VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0090 0361455
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051455Z FEB 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6363
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7453
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7759
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2702 UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:          
SUBJECT: MIDEAST: CHIRAC ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PLANS; WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE: VENEZUELA, CHAVEZ'S RULE BY DECREE; SAO PAULO 
 
 
 1. "Middle East Is A Politicians' Swamp" 
 
Center-right national circulation daily O Estado de S. Paulo's Paris 
correspondent Giles Lapouge commented (2/2): "Concerned with the 
idea that the world will be an orphan - when he leaves the 
presidency in two months - French President Jacques Chirac wanted to 
render a last service to the planet. Convinced that he could calm 
down both the furious Iranians in Tehran and nervous Americans in 
Washington, he told three perplexed journalists that, after all, it 
would not be that serious if Iran produced nuclear bombs and 
launched one or two of them over Israel.... Such a baroque idea was 
so original that it displeased everyone....By explaining that two 
Iranian bombs would not be even a needle prick, Chirac also 
disgusted Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad." 
 
 2. "The Danger Coming From The North" 
 
Political columnist Joao Mellao Neto wrote in center-right O Estado 
de S. Paulo (2/2): "Democracy is not only the prevalence of the 
majority's will. Were that the cause, Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's 
Germany could have been considered democratic. Democracy is also, 
and mainly, respect for the right of minorities, the free existence 
of autonomous institutions independent from the Executive.... The 
so-called 'popular will' is nothing but a semantic crutch supporting 
populist dictators to justify their arbitrariness.... Considering 
all this, is it possible to consider Hugo Chvez's Venezuela a 
democratic nation? Obviously not. But our unique president 
understands the contrary. According to what Lula has said, 'there is 
too much democracy in Venezuela, 'alluding to elections and 
referenda through which Chvez is increasingly becoming a 
dictator.... Everything would be much simpler if the problem were 
restricted to Venezuela. But Chvez has greater ambitions. He wants 
to become a continental leader and interferes in internal affairs of 
several nations of the region.... He is neither an idiot nor 
ignorant.... He knows exactly what he is doing and why he is doing 
that. The Brazilian government does not perceive the danger that he 
represents.... Chvez's intentions are clear and most of them 
hostile to Brazil. Lula is the only one who has not yet understood 
that.... Chvez has nothing to teach us, except how to kill a 
democracy." 
McMullen