US embassy cable - 05BUENOSAIRES260

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUENOS AIRES 000260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR A/S NORIEGA AND PDAS DERHAM 
USCINCSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, AR, VE 
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE AUTHORITIES SEEK TO DOWNPLAY CHAVEZ VISIT 
 
REF: A. SAO PAULO 00121 
 
     B. BUENOS AIRES 3357 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Lino Gutierrez for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (SBU)  Summary:  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived 
in Buenos Aires on February 1 for a whirlwind "working visit" 
following his appearance at the World Social Forum in Porto 
Alegre, Brazil last week (Ref A).  Employing the same antics 
he had performed last week in Brazil, Chavez used his visit 
to Buenos Aires as a platform to reiterate his anti-American, 
anti-free trade and anti-globalization message in 
long-winded, impromptu narratives.  Media coverage of the 
visit was mixed and the GOA was clearly less than pleased 
with Chavez's rhetoric and avoided holding a joint press 
conference.  The Ambassador will reiterate U.S. concerns 
regarding Venezuela with Kirchner's Chief of Cabinet, Alberto 
Fernandez, at a lunch on Friday, February 4.  Embassy report 
on the economic substance of the visit is contained in 
septel.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U)  Upon arriving in Buenos Aires, Chavez was met at the 
airport by droves of "piqueteros" and activists, led by the 
group Barrios del Pie, who followed him relentlessly 
throughout the day.  Chavez warmly received his supporters 
and even declared himself one of them.  The crowds followed 
Chavez from the opening ceremony for the first Petrosur 
service station, a jointly-established state 
Venezuelan/Argentine service station, to the port to witness 
the first food-for-oil cattle shipment.  Following a speech 
at the Petrosur gas station Chavez spent nearly 20 minutes 
signing autographs, T-shirts and posters. 
 
3. (U)  Chavez played to the cameras at every opportunity, 
repeating his commitment to cementing strategic South 
American political alliances and denouncing the U.S. 
free-trade initiatives and the IMF.  Apart from his usual 
anti-US, anti-globalization rhetoric, Chavez also highlighted 
his speeches with references to "his general," referring to 
Juan Domingo Peron, and claimed to "feel" Evita's presence. 
Referring to Kirchner, Chavez called him part of "his gang," 
emphasizing their shared problems, visions and futures.  The 
press noted that during his official press conference, Chavez 
took 90 minutes to answer four questions.  Similarly, Chavez 
improvised for over 40 minutes at the Casa Rosada after 
discarding his prepared speech in an effort to "save time." 
 
 
4. (U)  While generally portraying the visit as a meeting of 
friends, coverage of the Chavez visit has been mixed.  The 
leading Buenos Aires newspaper, La Nacion, published a 
critical commentary on February 3 analyzing Chavez's calls 
for regional integration and strategic alliances.  The 
editorial stated that while regional integration is a worthy 
task in Latin America, it cannot come at any cost.  Regional 
integration should focus on the promotion of fundamental 
liberties, democracy and human dignity and points out that 
the anti-democratic tendencies of the increasingly 
authoritarian Chavez administration are not the ideal role 
model.  It calls into question the legitimacy of the new 
jointly-run state oil company and suggests that regional 
integration should be undertaken through the development of 
the private sector.  The article further criticizes Chavez's 
current land expropriation project and cites it as a clear 
example of why Argentina must be wary of deepening ties with 
Venezuela.  While Chavez has visited Kirchner in Buenos Aires 
five times, this most recent visit is the first to generate 
notably negative reactions in the press. 
 
5. (C)  Comment:  Several local analysts have pointed out the 
less than opportune timing of Chavez's arrival, with 
Argentina in the midst of its debt restructuring road show 
and in need of support from the U.S.  Kirchner's quiet 
responses to Chavez's riling speeches visibly reflected the 
discomfort the GOA felt with the Venezuelan leader's 
presence.  Under Secretary for Foreign Policy Roberto Garcia 
Moritan told Embassy officer that even the muted press 
coverage did not accurately reflect the tone of the visit. 
MFA officials went to considerable lengths before and after 
the visit to emphasize the strictly commercial nature of the 
visit.  Garcia Moritan pointed out that the GOA had been 
careful to avoid connecting itself with Chavez's more 
flagrant comments and for that reason Kirchner did not 
accompany Chavez on the majority of his public appearances 
nor hold a joint press conference at the end of the visit. 
He said the GOA had told Chavez prior to his arrival not use 
his visit as a platform for anti-American comments, and that, 
when he did, they told him the GOA was not happy with what he 
had done.  Despite the GOA's frustration with Chavez's 
behavior, Garcia Moritan said the GOA prefers to pursue a 
strategy of constructive engagement rather than isolating 
Chavez, which the GOA believes would only aggravate the 
situation. 
 
6. (C)  Garcia Moritan noted another factor influencing the 
position of the GOA is the Argentine dependence on Venezuelan 
fuel oil, which they receive through a trade agreement at 
preferential prices.  (Note:  Following the trade agreement 
signed by Chavez and Kirchner in April of 2004, both 
governments touted the importance of bilateral trade.  In 
reality, however, economic ties are limited.  Even following 
the purchase of Venezuelan fuel oil in 2004, it remained in 
53rd place as a source of Argentine imports; Argentina 
comprised a mere .05 percent of Venezuela's exports in 2003, 
Ref B.) 
 
7. (C)  Ambassador Gutierrez has a lunch scheduled with 
Kirchner's Chief of Cabinet, Alberto Fernandez, on February 
4, at which he will again underscore our concerns about 
developments in Venezuela. 
 
8. (U) The reftels cited in this cable, and other Embassy 
Buenos Aires reporting, can be found at our classified 
SIPRNET site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a> 
GUTIERREZ