VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0500/01 1202111
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302111Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3625
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000500 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR KTIP AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: "SALTENOS" WELCOME AMBASSADOR'S APRIL 
28 VISIT; YOUTH OUTREACH AND COUNTER-NARCOTICS TOP ISSUES 
 
Ref: Buenos Aires 225 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Wayne made his third visit to 
Argentina's northwestern province of Salta on April 28. 
The province is gearing up for national congressional 
mid-term elections on June 28, with three of its seven 
deputy seats in play; the province's shifting coalitions 
partially reflect major national alliances and appear to 
portend a two or three-way division of the seats.  The 
Ambassador presided with Salta Governor Uturbey at the 
official opening of a USG-sponsored training for the 
regional Center for Drug Information (CDI) network.  The 
Governor also accompanied the Ambassador to a donation of 
baseball equipment to youth and adult representatives of 
the six teams in Salta's long-running baseball league, 
and he also joined the Ambassador at a match between the 
U.S. national women's field hockey team and Argentina's 
own, "Las Leonas."  The Ambassador presented certificates 
the evening of April 28 to 55 enthusiastic middle 
school/high school-aged recipients of USG grants to study 
English through the binational center in Salta.  Luncheon 
remarks on bilateral relations and at an FCS-organized 
event promoting tourism in Orlando rounded out the 
Ambassador's full schedule.  The Ambassador was greeted 
positively at all events, and the provincial press 
covered the event in print, radio and television.  Key 
issues raised by the press included U.S. views of 
Argentina's economy, swine flu, and aspects of U.S. 
cooperation with the Province.  End Summary. 
 
Governor Uturbey Describes a Positive Record 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Salta's young, Kirchner-allied governor Juan 
Manuel Uturbey, narrowly elected in 2007 against another 
pro-Kirchner Peronist, greeted the Ambassador at the 
airport on April 28.  Uturbey thanked the Ambassador for 
supporting his participation in the Americas 
Competitiveness Forum in August 2008 and said that he 
hoped to institute changes in the province to make it 
more attractive to foreign investment.  He said that the 
province was suffering a 17-20% decline in central- 
government provided revenue due to the economic crisis, 
but that his team had planned for a decline and was 
managing it.  Moreover, he was drawing down some current 
reserves in anticipation of soy export tax co- 
participation funds that the province could begin 
receiving in June.  He was hurrying the funds out, he 
said, because the end of the Salta rainy season was 
approaching and it was the best time for infrastructure 
work.  Uturbey emphasized the decentralized nature of his 
approach, in which 50% of co-participation funds were 
dedicated to municipalities which were allowed to select 
their own projects. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Uturbey thanked the USG for its support for 
counter-drug operations in Salta, saying that nonetheless 
the problem was big: "let's speak clearly," he said, "the 
problem is from Bolivia and probably 80% of cocaine 
coming into Argentina comes through Salta."  He said that 
provincial-national law enforcement cooperation was good. 
The Governor also described provincial efforts to combat 
trafficking in persons, saying that the province had 
freed 30 adolescent victims from their traffickers in 
recent months.  He also noted the creation of a 
provincial office dedicated to domestic violence. 
 
¶4. (U) Ambassador shared his condolences over the 
February landslide in the provincial city of Tartagal, 
which cost lives and destroyed houses and businesses.  He 
also inquired about provincial efforts to address the 
outbreak of dengue fever.  Uturbey noted the problem was 
serious, though not necessarily worse than outbreaks in 
1998 and 2004, and that provincial programs were 
established to deal with the health emergency. (Note: 
There are at least 1,200 confirmed cases of Dengue in the 
province; printed dengue advisories were available at 
several stores in the city of Salta.  End Note.) 
 
Counter-Drug Cooperation 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Governor Uturbey and Provincial Minister of 
 
Justice, Security, and Human Rights Dr. Pablo Kosiner 
participated with the Ambassador the morning of April 28 
in opening a DEA-organized regional training conference 
for Southern Cone Center for Drug Information (CDI), 
previously seated in Bolivia.  (Note: Argentina's 
Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez had agreed that the 
Federal Police (PFA) could manage the network following 
DEA's expulsion from Bolivia, and the head of the PFA's 
counter-drug unit was also in attendance at the launch. 
INCLE-funds were used to support this regional training, 
organized by DEA Buenos Aires Country Office.  End Note). 
 
¶6. (U) Following the Ambassador's remarks on the value of 
the CDI program and the importance of Argentine 
collaboration against drug trafficking, Dr. Kosiner 
lamented the insidious effects of drug trafficking, 
noting that an entire economy had formed both trading in 
drugs and using drugs as a currency.  Uturbey underscored 
the importance of joint efforts against narcotics, 
passionately referring to the dangers illicit drugs posed 
to Argentine children. 
 
