Cablegate: Media Reaction: Western Hemisphere: Crisis Between Colombia

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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."
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