VZCZCXYZ0020
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0237 1121602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221602Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9122
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0272
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 9122

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000237 
 
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 XM XR XF BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AFRICA:  SOUTH AFRICA, GOVERNANCE; GLOBAL 
ECONOMY:  FINANCIAL MARKET CRISIS; WESTERN HEMISPHERE: CHAVEZ'S 
POLICIES; SAO PAULO 
 
"Banks still trapped in bad bonds" 
 
Main editorial in business oriented Valor Econtmico (4-22) states: 
"....banks are gaining time with the massive billion dollars in 
government aid. Fundamentally, though, nothing relevant has changed 
since the beginning of the rescue operation that started in 
October....The situation of financial institutions, vital in this 
crisis, has not improved almost anything." 
 
"The single-party curse" 
 
Editorial in liberal Folha de S. Paulo (4-22) notes: "In this 
election [South Africa], an interesting development is taking place. 
A dissident from Mandela's party, called Congress of the People 
(Cope), has begun to break the monopoly of the African National 
Congress (ANC) as the representative of a country with 79% of black 
people in its population.  Pools do not give Cope more than 15% of 
vote intentions....but undoubtedly a force able to oxygenate 
democracy in South Africa arises - and who knows, it might be able 
to liberate it in the future from the curse of the single-party 
government." 
 
"Chavez's heavy hand" 
 
Main editorial in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (4-22) says: 
""....Nowadays, in Venezuela, almost all radio and television 
stations are directly or indirectly under the control of the 
government, with only a few newspapers still resisting the 
pressure.....Chavez controls the three branches of Government and 
suffocates the opposition using his arbitrary powers. This is the 
regime that is seeking entry into Mercosul, an association of 
countries that....only accepts democratic regimes." 
WHITE