US embassy cable - 05SANSALVADOR3002

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 003002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, WHA/CEN, WHA/PDA, R 
AMEMBASSIES FOR PAS, POL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, ES, KPAO, MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION, OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 3:   Millennium 
Challenge Account, Valerie Plame Affair, Venezuela, Summit 
of the Americas 
 
 
"Governance and the Millennium Challenge Account" 
 
On Sunday, October 30, former Salvadoran Ambassador to 
Washington Ernesto Rivas Gallont wrote in moderate La Prensa 
Grfica (circ. 110,000): 
 
"November 8, 2005 is an important date for El Salvador. [.] 
If the board of directors of the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation (MCC) finds El Salvador eligible to receive aid, 
then our government will present the MCC with a proposal for 
specific programs. 
 
There are three selection criteria for the MCC: Ruling 
justly, encouraging economic freedom and investing in 
people. In the graphs published by the MCC [.] El Salvador 
approves some indicators and flunks others. 
 
This novel program of external aid is an initiative for the 
less fortunate countries within the sphere of U.S. influence 
to implement constructive reforms. [.] It aspires to provide 
hope and opportunities to those who need it the most, but 
only after their governments prove that their policies and 
institutions can really stimulate sustainable economic 
growth." 
 
 
"Teetering in the White House and its repercussions" 
 
On Monday, October 31, moderate El Mundo's (circ. 40,000) 
main editorial read: 
 
"Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff Lewis `Scooter' 
Libby was forced to resign when he faced an investigation by 
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald [.] which makes us 
suspect that big dark clouds are hanging over the future of 
the Bush Administration, which is already going through many 
problems that are whipping his second term with greater 
strength than the recent hurricanes." 
 
 
"Hugo Chavez is an animal who keeps tripping over the same 
stone" 
 
On Wednesday, November 2, columnist Ivo Priamo Alvarenga 
wrote on moderate La Prensa Grfica (circ. 110,000): 
 
"(Tripping over the same stone) That is what Hugo Chavez is 
doing. [.] It's obvious in his agrarian reform.[.] The bad 
thing is although other democratic, rational, and within- 
reach solutions exist, Chavez reverts to expropriation and 
subsidies supported by the State. Exactly the same thing was 
done in the 60s, 70s, even the 80s:  wasting billions of 
dollars without "releasing" the farmers, nor providing 
agriculture with justice, production or productivity. 
 
His wish of turning Venezuela into another Cuba and, like 
Castro, staying in power the next 45 years, happens through 
eliminating the half of the population that opposes him. 
According to Chvez, the Cuban people live in a "sea of 
happiness". In fact, half the Cubans have looked for 
r 
happiness at sea. That is its aim for half of Venezuela -- 
to send to into exile or to jail." 
 
 
"Hard-to-reach regional understanding" 
 
On Thursday, November 3, the main editorial in moderate La 
Prensa Grfica (circ. 110,000) read: 
 
"The world of the present and the future is the world of 
great trade blocks. The market takes the place of the 
ideologies; but politics and ideology remain there, almost 
always as obstacles, until the new international order, so 
necessary and so evasive, becomes real and effective. 
 
Provided the necessary guarantees, free trade suits 
everyone.  Market intervention comes from the powerful 
interests (that see) the mess as always more profitable. 
Also, lately, the political map in Latin America is changing 
with a resurgence of the left, and you can hardly ever tell 
where it's going. 
 
That is the atmosphere in which the Summit of the Americas 
will be held. And the FTAA initiative, led by the United 
States, seems to be the scapegoat. The fight between the 
United States and Venezuela, that carries much drama, 
strains the mood in all these meetings. Meanwhile, the 
problems are there, waiting for viable and responsible ideas 
and solutions. 
In addition there is the load of historical distortions that 
paradoxically have regained some strength, such as the Cuba 
issue. 
It is essential to inject more rationality to relations in 
the hemisphere. The trend of the times is toward regional 
globalization, and all the artificial delays are very 
costly." 
 
BARCLAY