VZCZCXYZ0687
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0114 0671742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071742Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7977
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9124
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8624
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 3045

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000114 
 
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: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: CRISIS BETWEEN COLOMBIA 
AND ECUADOR; SAO PAULO 
 
 
¶1. "The OAS' Prudent Decision" 
 
Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo 
editorialized (3/7): "Brazil, Argentina and Chile wisely decided to 
isolate caudillo Hugo Chvez, the main catalyst of the crisis being 
the first to break relations with Colombia and announcing the 
sending of troops to the border, practically forcing President 
Rafael Correa do to the same.  Chvez is interested in worsening the 
conflict with Colombia....  He needs to create foreign enemies to 
feed his insanity of recreating the vice kingdom that Bolivar failed 
to maintain.... The armored battalions he has sent to the border are 
arriving there little by little because he is aware that his Army is 
not a rival for the Colombian troops, which are well equipped and 
trained to fight the narco-guerrillas.... It is necessary that 
Brazil, Argentina and Chile continue their efforts to reconcile 
Ecuador and Colombia.... Daniel Ortega and Rafael Correa, who have 
acted under Chvez's tutelage, can still create serious constraints 
on the Colombian government." 
 
¶2. "Domestic Solution" 
 
Columnist Eliane Cantanhede commented in liberal, largest national 
circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo(3/7): "The OAS not only emerged 
from the ashes but obtained something unprecedented, or at least 
very rare, while discussing the Colombia-Ecuador conflict.  The US 
was not in the center of the discussion or of the decision.  Latin 
American diplomacy has prevailed. The diplomatic initiative carried 
out by more moderate nations such as Brazil, Chile and Argentina 
worked: the OAS condemned an action, not a nation.  It condemned the 
violation of Ecuador's territory, without directly attacking the 
Colombian government.... President Lula and Foreign Minister Celso 
Amorim succeeded in maintaining Brazil very well positioned to 
negotiate with both Uribe and Correa, along with Chile and 
Argentina. To do so, they have resorted since the beginning to the 
same strategy adopted by the OAS: to remove the bellicose Chvez and 
Bush from the debate." 
White