Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 12566 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08 2011/05/09 2011/05/10 2011/05/11 2011/05/12 2011/05/13 2011/05/14 2011/05/15

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/06 1992/12
1993/10
1996/11
1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AR AF ASEC AORC AU AMGT AADP AMBASSADOR AS AEMR AFIN AJ AM AFFAIRS ASEAN AODE APEC AE ABLD ACBAQ APECO AFSI AFSN AY AO ABUD AG AGAO AROC AC APER AMED ATRN ADPM ADCO ASIG AL ASUP ARF AUC ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE ACOA ASCH AA AFU AID ALOW AINF AMG ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL AIT ANET ADM AN AMCHAMS ACS APCS ADANA AECL ACAO AORG AGR ACABQ AGMT AX AMEX AFGHANISTAN AZ AND ARM AQ ATFN
BR BA BEXP BU BY BM BBSR BK BL BO BRUSSELS BG BB BD BTIO BIDEN BP BE BH BX BF BT BWC BN BTIU BILAT BC BMGT
CI CU CA CVIS CH CO CS CASC CM CMGT CLINTON CT CWC CJAN CARICOM CB CE CN CONDOLEEZZA CG CW CPAS CACS CY CFED CSW CIDA CIC CITT CBW CONS CDG CD CHR CACM CDB COE CDC CR CF CJUS CTM CODEL CLMT CBC CAN COUNTERTERRORISM CAC COUNTER CV CNARC COM CROS CIA COPUOS CIS CARSON CTR CBSA CEUDA CICTE COUNTRY CBE CAPC CL CKGR CVR CITEL CLEARANCE
DJ DR DISENGAGEMENT DE DA DOMESTIC DEA DOD DOE DTRA DS DEFENSE DHS DO DAO DCM DEAX DK DPRK DEPT
ECA EU ENRG EPET ETTC ETRD ELAB EC ECON EFIN EG EINV ES EAIR EAID EFIS ELTN EWWT EAGR EIND EUN ECIN ER ET ELECTIONS EXTERNAL EMIN ECPS ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENIV ENGR EI ECUN EFTA ENGY ECONOMICS EN EIAR EINDETRD EUR EZ EREL ECONEFIN EINT EURN EDU ETRDEINVTINTCS ECIP EFIM EAIDS EK EPA ENVR EINVETC ECONCS ECONOMIC ELN EUMEM ETRA ESA ECINECONCS EAIG ETRO EUREM ESENV ETRC ENVI EINVECONSENVCSJA ENNP EEPET EUC ENERG EUNCH EXIM ERD ERNG EFINECONCS ETRN EINVEFIN ETRDECONWTOCS ETC EAP ECONOMY EINN EXBS
FTAA FR FAO FI FAC FOI FREEDOM FJ FMLN FARC FDA FTA FBI FM FOREIGN FO FISO FOR FAS FINR FINANCE
GM GT GG GOI GZ GAZA GR GAERC GV GCC GY GA GOV GE GLOBAL GH GTIP GERARD GANGS GTMO GL GF
HO HILLARY HK HR HA HURI HU HUMAN HYMPSK HSTC HEBRON HUMOR HI
IIP IC IR IAEA IT ICAO IN IAHRC IZ IS INTERNAL ISRAELI IMF IBRD IWC INTERPOL IO ISLAMISTS ITALY ITALIAN IRAQI ILO IPR IV IRS INRB IMO ID IZPREL IRAJ ICTY ICRC ITF IQ ILC ITU IF ITPHUM IL ISRAEL IACI INMARSAT ICTR ICJ IEFIN INTELSAT INDO IA INRA INRO IDP IRC ITRA IDA IGAD IBET ITPGOV INR IEA
JA JP JO JAMES JOSEPH JM JUS JOHN JOHNNIE
