Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 19395 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden 00. Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Jordan Yemen Thailand

### Browse latest releases

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

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 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 1985/05 1985/06
1986/05 1986/08 1986/12
1987/06
1988/01 1988/03 1988/04 1988/07 1988/08 1988/12
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05 1991/07 1991/11
1992/01 1992/03 1992/06 1992/09 1992/12
1993/01 1993/02 1993/10
1994/11 1994/12
1995/01 1995/04 1995/06 1995/11
1996/07 1996/09 1996/11
1997/02 1997/03 1997/05 1997/06 1997/08 1997/10 1997/12
1998/05 1998/12
1999/01 1999/09
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/04 2001/05 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11 2001/12
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/06 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11 2002/12
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 Belfast Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chiang Mai 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 Consulate Dhahran
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guangzhou Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hong Kong 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 Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy Libreville Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Mission Geneva 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 Consulate Matamoros
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Nuevo Laredo Consulate Naples Consulate Naha Consulate Nagoya
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 Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE UN Rome Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vientiane 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
ASEC AEMR AMGT AR APECO AU AORC AJ AF AFIN AS AM ABLD AFFAIRS AMB APER AA AG AE ADM ATRN ALOW ACOA AID AMED AND ARF AL ABUD AY ASPA ADPM ADANA AFSI APEC ARABL ADCO ANARCHISTS AZ ANET AMEDCASCKFLO AADP AO AGRICULTURE AGAO AROC ASEAN AORG APRC ACABQ AINF AINR AFSN AFSA AODE APCS ARCH ADB AX AMEX ASUP ARM AQ ATFN AMBASSADOR ARAS ACBAQ AC AOPR AREP ASIG ASEX AER AVERY ASCH AFU AMG ATPDEA ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL AN AIT AGMT ACS AGR AMCHAMS AECL AUC AFGHANISTAN ACAO
BR BB BG BEXP BY BA BRUSSELS BU BD BK BL BM BE BO BTIO BH BAIO BRPA BUSH BILAT BMGT BC BOL BX BIDEN BP BF BBG BBSR BT BWC BEXPC BN BTIU
CPAS CA CASC CS CBW CIDA CO CODEL CI CROS CU CH CWC CMGT CVIS CDG CG CF CHIEF CJAN CBSA CE CY CB CW CM CDC CONS CN CHR CD CT CR COUNTRY CONDOLEEZZA CZ COM CICTE CYPRUS CARICOM CBE CACS CTR COE CAPC CIVS CFED CARSON COUNTER COPUOS CV CITES CKGR CVR CLINTON COUNTERTERRORISM CITEL CLEARANCE CSW CIC CITT CARIB CAFTA CACM CDB CJUS CTM CAN CAJC CONSULAR CLMT CBC CIA CNARC CIS CEUDA CHINA CAC CL
DR DJ DB DHS DAO DCM DO DEFENSE DA DE DOMESTIC DISENGAGEMENT DK DOD DOT DPRK DEPT DEA DOE DTRA DS DEAX
ECON ETTC EFIS ETRD EC EMIN EAGR EAID EU EFIN EUN ECIN EG EWWT EINV ENRG ELAB EPET EN EAIR EUMEM ECPS ELTN EIND EZ EI ER ET EINT ECONOMIC ENIV EET EFTA ES ECONOMY ENV EAG ENGR ELECTIONS ETRO EPEC ECIP EXIM ENERG ESTH EREL EK EDEV ERNG EPA ETRAD ELTNSNAR ETRC EEB EETC EUREM ENVI EXTERNAL ELN ECOSOC EAIDS ENGY ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPREL EFINECONCS EINVEFIN ECA EDU EIDN EINVKSCA ETC ENVR EAP EINN EXBS ECONOMICS EIAR EINDETRD ECONEFIN EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EFIM EINVETC ECONCS EDRC ENRD EBRD ETRA ESA EAIG EUR EUC ERD ETRN EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ESENV ENNP ECINECONCS ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN
FI FR FOREIGN FTAA FARC FREEDOM FAS FAO FBI FINANCE FCS FAA FJ FTA FK FT FAC FINR FDA FM FOR FOI FO FMLN FISO
