Cablegate: Media Reaction - Venezuela's Unsc Candidacy

VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #1696 2202012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082012Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9749
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1032

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001696

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PGOV CI VE
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - VENEZUELA'S UNSC CANDIDACY

On August 7, conservative, afternoon daily "La Segunda" (circ
31,834) carried an editorial entitled, "Tour and Turns in the
President's Trip." Quote:

"President Bachelet began yesterday a trip to Colombia and
Ecuador.... The program will conclude at the end of the month with
Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley's trip to Peru to sign an FTA with
the Garcia administration.... We can see a design and strategy in
these activities...whereby Chile is giving priority to the Latin
American continent.... But there is a change as to where it is
looking in the continent and to whom.... What we can see is that
the Foreign Ministry has begun looking to nations of the Pacific
coast...with a program that includes all kinds of contacts, but
especially entrepreneurial and commercial ones, to strengthen ties.

"This alternative is much more attractive than that of following the
ups and downs of the relationship with Argentina's Kirchner, the
demanding Hugo Chavez, and even Evo Morales.... But the pragmatism
of the strategy mentioned above will be tested with Chile's decision
regarding Venezuela in the Security Council. The Foreign Ministry
has been clever in delaying this decision until the last moment...
because it has given time for those for and against Chavez to
confront each other. The dynamics of events could in the end give
way for other alternative.
In this sense, Bachelet's trip...could be a chance to get a sense of
the level of consensus or dissent over Chavez' bid for the Security
Council." KELLY

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