KDEM KIRF KPAO KCRM KNNP KIPR KMDR KWBG KPAL KSUM KCOR KISL KTIA KSCA KWMN KFRD KFLO KDEMAF KZ KN KS KJUS KOMC KBTR KE KUNR KSEP KPLS KRVC KV KTFN KTIP KMPI KIRC KOLY KPKO KIDE KMRS KFLU KSAF KGIC KRAD KU KHLS KOCI KSTH KGHG KAWC KICC KG KSPR KPRP KDRG KGIT KVPR KGCC KSEO KMCA KSTC KBIO KHIV KBCT KPAI KICA KTDB KACT KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KHUM KREC KSEC KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KPIN KCOM KESS KDEV KCFE KNUC KAWK KWWMN KPRV KCIP KHDP KOM KBTS KCRS KNPP KWNM KRFD KVIR KLIG KMIG KTEX KDDG KRGY KR KMOC KPAONZ KNAR KIFR KCGC KID KSAC KAID KWMNCS KNEI KPOA KTER KFIN KWAC KFSC KPAK KHSA KMFO KPWR KSCI KRIM KENV KWMM KO KOMS KX KVRP KCRCM KNUP KTBT KNNPMNUC KERG KTLA KCSY KTRD KJUST KNSD KCMR KRCM KCFC KCHG KREL KFTFN
LY LI LH LTTE LE LO LG LT LABOR LU LA LAB LOG
MOPS MARR MNUC MASC MASS MCAP MZ MEETINGS MERCOSUR MX MG MW MIL MTCRE MAS MO MTCR MD MK MP MY MR MT MCC MIK MU ML MARAD MA MAPS MV MPOS MILITARY MDC MQADHAFI MEPP MRCRE MEDIA MAPP MEPN MI MUCN MASSMNUC MAR MC MTRE MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPI
NATO NL NU NZ NPT NI NRR NA NATIONAL NIPP NO NAFTA NT NSF NS NE NASA NP NAR NV NG NSSP NK NDP NR NATOPREL NEW NPG NSG NSFO NORAD NPA NGO NSC NH NW NZUS NC
OVIP OTRA OPRC OSCE OFDA OAS OIIP OPCW OPDC OEXC OPIC OREP OFFICIALS ODIP OECD OMIG OFDP OSCI OVP OIC OIE OHUM OPAD ON OCII OBSP OCS OES OTR OSAC
PGOV PHUM PREL PTER PINR PARM PROP PA PBTS PHSA PREF PM POL PK PINS PE PALESTINIAN PL PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PAO POLITICS PO PHUMBA PSEPC PNAT PNR POLINT PGOVE PROG PHALANAGE PARTY PDEM PECON PROV PSOE PBT PAK PP PGOC PY PMIL PLN PMAR PGIV PHUH PBIO PF PRL PG PHUS PTBS PU PINL POV PEL POLITICAL PARTIES PCUL PHUMPREL POLICY PGGV PAS PSA PDOV PCI PRAM PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PHUMPGOV POGOV PREO PAHO PREFA PSI PAIGH POSTS PARMS PTERE PRGOV PORG PS PGOF PKFK PEPR PPA PINT PRELP PINF PNG
QA
RU RS RFE RICE RW RCMP RO RP RIGHTS RIGHTSPOLMIL RUPREL RF RELATIONS RM ROBERT REACTION REGION ROOD REPORT RSO RSP
SU SENV SNAR SOCI SMIG SW SO SCUL SY SR SP SA SZ SF SIPDIS STEINBERG SN SNARIZ SG SNARN SSA SK SI SPCVIS SOFA SC SL SIPRS SARS SYR SANC SEVN SWE SHI SEN SHUM SYRIA SH SPCE SNARCS SAARC SCRS SENVKGHG SAN ST
TRGY TU TX TSPA TZ TW TPHY TSPL TBIO TN TC TS TF TI TIP TH TINT TNGD TP TD TFIN TAGS TK TL TV TT TERRORISM TR THPY TO TRSY TURKEY TBID
UK UN UP UG US UNSC UNGA UNHCR USEU UY UNESCO USTR USOAS UZ UNODC UNCHS UNFICYP UNEP UNIDROIT UNHRC UNDESCO UNDP UNC UNO UNMIK UNAUS UV UNCHR UNPUOS UNCSD USUN UNCND UNDC USNC UNICEF UNCHC USPS USAID UE UNVIE UAE
VE VM VZ VT VTPREL VTIZ VAT VN VC VI VTEG
WITH WHO WI WTRO WIPO WTO WS WTRQ WWARD WHA WHTI WEU WZ WMD WMO WA WBG WFP WB
XF XG XT XK XM XR XZ XA XV XW XL XH XE XB XU XQ XS XD XY XC XX XTAG XI
YE YM YI YMCS
ZP ZR ZB ZI ZA ZK ZU ZF ZO ZANU ZOELLICK ZEALAND ZL ZJ ZN