GM GERARD GT GA GG GR GTIP GE GY GH GLOBAL GB GEORGE GCC GV GC GAZA GL GOV GOI GF GANGS GTMO GAERC GZ GUILLERMO GASPAR
HR HA HYMPSK HO HK HUMAN HN HUD HU HURI HILLARY HI HUM HSTC HEBRON HUMOR
IZ IN IAEA IS IMO ILO IR IC IT ITU IV IMF IBRD IWC IPR IRAQI IDB ISRAELI ITALY IADB ITPGOV ITALIAN ID ICAO ICRC INR IFAD ICJ IO IRAQ INL INMARSAT INRA INTERNAL INTELSAT ITRA INDO IRS ILC IIP ICTY IAHRC IQ IEFIN ISCON IA INTERPOL IEA INRB ISRAEL IZPREL IRAJ IF ITPHUM IL IACI IDA ISLAMISTS IGAD ITF INRO IBET IDP ICTR IRC
JA JO JM JP JOHN JUS JAMES JOSEPH JOHNNIE JML JIMENEZ
KOMC KNNP KFLO KDEM KSUM KIPR KFLU KPAO KE KCRM KJUS KAWC KZ KSCA KDRG KCOR KGHG KPAL KTIP KMCA KCRS KPKO KOLY KRVC KVPR KG KWBG KMDR KTER KSPR KV KTFN KWMN KFRD KSTH KS KN KISL KGIC KSEP KFIN KTEX KTIA KUNR KCMR KMOC KCIP KTDB KBIO KU KSAF KHIV KSTC KIRF KIRC KICC KIVP KCFE KIDE KNUP KSEO KSCS KNUC KGLB KGIT KBCT KTDD KPWR KRFD KO KNNNP KHLS KR KMPI KCOM KESS KWN KCSY KREC KICCPUR KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KREL KMCC KPRP KVIR KAID KPRV KPAOPREL KAUST KIRP KLAB KCRIM KCRCM KPAONZ KNAR KHDP KHSA KICA KGHA KTRD KTAO KPAOY KJUST KFSC KINR KWAC KENV KSCI KMRS KNDP KHUM KNPP KTBT KNNPMNUC KAWK KBTS KPIR KVRP KACT KERG KTLA KMFO KX KPOA KRCM KCFC KNEI KCHG KPLS KFTFN KTFM KLIG KDEMAF KRAD KBTR KGCC KSEC KPIN KDEV KWWMN KOM KWNM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KRGY KIFR KSAC KWMNCS KPAK KOMS KFPC KRIM KDDG KCGC KPAI KID KMIG KNSD KWMM
LY LE LABOR LO LH LAB LTTE LU LI LA LVPR LG LT LOG
MARR MX MASS MOPS MNUC MCAP MTCRE MRCRE MTRE MASC MY MK MO MCC MCA MAS MZ MIL MU ML MTCR MEPP MG MI MAR MA MINUSTAH MP MD MAPP MR MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPN MEPI MEETINGS MERCOSUR MW MT MIK MN MAPS MV MILITARY MARAD MDC MACEDONIA MASSMNUC MUCN MEDIA MQADHAFI MPOS MPS MC
NZ NI NATO NO NU NG NL NPT NS NSF NA NP NATIONAL NASA NC NDP NIH NIPP NSSP NK NE NAS NATOIRAQ NEGROPONTE NGO NR NAR NZUS NARC NH NSG NAFTA NEW NRR NT NOVO NATOPREL NEA NSC NV NPA NSFO NW NORAD NPG NOAA
OTRA OECD OVIP OREP OPRC ODC OIIP OPDC OAS OSCE OPIC OMS OEXC OPCW OSCI OIE OPAD OM ODIP OFDP OEXP OFFICIALS OPEC OSIC OVIPPRELUNGANU ODPC OSHA OHUM OTR OMIG OSAC OBSP OFDA OVP ON OCII OES OCS OIC
PGOV PREL PARM PINR PHUM PM PREF PTER PK PINS PBIO PHSA PE PBTS PL POL PAK POV POLITICS POLICY PA PNAT PCI PAS PALESTINIAN PERL PPA PO PH PRELBR PERM PETR PROP PJUS PREZ PAO POLITICAL PRELPK PAIGH PROG PU PG PDOV PTE PY PGOVSOCI PGOF PGOR PMIL PBTSRU PINO PSI PTERE PRAM PARMS PREO PRGOV PORG PP PS PKFK PSOE PEPR PDEM PINT PMAR PRELP PREFA PNG PTBS PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PHUMBA POLINT PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PLN PHUH PEDRO PF PHUS PETER PARTIES PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PHUMPREL POGOV PEL PINL PBT PINF PRL PSEPC POSTS PAHO PHUMPGOV PGOC PNR PROV
QA
RS RP RU RW RFE RCMP RIGHTSPOLMIL RO ROBERT RM RICE REGION ROOD RELAM RSP RF RELATIONS RIGHTS RUPREL REMON RPEL REACTION REPORT RSO
SZ SENV SOCI SNAR SY SO SP SU SI SMIG SYR SA SCUL SW SR SYRIA SNARM SPECIALIST SN SF SG SENS SENVQGR SEN SENVEAGREAIDTBIOECONSOCIXR SC SNA SK SL SMIL SCRM SNARIZ SENVSXE STEINBERG SAARC SWE SARS SCRS SAN ST SIPDIS SSA SPCVIS SOFA SENVKGHG SANC SHI SEVN SHUM SH SNARCS SPCE SNARN SIPRS
TRGY TBIO TSPA TU TPHY TI TX TH TIP TSPL TNGD TS TW TRSY TP TZ TN TINT TC TR TIO TF TK TRAD TT TD TWI TERRORISM TL TV TO TURKEY TSPAM TREL TRT TFIN TAGS THPY TBID
UK UNSC UNGA UN US UZ USEU UG UP UNAUS UNMIK USTR UY UNRCR UNESCO UNHRC UR UNICEF USPS UNSCR UNFICYP UNCSD UNEP USAID USOAS UNDP UV UNTAC USDA UNMIC USUN UNCHR UNCTAD USGS UNHCR USNC UA UE UNVIE UAE UNO UNODC UNCHS UNDESCO UNC UNPUOS UNDC UNCHC UNFCYP UNIDROIT UNCND
VE VM VT VZ VEPREL VN VTEG VTIZ VTPREL VISIT VENZ VAT VC VI
WHTI WIPO WTRO WTO WHO WFP WS WA WZ WI WMD WBG WWARD WHA WITH WTRQ WEU WMO WB
XA XW XX XK XL XM XS XR XF XG XT XY XC XH XD XE XV XB XU XZ XQ XI XTAG
YI YM YE YL YMCS
ZU ZI ZOELLICK ZP ZR ZO ZK ZF ZL ZN ZB ZH ZT ZJ ZEALAND ZA ZANU

