US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1290

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES 
DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE, WHA/EPSC AND WHA/CEN 
DEPT. PASS USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, ETRD, HO, USTR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 16, 2005 
 
 
1. Editorial in San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" 
on 6/16, titled "North-South."  "In the North American view, 
Latin America is actually divided into two blocks, with 
different objectives and point of views concerning the 
continental future and also a different political 
conceptualization. The blocks' `North-South' structure 
implies countries grouping themselves together according to 
their interests and their political orientation and their 
commercial relationships with the U.S." 
 
"There is now a more concrete alignment: the North block is 
compose of the U.S., Mexico, Canada, which are associated by 
CAFTA. In addition Chile, Central American countries, 
Dominican Republic which are in progress of establishing a 
similar CAFTA, and maybe Colombia. The South block is 
composed of Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay and 
Uruguay and which, according to Ambassador Rocha, former 
U.S. ambassador, doesn't have commercial relationships or a 
significant population presence with the U.S." 
 
"For example, within the mechanical conception it would be 
necessary to explain Mexico's situation and its historical 
bipolar relationships with the U.S. and also with Canada 
with its Anglo-French dichotomy. There are two Mexicos, the 
north and south. South is in an integration process with 
Central America and in part with Colombia in the Puebla- 
Panama Plan context, Mexico's development plan." 
 
"On the other hand we shouldn't leave the existence of Latin 
American common culture unwarned which also plays a 
preponderant role in the towns' relationships. Teddy 
Roosevelt's `Panamericanism' (`America for all Americans') 
didn't disappear, even less no other exceeded it. The 
`Americanism' of the great Latin American thinkers haven't 
lost value, they even have new spirit." 
 
"It's very clear that within the `panamericanist' model 
there has been transcendental progress, like the politics of 
the `good neighbor' President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the 
Alliance for Progress by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 
naturally derived from World War II and its extension to the 
Cold War which in the end reunited Germany and the European 
Union arose. This new version of U.S. continental politics, 
including the `panamericanism,' comes from a particular 
interpretation in leading the world war against terrorism. 
In these conditions the theory offers big gaps and 
formidable concerns."