VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0935/01 1340857
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140857Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8126
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSQASUNCION 6160
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1234
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6435
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0406
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6028
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0238
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY VILNIUS 0073
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3279
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 2223

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/OLAC/PEACHER 
PASS NSC FOR JOSE CARDENAS 
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV ENRG BEXP PREL OTRA TPHY TSPA SCUL OIIP
OSCI, OEXC, OPRC, AR 
 
SUBJECT: Ambassador in Mendoza Province - Students and Youth, 
Scientists, Governor, Americans, Business People and Press 
 
Summary 
----------- 
¶1. (U) In an active and well-publicized May 3-4 visit to the 
central-western province of Mendoza, the Ambassador held a 
successful youth outreach event at the Mendoza Binational Center, 
where he awarded scholarships to students to study English; met with 
Mendoza Governor, and possibly future vice presidential candidate, 
Julio Cobos; visited a USG-funded cosmic ray observatory; met 
resident Americans and business leaders; and discussed the unique 
role of the press in Argentina with media leaders.  The visit was 
widely and positively covered in the local media.  Mendoza, 
bordering Chile and the Andes mountains and blessed with excellent 
agriculture, climate and outdoor attractions, has an outward looking 
trade, tourism and agricultural agenda.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶2. (U) The Ambassador toured the highly regarded Pierre Auger Cosmic 
Ray Observatory in the southern Mendoza town of Malargue.  The USG 
contributes 20% of the observatory's funding via grants from the 
Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and the 
project also receives administration support from the Department of 
Energy's Fermi Lab.  The observatory consists of a series of 
interconnected sensors (spread over an area larger than Rhode 
Island) that collects and analyzes cosmic ray data.  The lab is 
working to discover the source and causes of cosmic rays which could 
yield clues to the early stages of the universe.  The project began 
in 1992 and has made several key discoveries on the nature of cosmic 
rays.  The observatory counts on the collaboration and funding from 
17 nations, over 200 physicists, and 70 different scientific and 
research institutions.  The lab works closely with the local 
community, and many Argentine scientists and graduate students work 
with the center as well.  The province of Mendoza also is involved: 
it has been very helpful in acquiring land for the lab, constructing 
one of the buildings used to hold the observation equipment, in the 
provision of electricity and transmission lines, and the 
construction of roads. 
 
Binational Center 
----------------- 
¶3. (U) A key focus of this Mendoza trip was highlighting our strong 
bilateral relations, and the Ambassador's visit to the Mendoza 
Argentine-American Intercultural Association (AMICANA) was an 
important element of this message.  Ambassador's visit to AMICANA 
also received very positive press coverage the next day. The 
Ambassador met with AMICANA's president and board, toured the 
center, and visited many of the students in their classrooms.  He 
presented 10 Sarmiento-Mann scholarships to study English at the 
center.  The two leading Mendoza newspapers covered the ceremony and 
gave it prominent play.  One of them, Diario Uno, has actually 
worked hand-in-hand with AMICANA to promote the scholarship program. 
 The paper described the Ambassador as "the man of the hour" for his 
visit to the province.  A local television station and two radio 
stations also covered the scholarship-awarding ceremony.  The 
Ambassador also met with returnees from last year's U.S.-based 
Science Camp and the Rhode Island World Scholar-Athlete Games.  The 
Ambassador also met with a number of former Fulbright scholars and 
International Visitors, learning about their experiences in the 
United States.  During the discussion, one idea proposed was to set 
up a listserv to keep all former visiting scholars, visitors and 
journalists in contact. 
 
Governor of Mendoza Julio Cobos 
------------------------------- 
¶4. (U) The Ambassador next met with Governor Julio Cobos, from the 
faction of the national opposition Radical party that now supports 
Kirchner.  Mendoza is enjoying a relatively healthy economy, 
bolstered by growing domestic and international trade; and healthy 
wine, tourism, service, construction, petroleum and potassium 
 