### 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 06BRASILIA954, SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 74

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. #06BRASILIA954.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BRASILIA954 | 2006-05-16 17:08 | 2011-07-11 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Brasilia

`

    VZCZCXRO6674
    RR RUEHRG
    DE RUEHBR #0954/01 1361708
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 161708Z MAY 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5374
    INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3999
    RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5493
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 4571
    RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2978
    RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1807
    RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3734
    RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5416
    RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1051
    RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6233
    RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1077
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3234
    RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4761
    RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6947
    RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 2063
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
    RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
    RUEHC/DOI WASHDC
    RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
    RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
    RUEANAT/NASA WASHDC
    RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
    RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
    RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
    RUCPDO/USDOC WASHDC

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 BRASILIA 000954

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV
    TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB
    USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: MZWEEDE
    INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN
    INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY
    INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER
    JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB
    EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON
    USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY
    NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
    SUBJECT: SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 74

    ¶1.  The following is the seventy-fourth in a series of newsletters,
    published by the Brasilia Regional Environmental Hub, covering
    environment, science and technology, and health news in South
    America.  The information below was gathered from news sources from
    across the region, and the views expressed do not necessarily
    reflect those of the Hub office or our constituent posts.
    Addressees who would like to receive a user-friendly email version
    of this newsletter should contact Larissa Stoner at
    stonerla@state.gov.  The e-mail version also contains a calendar of
    upcoming ESTH events in the region.

    ¶2. Table of Contents

    Agriculture
    --Brazil Launches Lab for Agricultural Nanotechnology
    --Six South American Nations Seek Fund to Fight Foot-And-Mouth
    Disease

    Health
    --Thorium Reserves Being Pirated In Amazon State
    --Andean Countries Join in Fight Against Malaria
    --Brazil and Kenya Push For Neglected-Disease Research

    Water Issues
    --Pleas for Bogota River Clean-Up Ignored
    --Argentina: Nitrates Cited in Water-Contract Cancellation

    Forests
    --Brazil Shuts Down Amazon Logging Operation

    Wildlife
    --Venezuela Guarantees Protection of the Arrau Turtles
    --'Breakthrough' Reached On Access to Biodiversity Data
    --Brazil Takes Active Steps against Biopiracy

    Protected Areas
    --Ecuadorian Official Weighs Oil Drilling In National Park
    --U.S. Shareholders Criticize Goldman Sachs for Park Deal in Chile

    Science & Technology
    --Chilean Science Initiative Boosts Research Output

    Industrialization & Pollution
    --Update on Uruguay-Argentina Pulpmill Dispute
    --Other Environmental Problems to Focus on in Argentina
    --How Mercury Rules Designed for Safety End up Polluting
    --Nitrogen Emissions Threaten Biodiversity 'Hotspots'

    Energy
    --The next X-Prize: How about a 250 m.p.g. car?
    --French Firm Mulling Nuclear Power Plant in Chile
    --Canadian Company Might Build Dam In South Of Chile
    --Argentina: The Environmental Costs of Biofuel
    --Brazil Seals Biggest Carbon Credit Deal with German Bank

    General

    BRASILIA 00000954  002 OF 013

    --Chile Signs Bill to Establish Environmental Minister
    --Chile-Argentina: Critics of Andean Mine Project File Complaints
    --Protesters in Chile Fight Pulp Plant
    --Greenpeace go Home, Say Bumper Stickers in Brazilian City
    --Brazilian Receives Environmental Prize in the U.S.
    --Fossils of What May Be the Latest King of the Carnivores Are Found
    In Argentina

    Update on Avian Influenza
    --PAHO Hosts Regional Conference on Avian Influenza in Bogota
    --State Department Attends USAID Avian Influenza Preparedness
    Meeting in Lima

    -----------
    Agriculture
    -----------

    ¶3. Brazil Launches Lab for Agricultural Nanotechnology

    APR. 26, 2006 - Brazil is taking steps to increase the value of its
    exports by developing agricultural nanotechnologies - microscopic
    products intended to improve the quality of farm produce.  The
    Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) said 17 April
    that it would be building a USD 1.9 million laboratory dedicated to
    the field.  The National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness
    will be housed at Embrapa's agricultural instrumentation unit in Sao
    Paulo.  Areas of research have already been defined.  They include
    producing 'nanofibers' to strengthen natural fibers, for example
    those from coconut and sisal, and making 'nanoparticles' that
    contain pesticides and control their release.  Additional funds will
    support a network of researchers from Embrapa units, universities,
    research institutions and the private sector to encourage research
    collaborations.

