Cablegate: Media Reaction: Unasur Meeting On Haiti; 2/10/10; Buenos

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0160/01 0411651
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 101650Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0502
INFO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000160

SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR PREL HA AR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: UNASUR MEETING ON HAITI; 2/10/10; BUENOS
AIRES

SUMMARY

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1. Argentine press picked up wire reports on the special UNASUR
meeting in Quito. Most highlighted that South American leaders
pledged 300 million dollars in international aid for Haiti and
called for the cancellation of its foreign debt. One article
focused on Argentina's decision to send 150 more Blue Helmets to
Haiti and reported Bolivian VP Garcia Linera's criticism of the
U.S. military presence. End summary.

SOUTH AMERICAN

HELP FOR HAITI

--------------

2. Local papers printed wire service stories focusing on the
South American leaders' purpose of supporting Haiti "in the context
of the most absolute respect for its territorial sovereignty,"
according the Unasur final resolution on Haiti. State-owned Telam
wire service agency reported that at the end of the Unasur meeting,
Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana expressed Argentina's
commitment to helping Haiti, stressing again that Haitian
authorities should lead reconstruction efforts with the cooperation
of the international community. Centrist Critica newspaper
underscored, "South America seeks to provide support that will not
jeopardize the territorial sovereignty of the Haitian government."

http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&id Pub=177106&id=340094&d
is=1&sec=1

http://www.laprensa.com.ar/354071-Argentina-i mpulsa-un-mayor-compro
miso-internacional-con-Haiti.note.aspx

http://criticadigital.com/impresa/index.php?s ecc=nota

&nid=38285

300 MILLION DOLLARS

FOR HAITI

-------------------

2. Most stories highlighted that South American leaders pledged
300 million dollars in international aid for Haiti, of which 200
million would come out of an Inter-American Development Bank loan
while individual governments would raise another $100 million.
Articles also report that the South American leaders attending the
Unasur summit called for the cancellation of Haiti's foreign debt.
Critica reports that "the first objective of the 100 million
dollars assigned is building houses for homeless."

3. Under the headline "Unasur gives 300 million dollars to
Haiti," conservative, small circulation newspaper La Prensa adds
that "Ecuador's President Rafael Correa criticized the immediate
and massive help of developed countries because it is not always
the most efficient one due to the distortions it creates."

http://criticadigital.com/impresa/index.php?s ecc=nota

&nid=38285

http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-13 9981-2010-02-10.html

150 ADDITIONAL ARGENTINE

BLUE HELMETS TO HAITI,

OBJECTIONS TO THE U.S.

MILITARY PRESENCE

------------------------

4. One article in conservative, business-financial Ambito
Financiero focused on Argentina's decision to send 150 more Blue
Helmets to Haiti. Edgardo Aguilera, columnist of the paper, wrote
"While FM Taiana confirmed Argentina's commitment to providing
humanitarian aid to Haiti, he did not mention that he would
increase to 150 the number of Argentine Blue Helmets," and "Due to
the 60% plus military budget cut, the government had to put
together equipment from several regiments to give to the military."
The article adds that during the Unasur summit, Bolivian VP Alvaro
Garcia Linera proposed to have a critical attitude of the
"unnecessary, abusive and dangerous" increasing U.S. military
presence.

http://www.ambito.com/diario/noticia.asp?id=5 07162

To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our

classified website at:

http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires
MARTINEZ

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