Questions about President Obama, Economy, Drugs 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶7. (U) The Ambassador was the featured speaker April 28 
at a luncheon organized by the University of Rio de la 
Plata Foundation (FURP), Salta Branch, a event featuring 
politicians, provincial officials (including Governor 
Uturbey) and local leaders of all stripes (an audience of 
45-50).  The questioners and FURP President Luis Rosales 
noted the non-partisan nature of the event and responded 
well to the Ambassador's description of bilateral 
relations, particularly the opportunities for enhanced 
ties.  Questioners asked about U.S. domestic policies 
(stem cells and narcotics), U.S. perspectives on 
Argentina's economy and the bilateral partnership, the 
global economic crisis.  Local paper "El Tribuno" focused 
its coverage on the Ambassador's statement that the USG 
viewed Argentina as under no greater threat in the global 
economic downturn than were countries in many other 
regions. (Note: This was in reference to unofficial 
remarks by the CIA Director in February that were 
interpreted here as an official, negative USG assessment 
of Argentina's prospects, per reftel.  End Note.) 
 
Baseballs and English Instruction 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Two events facilitated by the Public Affairs 
Section generated significant goodwill and press coverage 
in Salta.  The first was a donation of baseball equipment 
provided by Major League Baseball to Salta's youth and 
adult league, comprised of six clubs.  (Note: One radio 
interviewer later that evening noted that the Ambassador 
had promised to provide equipment during his July 2008 
visit to the city, and now he had delivered. End Note.) 
Children from each club were in attendance to receive the 
bats, balls, helmets, and gloves, all eager to break out 
the equipment.    One player showed the Ambassador the 
cracked and crumbling batting helmet with which the team 
had been making do.  Governor Uturbey also attended, and 
spoke to the importance of recreational opportunities for 
youth.  Later, the Ambassador participated in the opening 
of the fourth match in Salta between the United States 
women's field hockey team and their popular Argentine 
counterpart, "Las Leonas."  Governor Uturbey arrived 
later to watch part of the game with the Ambassador. 
 
¶9. (U) The second highly positive event was the awarding 
of certificates to 55 teenage students chosen to receive 
free English language instruction through the local 
Binational Center (BNC).  This ceremony was the first in 
welcoming over 300 grant recipients in a total of four 
BNCs around the country under the Embassy's English 
Access Microscholarship Program, providing opportunities 
to lower income, high performing students who would not 
otherwise be able to study English.  All but two of the 
selected youth were at the event, along with parents and 
teachers, and almost all returned after the presentations 
for a second photo with the Ambassador. 
 
Promoting Orlando 
----------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Ambassador also spoke briefly at an event 
organized by Orlando's tourism promotion office and 
 
attended as well by the Embassy's Foreign Commercial 
Service.  Approximately 32 tour operators and several 
provincial officials were in attendance.  The Ambassador 
described the value of tourism to both countries in 
building mutual understanding and noted that Argentine 
visa recipients had increased at a 14% year-on-year from 
March 2008 to March 2009, one of the highest in South 
America. 
 
Positive Press 
-------------- 
 
¶11. (U) The Ambassador's visit received ample and 
positive press coverage in the local media.  The 
province's two leading broadcast television and radio 
stations, Canal 11 and AM840 Radio Salta covered his 
activities extensively.  So did the main and most 
traditional newspaper in the province, "El Tribuno," 
which is read through the entire northwestern region of 
the country and whose coverage focused on the drug- 
enforcement conference.  A cable TV program made a 
special coverage of the baseball equipment donation.  The 
Ambassador's visit was also mentioned in a story related 
to drug-enforcement in the country's second-largest 
newspaper, "La Nacion." 
 
Politics in the Province 
------------------------ 
 
¶12. (SBU) The Ambassador's visit came at a time of active 
politicking in Salta as parties and leaders position 
themselves for the June 28 national elections.  On the 
margins of the Ambassador's visit, Political Officer met 
with national deputy Zulema Daher, the Province's one 
"dissident" Peronist deputy (allied with Felipe Sola), 
and with national Senator Juan Perez Alsina, of the 
Partido Renovador ("Renewal").  Both, along with 
academics at the FURP lunch, described a province 
dominated by Peronism, but in which Peronism was itself 
divided both by leadership rivalries and by differing 
views about Kirchnerism.  Septel will describe their 
points of view in detail; both viewed it as less than 
likely that Uturbey's Kirchner-aligned Peronist Party 
(PJ) could gain more than one of the three contested 
seats.  Both also said that the Kirchners no longer 
played well in the province, in part a legacy of the 2008 
agricultural dispute. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Salta is relatively receptive terrain for the 
U.S. message, evidenced by the effort its well-spoken, 
influential, and Kirchner-allied governor made both to 
welcome and be seen with the U.S. Ambassador.  The 
Embassy's modest but well targeted assistance to youth 
was a big hit. 
 
WAYNE