    Source - SciDev

    ¶4. Six South American Nations Seek Fund to Fight Foot-And-Mouth
    Disease

    APR. 10, 2006 - Six South American nations have asked the
    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for a 100-million-U.S.-dollar
    loan to help fight foot-and-mouth disease.  The six countries --
    Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay -- discussed
    the issue at the meeting of the Southern Agricultural Council, of
    which the countries are members, on April 10th in Brasilia.  The
    loan will be used to put into action a three-year plan to fight the
    disease, according to Brazil's Minister of Agriculture Roberto
    Rodrigues, who added that the money was very likely to be granted,
    as it had been requested by such a large number of countries.  The
    agricultural council meeting took place alongside the second
    International Conference on Agricultural Produce Tractability.
    Foot-and-mouth disease is a fast spreading virus which affects
    cattle, buffalo, pigs, goats and sheep. The disease is particularly
    a serious problem for Brazil, the world's largest beef producer, as
    it has faced import bans following outbreaks in the north of the
    country.

    BRASILIA 00000954  003 OF 013

    ------
    Health
    ------

    ¶5. Thorium Reserves Being Pirated In Amazon State

    MAY 09, 2006 - Brasilia's main newspaper reports that recently
    discovered thorium veins located at the banks of the Araguari River,
    in the Serra do Navio, Amapa State, are being illegally extracted
    and sold by the local population.  This creates health hazards for
    the population because of the mineral's radioactivity and also a
    security risk, given that enriched thorium "can be used to make
    nuclear weapons," the report says.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia

    ¶6. Andean Countries Join in Fight Against Malaria

    MAR. 28, 2006 - Health officials from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and
    Venezuela have signed a joint agreement to control Malaria in
    transborder regions between these countries.  A plan of action was
    put together by the Andean Health Organization and received USD 28
    million from the Global Fund to Combat AIDS, TB, and Malaria.  The
    main objective of the plan is to reduce the number of cases by half
    in five years.

    Source - El Tiempo

    ¶7. Brazil and Kenya Push For Neglected-Disease Research

    APR. 19, 2006 - Brazil and Kenya will call for an international fund
    for research on 'neglected diseases' at a World Health Organization
    meeting in May.  The diseases, which include leishmaniasis, malaria
    and sleeping sickness, kill more than 35,000 people each day in
    developing countries but get little attention from the global
    scientific community.  Paulo Buss, president of the Oswaldo Cruz
    Foundation (FIOCRUZ), a Brazilian research center, will propose the
    fund at the World Health Organization's annual policy-setting
    meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.  The proposal urges the 192 World
    Health Organization member countries to commit funds for research on
    new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic kits.  It also suggests
    simplifying systems for protecting intellectual property to make new
    health innovations more accessible to people in developing
    countries.

    Source - SciDev

    ------------
    Water Issues
    ------------

    ¶8. Pleas for Bogota River Clean-Up Ignored

    APR. 2006 - Bogota's once-clean waters now receive 190,000 tons a
    year of residential and industrial waste upstream of the reservoir

    BRASILIA 00000954  004 OF 013

    of Muna, built in 1948 to impound water from the Bogota River for
    two hydroelectric plants.  Muna has become a haven for infection,
    rats and mosquitoes-an estimated 74 million of which breed in the
    water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) carpeting the reservoir's
    nutrient-rich waters.  For 15 years, local residents have held
    demonstrations, filed lawsuits and lobbied authorities to get the
    government to take action.  In 2004, local residents thought relief
    was at hand.  A lower court ordered the city of Bogota as well as
    the surrounding counties and departments, which are similar to
    states, to build wastewater-treatment plants.  But many parties to
    the ruling, including the county and departmental governments,
    appealed to a higher court, arguing everything from excessive costs
    to insufficient time.  With no decision yet handed down, the 32,000
    inhabitants of this town are losing faith.  They want Emgesa, the
    operator of Muna, to stop pumping the Bogota's putrid water into the
    reservoir.  The scenario is not unique to Bogota.  Strapped budgets
    and a lack of political will hobble efforts to clean up urban rivers
    throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  From Lima, Peru, where
    a cholera epidemic broke out in 1991, killing thousands of people,
    to the putrid waterways of the U.S-Mexico border, water management
    tends to be chaotic. More than 50 million people lack access to
    sewer service in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean,
    according to 2006 World Bank figures.

    Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
    article)

    ¶9. Argentina: Nitrates Cited in Water-Contract Cancellation

    April 2006 - Citing nitrate contamination of drinking water,
    Argentina has rescinded the contract under which French- and
    Spanish-owned Aguas Argentinas provided water and sewer service for
    Buenos Aires and 17 nearby municipalities. Government officials said
    that tests done in Lomas de Zamora, a city of 600,000 just south of
    the federal capital, detected nitrate concentrations up to 40
    percent higher than permitted in household drinking water and 220
    percent higher than allowed in well water.  Authorities charge the
    findings reflect nitrate problems elsewhere in the service area,
    though they say the contamination in Lomas de Zamora is the most
    serious.  They say Aguas Argentinas, in which Suez of France and
    Spain's Aguas de Barcelona hold stakes of 40 percent and 25 percent,
    respectively, has in recent years failed to make the investments
    needed to ensure adequate quality of service.

