VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0795 1141503
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241503Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7937
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6118
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5978
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1202
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR MONTEVIDEO 6385
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0363
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EMBASSY VILNIUS FOR THOMAS P. KELLY 
EMBASSY GUATEMALA FOR ALEX FEATHERSTONE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL VZ AR
SUBJECT: FIRST LADY SENATOR CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER 
ON VENEZUELA, RCTV, AND HER TRIP TO WASHINGTON 
 
REF: SECSTATE 52361 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  On April 20, Ambassador Wayne delivered 
reftel points to First Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de 
Kirchner and noted that during her May 3 visit Washington 
interlocutors might raise this issues as well as the status 
of draft legislation on counterterrorism finance and 
anti-trafficking in persons in the Argentine Congress 
(septels).  First Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de 
Kirchner claimed that she would be the "first to criticize" 
should the Venezuelan government take actions that would 
threaten democracy in Venezuela, but insisted that, in her 
opinion, "Venezuela is a democracy with full press freedom." 
She characterized the pending BRV takeover of RCTV as a 
"government decision not to renew a concession".  She stated 
that Argentina "is a friend of the Venezuelan people", and 
quickly added, "and the Venezuelan government", reiterating 
the oft-heard claims that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 
"helped Argentina when no one else would."  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On April 20, Ambassador Wayne and poloffs called on 
First Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to 
discuss issues that might be raised during her May 3 trip to 
Washington, including support for democracy in Venezuela and 
for passage of draft legislation criminalizing TIP and 
terrorism finance in Argentina (septels).   On Venezuela, the 
First Lady stated that she would give her honest opinion 
about the government take-over of RCTV if asked, but that she 
would suggest redirecting questions on RCTV to the Venezuelan 
Ambassador in Washington.  The First Lady said that she 
believes there is full freedom of the press in Venezuela, and 
that the BRV takeover of RCTV is simply a government decision 
not to renew an expired TV concession. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Continuing, the First Lady asserted that Argentina 
"is a friend of the Venezuelan people", and then quickly 
added, "and the Venezuelan government".  She also reiterated 
the oft-heard claims that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 
had "helped Argentina when no one else would" (reiterated 
publicly by cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez in the press this 
week).  Fernandez de Kirchner stated that the GOA disagrees 
with the USG view that the GOV is a threat to democracy 
internally and in the region, opining that she sees 
differences between the U.S. and Venezuela as a conflict 
between Bush and Chavez and not between the people of the two 
countries.  When asked about her trip to Venezuela to address 
the Venezuelan Jewish community, she claimed that she told 
them that she would be the "first to criticize" the 
Venezuelan government should it take actions that would 
threaten democracy in Venezuela.   She added that in her view 
the GOV is neither a threat to democracy, to the Jewish 
community, nor to the United States. 
 
¶4.  (C)  COMMENT:  Many political analysts in Buenos Aires 
have suggested that a Cristina presidency would take a more 
distanced approach to Venezuela than President Kirchner. 
Despite her stated appreciation for Venezuela's aid to 
Argentina, Cristina listened attentively to Ambassador 
Wayne's points on the importance of supporting democracy and 
freedom of the press in Venezuela.  While echoing President 
Kirchner's sentiments on Venezuela, she also admitted to 
"loving the U.S." while reminiscing about a previous trip to 
Northern California.  END COMMENT. 
WAYNE