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 08BUENOSAIRES760, ARGENTINA: CODEL DODD DISCUSSES REGION WITH

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08BUENOSAIRES760.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08BUENOSAIRES760 | 2008-06-03 18:51 | 2011-05-02 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Buenos Aires

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    PP RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHBU #0760/01 1551851
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    P 031851Z JUN 08
    FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1235
    INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

` `

    UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000760

    SENSITIVE
    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD SNAR MASS EAID EC
    SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: CODEL DODD DISCUSSES REGION WITH
    AMBASSADORS AND POLITICAL ANALYSTS

    ¶1. (U) Summary:  The Ambassador hosted a lunch with
    ambassadors and private sector employees in honor of Senator
    Christopher Dodd and Representative Xavier Becerra.  The
    group discussed the region's efforts at integration, pointing
    to the benefits of closer relations that have developed and
    the challenges of reducing poverty and increasing social
    justice.  Regarding Argentina, participants expressed concern
    about the poor state of political parties and the
    government's ability to handle inflation and the farm strike.
     Participants expressed great interest in the U.S. elections
    and what they could mean for policy towards the region.  End
    summary.

    Latin America Today
    -------------------

    ¶2.  (U) The Ambassador welcomed and introduced Senator Dodd
    and Representative Becerra.  Senator Dodd fondly recalled a
    trip he took to many different South American countries,
    including Argentina, in the 1960s at the end of his Peace
    Corps service in the Dominican Republic.  Dodd asked the
    guests to address what Latin America wanted and how to
    improve relations with the region.  Representative Becerra
    said the region has experienced many changes and asked how
    the participants saw the relationship with the United States.
     The participants expressed a great interest and curiosity in
    the U.S. elections.

    ¶3.  (SBU) Economist Miguel Alberto Kiguel said that the
    current situation in Latin America is encouraging, with low
    inflation, budget surpluses, and good foreign policy.
    Macro-economic policy lessons have been learned -- fiscal
    surplus, etc.  But the micro-economy is still a big
    challenge.  The region is in a unique situation to address
    poverty, income distribution, and investment in the social
    sector.  Nevertheless, political analyst and professor Carlos
    Escude said that many countries in Latin America have adopted
    populist policies to address some nagging social ills.  By
    way of explanation, Escude said he was born in an Argentina
    where 10% of the population was poor; that number rose in
    2001 to 50% and now hovers around 30%.  While some countries
    have higher levels of absolute poverty, Escude emphasized
    that none have experienced such growth from limited to
    widespread poverty in the way that Argentina has.  Escude
    noted the region's high concentration of wealth was one of
    the biggest problems.  UN Economic Comission for Latin
    America (ECLAC) Director Bernando Kosakoff agreed that Latin
    America needs to generate wealth, and reiterated that the
    main challenge for the region is addressing the unequal
    distribution of income.  Economic analyst Rogelio Frigerio
    pointed out that some leaders have employed populist rhetoric
    but still play by democratic rules of the game.  These
    "realistic populists," he predicted, would fare better than
    their counterparts with more authoritarian tendencies.

    ¶4. (SBU) Former Ambassador to the United Nations Arnoldo
    Listre noted that it was important to recognize there had
    been positive changes in the Southern Cone, and specifically
    cited the very good relations between Argentina, Brazil, and
    Chile as a new and positive development that has contributed
    to regional stability.  Mercosur, he said, had prevented
    cross-border disputes from leading to larger
    political-military confrontations in the Southern Cone just
    as effectively as the European Union had in Europe.
    Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira added the relationship
    between Argentina and Brazil was economically very strong and
    of considerable strategic importance for Brazil.  He
    emphasized the importance of multilateralism, and noted that
    Brazil shares borders with all countries in South America
    except Chile and Ecuador.  Vieira insisted that trade
    agreements with Mercosur had to be with the bloc, and not
    with individual countries.

    Regional Solidarity
    -------------------

    ¶5.  (SBU) Director of the Institute of International Commerce
    at the BankBoston Foundation Felix Pena emphasized the
    importance of identifying areas for regional cooperation.  He
    criticized U.S. policy in the region for not unequivocally
    endorsing regional integration schemes like Mercosur.  Pena
    specifically cited the economy, energy, and narcotrafficking
    as areas to explore.  He said it was difficult to understand
    the region as one because of each country's individual
    history.  Frigerio disagreed on regional solidarity, arguing
    that the region was dividing more than uniting, especially in
    terms of macroeconomic policies.  On the subject of economy,
    Escude claimed that Latin America had signed many free trade
    agreements, but not ratified many of them.  He observed that
    the most successful thing the region has been able to achieve
    is avoiding conflicts that develop into war.

