Cablegate: Media Reaction: Western Hemisphere: Venezuela; Sao Paulo.

VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0869 3021109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291109Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7618
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8733
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8405
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2931

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000869

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: VENEZUELA; SAO PAULO.

1. Venezuela Begins To React

An editorial in center-right national circulation daily O Estado de
S. Paulo (10/27) maintained: "It's certain that in a few days the
Venezuelan National Assembly will approve a reform aimed at
establishing in that nation a regime that will submit all political,
economic, social and cultural activities to the will of a single
man. This is in fact the ultimate purpose of a reform tailored
according to and for Hugo Chvez: to give an aspect of
constitutional legitimacy to a dictatorship. But, one can also
certainly notice that Hugo Chvez no longer has the support from all
the Venezuelan society.... Significant portions of the population
have realized that Chavism is not only a populist fashion or a
legitimate alternative to many decades of political alternation in
power of two corrupted parties, but a real and immediate threat to
individual and political liberties.... The most visible
demonstration so far was the students' march through Caracas streets
last Tuesday.... The Chvez-controlled National Assembly will
approve a constitution that will sacrifice freedom. But the street
demonstrations show that from now on Chvez cannot continue
pretending to be a democratic government. Only repression through
police and military force will be able to avoid that his reign
finishes before he will."

2. Gift To Chvez

Center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (10/28) editorialized: "The
Brazilian government took another step towards presenting Mercosul
to Venezuelan president Hugo Chvez and submitting Brazil's trade
diplomacy to his interests and humor.... Those who accept Chvez's
goals and methods as well as his militia as democratic, may also
agree with them in Brazil and in the other nations of the region....
The conditions so far defined are only advantageous to Venezuela....
Chvez intends to have a Mercosul tailored according to his own
conveniences, and he has never concealed this fact. On the
contrary, he has already made clear his intention to liquidate the
old Mercosul and create a new one in accordance with his
criteria.... Venezuela's entry in Mercosul will not bring any gain
to Brazilian trade.... Venezuela's admittance in Mercosul involves
very serious risks greater than the envisioned benefits. It is
still time to avoid it."
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