    Source - EcoAmericas (contact Larissa Stoner for complete article)

    -------
    Forests
    -------

    ¶10. Brazil Shuts Down Amazon Logging Operation

    APR. 10, 2006 - Environmental authorities shut down an illegal
    logging operation in the Amazon on April 10th, confiscating dozens
    of felled tropical hardwood trees in an area that only recently was
    pristine rain forest.  The Norte Wood logging company was operating

    BRASILIA 00000954  005 OF 013

    without a license in the Amazonas state town of Novo Aripuana.  The
    agency seized 500 cubic meters (17,655 cubic feet) of wood and
    arrested one man in the raid. It was the largest seizure of illegal
    hardwood this year in Amazonas, the country's largest state.  An
    overflight revealed extensive logging in the region, which only
    recently was largely untouched rain forest where scientists had
    discovered several new monkey species. During the past three years,
    loggers from the neighboring state of Para have been moving to Novo
    Aripuana after having largely deforested the southern edge of their
    home state.

    --------
    Wildlife
    --------

    ¶11. Venezuela Guarantees Protection of the Arrau Turtles

    MAY 12, 2006 - Thirty-five thousand Arrau turtles were released in
    the Orinoco River after being raised in the Arrau Turtle Wildlife
    Refuge and Protection Zone.  According to the Minister of
    Environment Jacqueline Faria, the Indigenous communities are the
    best preservers of the species since they have been taught the
    importance of how and why to conserve the species.

    Source - kindly shared by US Embassy Caracas

    ¶12. 'Breakthrough' Reached On Access to Biodiversity Data

    APR. 07, 2006 - Governments could come under pressure to make
    information on biological resources openly available, following a
    decision approved at the conference of parties (COP) to the
    Convention on Biological Diversity in Brazil.  According to its
    decision, the COP "invites parties and other governments, as
    appropriate, to provide free and open access to all past, present,
    and future public-good research results, assessments, maps and
    databases on biodiversity, in accordance with national and
    international legislation".  The language is vague, but according to
    Donat Agosti, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural
    History and the Swiss Naturmuseum, "This is breakthrough."  "It
    means we can talk to our governments and argue for open access to
    this body of information, referring to this COP decision," he says.
    "But nothing will happen unless pressure and demand can be built up
    to implement it."  Agosti has long pointed to the irony that
    researchers in developing countries - where most biodiversity is
    found - cannot access information about their nations' species.

    Source - SciDev

    ¶13. Brazil Takes Active Steps against Biopiracy

    APR. 19, 2006 - The GOB is concluding a list of more than 3,000
    species of Brazilian plants that it will send to patents offices
    throughout the world to prevent them from being appropriated by
    foreign governments and companies for commercial use. Brazilian
    officials note the registering of the "cupuassu" fruit by a Japanese
    company in 2003 which has since been reversed.

    BRASILIA 00000954  006 OF 013

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia

    ---------------
    Protected Areas
    ---------------

    ¶14. Ecuadorian Official Weighs Oil Drilling In National Park

    APR. 2006 - Ecuadorian Environment Minister Ana Alban says that by
    mid-year she will decide whether the state-owned Brazilian company
    Petrobras can resume its controversial project to drill for oil in
    Yasuni National Park; a highly biodiverse portion of Ecuador's
    Amazon region.  Petrobras suspended preparations for the project
    last August, after Alban ordered the company out of the park pending
    a review of its plans.  Petrobras had begun work on a road and pier
    in Yasuni and planned other support infrastructure. It has indicated
    that it would halt construction of the road permanently, locate its
    support facilities outside the park and transport all materials to
    and from its Yasuni well sites by helicopter.  As of mid-April,
    however, Petrobras had not submitted a revised
    environmental-management plan addressing the new approach.

    Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
    article)

    ¶15. U.S. Shareholders Criticize Goldman Sachs for Park Deal in
    Chile

    APR. 17, 2006 - Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson has come under fire
    from irate shareholders who say he is using company assets to
    further his own personal environmental goals in Chile.  In 2004,
    under Paulson's leadership, Goldman Sachs donated a 2,750 square
    kilometer tract of land in southern Chile to the Wildlife
    Conservation Society (WCS), creating the Karukinka wildlife reserve.
     As part of the arrangement, Goldman also put up USD6.6 million of
    its own money to fund the Chile environment project.  However, a
    group of shareholders has charged that Paulson had no right to use
    company assets in what they described a personal project, and
    suggest that his commitment to environmental conservation
    constitutes a conflict of interest.  On April 6, a group called the
    Action Fund Management LLC (AFM) requested that Paulson reimburse
    the company for "any shareholder assets spent to advance his
    personal interests."

    Source - Santiago Times (no link)

    --------------------
    Science & Technology
    --------------------

    ¶16. Chilean Science Initiative Boosts Research Output

    APR. 26, 2006 - A Chilean initiative aimed at boosting the nation's
    research output has substantially increased scientific publications
    and trained more than 300 young researchers in its first four years.