    U.S.-South America
    ------------------

    ¶6.  (SBU) Colombian Ambassador to Argentina Jaime
    Bermudez-Merizalde said the key to a strong bilateral
    relationship was expanding ties further than the military and
    security realm and focusing on initiatives with social
    impact.  Bermudez said that it was precisely the populists'
    focus on social issues that helped them win elections.  He
    suggested the U.S. work on programs to combat the populists'
    social discourse, and to seek to broaden its message and
    dialogue beyond elites.  Kiguel said that opening the U.S.
    economy to Latin America would be interpreted as a concrete
    effort to improve relations.  Listre said there was no
    strategic threat to the United States in the region and
    because of this the U.S. would not prioritize Latin America
    in its foreign policy.  Listre urged ratification of the free
    trade agreement with Colombia and warned that failing to do
    so would send a bad message to the region as Colombia was the
    U.S.'s closest friend:  what you do will be read as how you
    treat your friends, he said.

    U.S.-Argentine Relations
    ------------------------

    ¶7.  (SBU) Pena said the challenge was to deepen the
    relationship between U.S. and Argentina which he said he
    thought was possible with work.  President of the La Plata
    University Foundation Fernando Maurette said Argentina's
    political parties exist nominally, but they lack the spirit
    and values you need in a participatory democracy and "do not
    exist" in the same way that they do in the United States and
    Europe.  He said that U.S. legislators should reach out more
    often to their counterparts in the region, claiming that
    Argentine legislators conversed frequently with counterparts
    in France, Great Britain, and Brazil, but not with those in
    the United States.  This kind of interaction can help
    strengthen Argentina's democracy and bilateral relations.
    Maurette pointed out new actors were emerging in the regional
    sphere, like China, who have expanded their role in the
    region's defense and energy arenas.  Kosakoff mentioned that
    American businesses participate in the Argentine economy but
    aren't provided many incentives to integrate fully into the
    economy.  We need to treat them as partners in our
    development.  He felt U.S. companies could play a bigger
    positive role in Argentina's development.  The Ambassador
    noted many U.S. companies are eager to be more active
    participants in Argentina's development and have very good
    CSR programs to help local communities.

    Paraguay
    --------

    ¶8.  (SBU) Pena brought up the case of President-elect
    Fernando Lugo in Paraguay and said that the region -- and the
    United States -- had to help him succeed in his efforts to
    forge a moderate leftist path, following the examples of
    countries like Chile and Uruguay.  Senator Dodd asked Vieira
    what Lula thought of Lugo, and Vieira replied that Lula wants
    to collaborate and sees the relationship with Paraguay as
    important.

    Inflation, Inflation, Inflation
    -------------------------------

    ¶9.  (SBU) Senator Dodd asked the guests what were some of the
    problems facing Argentina today.  Frigerio replied that
    inflation was destroying the economy and attacking a pillar
    of the economy.  Kiguel said that inflation was officially
    reported at 8%, but in fact was at least 20-25%.  He said
    that burgeoning inflation has had two serious effects -- it
    has hurt people's purchasing power because the salaries can't
    keep up with inflation, and it has destroyed access to
    credit.  He said this was a serious problem.  Kosakoff said
    that inflation was hurting investment because investors don't
    know what will happen.  The government needs to resolve these
    problems -- specifically energy, inflation, and
    infrastructure -- to head off a major crisis.

    Farmers
    -------

    ¶10.  (SBU) Dodd asked whether the GOA would reach an
    agreement with the striking agricultural sector.  Kosakoff
    said the burgeoning global demand would maintain upward
    pressure on food prices.  The question is how to generate
    more capacity.  Argentina can be a player, and the government
    can resolve the situation without bringing the country to
    another crisis.

    Comment
    -------

    ¶11.  (SBU) The commentators were cautiously hopeful about the
    future of U.S. relations with Latin America.  Their emphasis
    on regional solidarity tended towards the Southern Cone and
    Mercosur countries.  Most were pessimistic about Argentina's
    internal problems, which one guest argued were not so large
    they could not be fixed, but their solutions required
    political will and consensus which has heretofore been
    absent.

    ¶12.  (U) This cable was cleared by the codel after departure.
    WAYNE

`