US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION807

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASUNCION 000807 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA A/S NORIEGA, PDAS DERHAM, DAS JEWELL; WHA/PD 
(GOULD); R/PPR (WHITAKER) 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS; LAC/AA 
FRANCO 
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY, TOM SHANNON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KPAO, PA 
SUBJECT: Paraguayan Media Focuses on Chavez Barbs at US and 
Venezuelan Oil Deal 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  News coverage of the 06/20 speeches of 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the Paraguayan Congress 
and the National University focused on comments attacking 
the United States and Chavez' interpretation of the benefits 
of an anticipated Venezuelan/Paraguayan oil deal. Coverage 
in newspapers was extensive and TV covered the speeches, at 
least in part, live, as did news radio channels.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
U.S. BASHING 
------------ 
2.  In his 6/20 visit to the Paraguayan Congress, Chavez 
spoke for about three hours in which he insisted that Latin 
American countries should break up with "imperialist 
domination," especially with the U.S. and build a new model 
of development based on national projects where the 
priority, among other things, is the recuperation of the 
natural energy resources which are in the hands of 
multinational companies.  Chavez criticized heavily 
President Bush and referred to him as "Mister Danger" -- 
accusing him of being a danger to humanity. 
 
3.  In this speech, he also referred to 9/11 -- describing a 
book written by "a man" who recounts his experience after he 
visited the place where the Twin Towers were destroyed and 
how he became aware of what he had done in his life. Chavez 
said this man called himself an "economic assassin" and 
realized that the planes that crashed were a result of the 
"American century."  Chavez said that, in a way, this is a 
response, a response he does not agree with, but somehow a 
response to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Afghanistan, Iraq, 
Fallujah, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guantanamo, etc. 
 
4.  In separate comments at the end of the Mercosur Summit, 
Chavez was quoted by several newspapers as saying "Whoever 
wants to see hell, should take the path recommended by 
Washington," apparently in response to positive comments by 
Colombian President Uribe. 
 
5.  In "La Nacion," Paraguay's third-largest and business- 
oriented daily, Chavez was quoted as saying that "Capitalism 
is the devil itself and its paths lead to hell."  The paper 
noted negative remarks about U.S. economic policy and the 
use of nicknames referring to President Bush were cheered by 
the audience during the speeches at the Congress and 
University. (Note:  The audience at the Congress included 
many guests from outside Congress -- including the Cuban 
Ambassador to Paraguay and members of campesino groups.)  At 
the university, Chavez said that, like him, Castro feels 
young because he continues believing in the revolution and 
in fighting against the system imposed from the "empire," as 
he called the U.S. 
 
Oil for ??? 
----------- 
6.  Major attention was also paid in the media to Chavez' 
comments about the benefits of a deal for inexpensive oil to 
Paraguay via a special credit granted by his government to 
Paraguay. 
 
7.  "ABC Color," Paraguay's largest and most influential 
daily, under the title "The trickery of the Venezuelan 
President" in its lead editorial on 06/21 said: "...This is 
simple sophistry from Chavez ... If he really wanted to help 
Paraguay, Chavez would have authorized blank credit to 
advance education and public health -- not for the purchase 
of oil that the state monopoly, Petropar, commercializes in 
the internal market.... The silent majority of the 
population, honest and hardworking people who love their 
country and want to see an end to backwardness, poverty and 
defeat, as well as the politicians who still have a minimum 
of patriotism, should be alert and firmly reject this 
trickery of Hugo Chavez, who only seeks to acquire influence 
over Paraguayan politics and economy through our dependence 
on financed oil." 
 
Almost On The Air and Almost Not in Print 
------------------- 
8.  In media reports, Chavez also announced that cable 
channel TEVESUR will launch in August as a Latin American 
alternative to CNN. 
 
9.  A "chavista" show in a bar downtown is the title of an 
article run by "ABC Color."  Chavez entered a downtown bar 
with a group of people.  A photographer from ABC snapped a 
photo of Chavez. One of the Venezuelan president's security 
guards grabbed the photographer's press credential and 
demanded the photo chip.  The reporter took refuge with 
other people from the newspaper nearby and eventually the 
guard returned the credential when they had to admit that 
Chavez was in a public place and it was not an official act 
restricted to media photo ops only. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
10.  Chavez' knack for spicy material for the media 
guarantees him coverage in sensation-loving Paraguayan 
media.  At the same time, the media recognize his 
tendencies, referring to him as 'noisy' in the gossip 
columns and in the one editorial published to date 
concerning his remarks, as full of trickery.  END COMMENT. 
JOHNSONKEANE