production sectors.  Mendoza boasts an impressively low unemployment 
rate (6.9% compared to the national average of 10.4%), which Cobos 
attributed to his push to diversify the province's economy. 
Governor Cobos, an engineer by profession, also cited the role of 
education and the province's emphasis on science and mathematics, 
for the province's relatively strong economy.  Governor Cobos and 
his ministers also expressed an interest in working with the Embassy 
on regional and bilateral commercial development. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Governor Cobos has been frequently mentioned as a potential 
vice presidential candidate to run alongside either President 
Kirchner or Cristina Kirchner in the October 2007 presidential 
elections.  Cobos discussed such a Peronist-Radical alliance on the 
national ticket in the context of the ever changing nature of the 
main political parties here.  Cobos said that both the Peronists and 
the Radicals have much in common - and noted that each party also 
has wide divergences within their respective parties - and that the 
lines between these two historic parties are often blurred.  Cobos 
has also been a leading Radical proponent of a possible 
Peronist-Radical "concertacion" (coalition).  In a move that has 
been widely interpreted as a possible signal of a formal alliance 
between Kirchner and Cobos, President Kirchner recently announced 
that he will commemorate May 25, Revolution Day in Argentina, in 
Mendoza.  This event is normally celebrated by the President at the 
traditional May 25 religious service in the Buenos Aires Cathedral. 
This visit has also fueled further rumors that Cobos will be a 
Kirchner running mate in the October election.  End note 
 
Dinner with Enrique Pescarmona of IMPSA 
--------------------------------------- 
¶6. (U) Ambassador attended a private dinner with Enrique Pescarmona, 
CEO of IMPSA, an Argentine metallurgical multinational company that 
is in the process of purchasing General Electric's worldwide hydro 
electricity business.  Pescarmona companies operate in 27 countries, 
and posted revenues of US $600 million in 2006.  Pescarmona has a 
very positive attitude towards the United States and has actively 
supported educational exchanges between universities in Pittsburg, 
PA (his former home while in exile in the U.S.) and in Mendoza.  As 
a leading Argentine business leader, Pescarmona is a strong advocate 
for efforts to increase the competitivity of Argentina's business 
sector and to emulate world best practices in business, a stance 
which does not always align with GOA approaches. 
 
Breakfast with the Mendoza Expatriates Club 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶7. (U) The Mendoza Expatriates Club has about 70 members and a 
mailing list of 200, many of whom are from the United States.  The 
growing number of business people from the United States and other 
countries prompted the founding of the club.  Many American citizens 
have been very successful starting a wide variety of businesses in 
real estate, tourism and wineries.  At the breakfast, the Ambassador 
reviewed his visit to Mendoza, and highlighted the strong bilateral 
ties the U.S. enjoys with Argentina.  He particularly noted the 
previous days' success at the binational center, and his awarding of 
more scholarships to young Argentines.  Ambassador also answered 
several general questions about bilateral relations, investment and 
the Embassy's American Citizen Services.  The members showed a 
strong interest in the discussion and also asked several follow-up 
questions of the consular officer who was also present. 
 
Off the Record Press Event 
-------------------------- 
¶8. (U) Finally, the Ambassador met with five leading local 
newspaper, television and radio journalists, who he engaged in a 
frank, off-the-record discussion on the state of bilateral 
relations, the status of press freedom in Argentina and the upcoming 
general elections.  Mendoza is Argentina's fifth largest electoral 
district and has a vibrant and competitive media.  The meeting was 
informative both for the journalists and the Ambassador.  The 
 
journalists discussed with the Ambassador the historic and current 
reasons for anti-American sentiment in Argentina, which according to 
polls is among the highest in the region.  The journalists said that 
for many years, Argentine politicians have made political gains out 
of slamming the US.  This continues to be true in the case of Nestor 
Kirchner.  Related to this, the journalists said that there is an 
ingrained cultural trait in Argentina, which one journalist 
described as "perverse," that leads Argentines to place blame for 
their problems on an outside agent, and the US has fit that role 
well.  The journalists also said that, as a result of weak 
institutions, journalists in Argentina have had to take up roles 
other than simply reporting the news, as citizens sought to satisfy 
many demands via the media rather than the established institutional 
channels.  This process, the journalists argue, has reached the 
point that even the President now fights with some journalists and 
media organizations rather than with opposition politicians.  The 
Ambassador told the journalists about the USG efforts to promote and 
strengthen our positive agenda with Argentina. 
 
WAYNE