    BRASILIA 00000954  007 OF 013

     These are the main findings of a progress assessment for Chile's
    Millennium Science Initiative (MSI), released on 19 April.  The MSI
    is a collaboration between Chile and the World Bank.  It was
    launched in 1999, creating three cutting-edge research institutes
    and five smaller centers called 'nuclei'.  According to the study,
    the number of publications by researchers at these initial MSI
    centers increased by 30 per cent compared with their outputs before
    joining the centers - to an average of 3.1 per researcher per year
    between 2000 and 2003.  The number of undergraduate and postgraduate
    scientists being trained at the centers increased eight-fold in the
    same period.

    Source - SciDev

    -----------------------------
    Industrialization & Pollution
    -----------------------------

    ¶17. Update on Uruguay-Argentina Pulpmill Dispute

    APR. 27, 2006 - In Uruguay there has been widespread dissatisfaction
    over reports from Sao Paulo that Brazil and Argentina will not
    support the pulpmill dispute's submission to Mercosur's conflict
    resolution mechanism, as Presidents Lula da Silva and Nestor
    Kirchner apparently consider the affair to be purely bi-lateral.
    The reports also maintained that Argentine President Kirchner has
    called for another environmental impact study on the plants.  The
    news came on the eve of President Vazquez' April 25 departure for a
    nine-day official visit to Mexico and the U.S.  Uruguay contends
    that the dispute is multilateral in nature because the continued
    international bridge blockades have also affected commerce with
    Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia -- and indirectly involve Finland and
    Spain because their private companies are building the contested
    plants. Uruguay also maintains that the plants have been
    sufficiently studied for environmental concerns.

    Source - MONTEVIDEO 000376

    ¶18. Other Environmental Problems to Focus on in Argentina

    APR. 27, 2006 -  The severe pollution of the Matanza-Riachuelo
    basin, which runs right through the metropolitan area of Buenos
    Aires, the failure of authorities to do anything about the problem
    for decades, and the indifference of most local residents stand in
    sharp contrast to the recent protests led by the people of the
    Argentine town of Gualeguaychu, near the Uruguayan border.  For the
    past few months, thousands of residents of that town in the province
    of Entre Rios have held demonstrations against the construction of
    two paper pulp factories on the Uruguayan side of a river that forms
    the border between Argentina and Uruguay.  The provincial government
    and local businesses and residents in Entre Rios, worried about the
    pulp mills' potential impact on the environment, have joined forces
    in an attempt to get the Finnish and Spanish companies building the
    plants to move them away from the border.  But little fuss has been
    made over the Matanza-Riachuelo basin, which has been heavily
    polluted for over a century, and has never been the focus of any

    BRASILIA 00000954  008 OF 013

    concerted clean-up effort.

    Source - Inter Press Service (kindly shared by US Embassy Buenos
    Aires).  Please contact Larissa Stoner for complete article

    ¶19. How Mercury Rules Designed for Safety End up Polluting

    APR. 20, 2006 -  Instead of being permanently removed from the
    environment, recycled American mercury frequently travels through a
    secretive and unregulated chain of processors and brokers that can

    SIPDIS
    often end with primitive African, Asian and Latin American gold
    mines.  These operations make up one of the world's biggest markets
    for mercury.  They're also one of the world's biggest sources of
    mercury pollution.  In the northern Brazil town of Creporizao,
    miners buy flasks of recycled mercury from stores along the town's
    dusty street. Later, they use it to extract gold from the gravelly
    soil.  The process sends the metal into the atmosphere where it can
    orbit the world as many as four times before settling in distant
    places, such as Maine's seemingly protected lakes.

    Source - The Wall Street Journal (please contact Larissa for
    complete article)

    ¶20. Nitrogen Emissions Threaten Biodiversity 'Hotspots'

    APR. 10, 2006 - Researchers have warned that rising nitrogen
    emissions from developing nations will soon threaten plant life in
    some of the most biodiverse parts of the planet.  A team led by
    Gareth Phoenix of the University of Sheffield has shown that, in the
    mid-1990s, the average amount of nitrogen deposited on the planet's
    34 biodiversity 'hotspots' was more than 50 per cent higher than the
    global average.  They say this figure could more than double by
    2050, at which time nitrogen levels in 17 of the 34 hotspots will
    exceed critical levels that European nations have set to protect
    their sensitive ecosystems.  Brazil's Atlantic forest, the temperate
    forests of south-west China, much of South-East Asia, Sri Lanka and
    the Western Ghats mountain range in southern India are some of the
    hotspots facing the greatest increase in nitrogen deposition.

    Source - SciDev

    ------
    Energy
    ------

    ¶21. The next X-Prize: How about a 250 m.p.g. car?

    MAY 08, 2006 - The challenge: Build the world's most fuel-efficient
    production car - one that gets maybe 250 miles per gallon and causes
    little or no pollution.  The payoff: prize money from the group that
    awarded USD10 million for the world's first private spaceflight two
    years ago.  When the X-Prize Foundation unveils its new high-mileage
    car contest later this year, it will join a small but growing number
    of competitive prizes for energy development.  Proponents say it's a
    cheaper and faster way to unhook America from its oil dependency.
    Several of the prize ideas are coming from the federal government.

