, and he is trying to exploit this 
characteristic. Actually, he created a foreign enemy to have a 
pretext - which is classic in the history of dictatorships - to 
eliminate fundamental rights and civil liberties of his people." 
McMullen