US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA2153

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002153 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, BR 
SUBJECT: UNTIMELY CHAVEZ-LULA VISIT 
 
1. (U) On August 11 Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez made a 
stop-off in Brasilia during a quick tour of South American 
countries, and called on President Lula da Silva. Over 
dinner, official releases from the presidency indicate they 
discussed bilateral relations, focusing on a joint venture 
between the two country's parastatal petroleum companies, 
Brazil's Petrobras and Venezuela's PDVSA. Although the 
presidency affirmed the focus of the meeting was the 
&strategic alliance8 forged between the two in February, 
many political analysts here questioned the timing of 
Chavez's sudden visit (announced only yesterday) in light of 
the corruption scandals that have rocked the GOB.  Some 
analysts posit that the house call was really a disguised 
political huddle between South America's most prominent 
left-of-center leaders. 
 
2. (U) Both opposition figures and some media criticized the 
visit as inappropriate in light of the current political 
crisis in Brazil.  Chavez was uncharacteristically evasive 
with the press, although he did apparently leave one sound 
bite behind in which he claimed Lula's woes were the result 
of a rightist conspiracy.  Lula has reportedly bristled at 
recent critical comparisons of his appeals to lower class 
voters for support amidst the crisis with populist tactics of 
the Venezuelan leader.  In that sense his meeting with Chavez 
at this juncture seems jarringly ill-timed. 
 
3. (SBU) We are seeking additional information on the meeting 
with presidency officials at the earliest opportunity. 
 
LINEHAN