    BRASILIA 00000954  009 OF 013

    For example: 1)The Department of Energy (DOE) is authorized to award
    up to USD10 million in incentives for next-generation technology
    that could turn wood and other fiber into ethanol; 2) The DOE was
    also authorized by last fall's energy legislation to offer a USD5
    million "Freedom Prize" for tangible methods to cut US dependence on
    imported oil.  In hearings April 27, Congress weighed a proposal for
    a new "H-Prize," which would dangle USD100 million in awards to
    speed up development of hydrogen-powered cars.

    Source - Christian Science Monitor

    ¶22. French Firm Mulling Nuclear Power Plant in Chile

    APR. 25, 2006 - The largest operator of atomic reactors in the world
    is considering installing power stations in Chile within 10 to 25
    years. French nuclear giant Areva Group is interested in developing
    nuclear energy in Chile to make an "atomic power station" (nuclear
    reactor) that would connect the electrical systems of the Great
    North and the central electric zone.  "A thermonuclear power station
    is a solution to the Chilean power problems of the coming years,"
    said Richard Chopplet, representative of Areva's Chilean branch.

    Source - Santiago Times (no link)

    ¶23. Canadian Company Might Build Dam In South Of Chile

    APR. 2006 - The Canadian mining company Falconbridge announced March
    31 that it is studying a plan to build a USD600 million
    hydroelectric dam on the Cuervo River in southern Chile's Aisen
    region.  The 740-megawatt facility would be erected, possibly as
    early as 2010, on some of the land previously intended for the
    ill-fated Alumysa aluminum-plant project.  Alumysa was shelved
    indefinitely by the Canadian firm Noranda in Sept. 2003 after it
    drew strong opposition from environmentalists, the salmon-farming
    industry and, ultimately, then-President Ricardo Lagos.  In June
    2005, however, Noranda was acquired by Falconbridge, a top world
    producer of copper, zinc and nickel.  Falconbridge now appears
    determined to make use of the Patagonian water rights Noranda had
    held for the three hydroelectric dams it had planned to build to
    power its Alumysa plant.

    Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
    article)

    ¶24. Argentina: The Environmental Costs of Biofuel

    April 20, 2006 - After two years of debate, the Argentine Senate
    approved on April 19th a bill that will grant tax incentives to the
    producers of biofuels while guaranteeing them a share of the market
    for 15 years.  The new legislation grants tax exemptions to farmers
    who use vegetable oil to produce biodiesel, sugar cane or corn to
    produce ethanol, or organic waste to produce biogas.  To ensure a
    market for the alternative fuels, the state will guarantee that four
    years after the law goes into effect, gas stations will be under the
    obligation to offer gasoline that contains five percent ethanol and
    diesel comprised of five percent biodiesel.  A report released in

    BRASILIA 00000954  010 OF 013

    late 2005 by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
    Agriculture (IICA) on biofuel prospects in Argentina and Brazil
    warned that the development of this sector would not come without a
    price for Argentina.  The potential negative impacts included the
    replacement of other crops, disturbance of land rotation systems and
    undesired effects on the soil. As a result, the IICA stressed that a
    careful estimation of these impacts should form part of the overall
    evaluation of the costs and benefits of biofuel production
    initiatives.

    Source - Inter Press Service

    ¶25. Brazil Seals Biggest Carbon Credit Deal with German Bank

    APR. 06, 2006 - A Brazilian firm sealed the world's biggest carbon
    credit contract registered so far for an existing pro-environment
    project.  Econergy International, the New York-based clean energy
    investment, management and consulting group which is responsible for
    the deal, said local company Biogas's project to generate
    electricity from garbage sold carbon credits is worth 1 million tons
    in reduced gas emissions to German state development bank KfW.  In
    total, the Biogas project, which is a partnership with Sao Paulo
    mayor's office, should generate 8 million tons in carbon credits
    until 2012, which will be negotiated later.  The project receives
    half of all waste in South America's biggest megalopolis, Sao Paulo,
    or about 80,000 tons per day, and uses the methane gas from the
    waste to generate 22 megawatts of electric power.  Out of 207 carbon
    credit projects registered by the United Nations, 45 are Brazilian
    and 21 are managed by Econergy. These include a wind-powered
    electricity generation park and power projects based on sugar cane
    bagasse.

    -------
    General
    -------

    ¶26. Chile Signs Bill To Establish Environmental Minister

    APR. 10, 2006 - Chilean President Michelle Bachelet officially
    proposed legislation that, if passed, will create a cabinet level
    position to oversee environmental issues. The position to be created
    is "president" of the National Environment Commission (Conama).
    Environmentalist lauded the announcement, while Bachelet explained
    that the creation of an environmental minister is part of "a
    commitment that my administration and I have made."  The object of
    this project is to create "environmental protection institutions
    that are better able to meet the challenges that we as a country are
    facing," she said.  "And the regions are going to have a fundamental
    role in the new environmental policies."  Although no names have
    been mentioned, at least two leading environmentalists have been
    mentioned: Sara Larrain, the head of Sustainable Chile; and Ximena
    Abogabir, who leads the House of Peace. The proposed new legislation
    will not change the current organizational structure of Conama.

    Source - Santiago Times (no link)

    BRASILIA 00000954  011 OF 013

    ¶27. Chile-Argentina: Critics of Andean Mine Project File Complaints

    APR. 2006 - Chilean opponents of plans for a massive gold mine
    straddling the Chilean-Argentine border filed a raft of
    administrative complaints last month, hoping to reverse a regional
    environmental body's conditional approval of the project.  Residents
    of northern Chile's Huasco Valley joined the Santiago-based Latin
    American Observatory for Environmental Conflicts (Olca) and the
    international marine-protection group Oceana to file 70 complaints
    with the country's lead environmental agency, the National
    Environmental Commission (Conama).  The valley residents, most of
    them farmers, assert that the USD1.5 billion project by Barrick Gold
    of Canada will cause water shortages and toxic pollution in the
    fruit- and vegetable-producing Huasco region.   In a letter to new
    Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who took office on March 11,
    Pascua Lama opponents urged rejection of the project on grounds that
    its environmental-impact statement was deficient. They also said
    Barrick failed to address fully the concerns that emerged during
    public consultations on the project.

    Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
    article)

    ¶28. Protesters in Chile Fight Pulp Plant

    APR. 11, 2006 - Religious leaders, fishermen, environmentalists and
    surfers joined forces to protest against the construction of a paper
    plant in Ranquil, in southern Chile's Region VIII.  The USD1.4
    billion Nueva Aldea Forestry Complex and plant is opposed by local
    residents who fear it will contaminate their surrounding environment
    and strip them of their livelihoods.  Residents fear there will be a
    repeat of what happened in Valdivia, Region X, where Celulosa Arauco
    and Constitution (Celco) - Chile's largest forestry company and the
    third largest company of its kind in Latin America - built a similar
    paper plant.  A Nueva Aldea company spokesman assured protestors
    that the plant, which is due to start construction in June, abides
    by the highest environmental standards.

    Source - Santiago Times (no link)

    ¶29. Greenpeace go Home, Say Bumper Stickers in Brazilian City

    APR. 28, 2006 - Some 3,000 vehicles in Santarem, on the west of the
    Amazon state of Para, are carrying stickers reading "Greenpeace Go
    Home. The Amazon belongs to Brazilians".  The protest is being
    sponsored by local ranchers and timber harvesters who are unhappy
    about the GOB's creation of areas for conservation and sustainable
    use.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia

    ¶30. Brazilian Receives Environmental Prize in the U.S.

    APR. 25, 2006 - Brazilian environmental activist Tarciso Feitosa,
    from Altamira, Para, received on April 24th in the United States the

    BRASILIA 00000954  012 OF 013

    USD 125,000 Goldman Environmental Prize for his work to preserve
    forest reserves in areas of land conflict.  According to a Brazilian
    daily, the Goldman Award is considered to be "the Nobel Prize of the
    environmental sector."

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia

    ¶31. Fossils of What May Be the Latest King of the Carnivores Are
    Found In Argentina

    APR. 18, 2006 - The fossilized remains of what may be the largest
    meat-eating dinosaur has been discovered in Argentina -- a bus-sized
    monster that attacked its prey in roving packs.  The remains of at
    least seven of the beasts, named Mapusaurus roseae, were found
    clustered in 100-million-year-old rocks south of the city of Plaza
    Huincul in western Patagonia.  Based on a shin bone that was about 3
    feet long, researchers estimate that the largest adult in the group
    stretched about 41 feet and weighed about 15,000 pounds.

    Source - Los Angeles Times (no link)

    -------------------------
    Update on Avian Influenza
    -------------------------

    ¶32. PAHO Hosts Regional Conference on Avian Influenza in Bogota

    MAY 08, 2006 - This regional conference (April 19-21), attended by
    40 countries in the Western Hemisphere, focused on the provision of
    health care services in the event of an Avian Influenza outbreak.
    PAHO has hosted conferences on surveillance and other AI-related
    topics in past.  Conference attendees were people who actually
    provide health care services, not ministers or national planners.
    Consequently, the meeting was highly technical and focused on
    diagnosis, various forms of treatment, health care protocols,
    functioning of national health services, handling of cadavers, etc.
    A general read out of the technical aspects of the meeting (in
    Spanish) can be found on the Colombia PAHO office website.

    Source - US Embassy Bogota

    ¶33. State Department Attends USAID Avian Influenza Preparedness
    Meeting in Lima

    May 11, 2006 - The Department of State was cordially invited by
    USAID/LAC to attend a regional meeting on preparedness and response
    to a possible avian influenza pandemic, May 02-05, in Lima, Peru.
    Attendees included USAID/Health representatives from several Latin
    American and Caribbean countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana,
    Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru; representatives from several
    international organizations such as FAO, IICA, OIRSA, PAHO, and OIE;
    as well as USDA/APHIS, NMRCD, and State Department representatives.
    The event was an opportunity to share experiences and learn about
    financial and technical resources that currently exist in case of an
    AI pandemic.  Please contact Larissa Stoner for more information.

    BRASILIA 00000954  013 OF 013

    CHICOLA

`