| CARACAS 002905 TOR: 18214Z SEP 00
1,
2,
3.
BAD MUSHROOMS?
7. A SECOND, THOUGH WE BELIEVE UNRELATED, ASPECT
IS SUDDENLY-LENGTHY REPORTING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH THREAT
POSED BY FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM, THE "COME-COCO" (THE SPANISH PUNS ON THE
VIDEO GAME NAME TO CORRESPOND, ROUGHLY, TO "COCAINE-EATING PACMAN)
FUNGUS. ONE SAMPLE HEADLINE: "PLAN COLOMBIA WILL UNLEASH BIOLOGICAL
WAR." MEDIA COVERAGE HERE TENDS TO BLUR CHEMICAL HERBICIDE (GLYPHOSATE)
AND MYCOHERBICIDE (FUSARIUM) PROGRAMS. UNSURPRISINGLY, THE FUSARIUM
PROGRAM IS BEING PORTRAYED AS A DE FACTO PART OF PLAN COLOMBIA, A
USG-SUPPORTED EFFORT, AND A DANGER TO COLOMBIA’S AND THE REGION’S
PEOPLE, ANIMALS, CROPS AND ENVIRONMENT. MUCH OF THIS REPORTING IS
APPARENTLY EASED ON U.S.- MEDIA REPORTS SUCH AS MAGAZINE "MOTHER JONES "
EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT WHICH SEVERELY CRITICIZES THE FUSARIUM
PROGRAM. BUT OTHER OCCASIONAL, FORTUITOUS STORIES -E.G., A 9/8 REPORT
THAT THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY‘S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE REJECTED FUSARIUM
USE - REINFORCE THE EFFECT.
8. THE PRINCIPAL CRITICISMS IN THIS AND OTHER
REPORTING ON FUSARIUM ARE THE FOLLOWING:
CONTRARY TO USG ASSERTIONS THAT FUSARIUM IS
"NATURAL" AND INDIGENOUS TO COLOMBIA, IN FACT IT WAS "DISCOVERED BY
CHANCE," HAS NEVER BEEN TESTED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, AND MUTATES
EASILY; IT WILL HENCE DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT. SOMETIMES STATED IN
VENEZUELAN REPORTING IS THE IDEA THAT THE FUNGUS WILL, QUICKLY FIND
ITS WAY ACROSS THE BORDER AND ATTACK VENEZUELA AS WELL.
CONTRARY TO USG ASSERTIONS THAT FUSARIUM
WILL AFFECT ONLY COCA PLANTS, "IT IS A PLAGUE THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE,
ANIMALS AND CROPS WITHOUT DISTINCTION AND POISONS THE SOIL."
CONTRARY TO (IBID). FUSARIUM POSES SEVERE
SECONDARY HEALTH RISKS, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WITH WEAK IMMUNE
SYSTEMS, AND CAN CAUSE BLINDNESS. THUS FAR, VENEZUELAN REPORTING HAS
GRAZED BUT NOT YET EXPLICITLY REPEATED ONE CHARGE IN "MOTHER JONES"
FUSARIUM IS SO RISKY THAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA DECIDED AGAINST
TESTING IT. THE IDEA THAT, WHILE IT’S TOO RISKY FOR U.S. TERRITORY
BUT OKAY TO USE ON THE FOREIGNERS IS, OBVIOUSLY. EXPLOSIVE.
CONTRARY TO (IBID), THE NOTION THAT FUSARIUM
IS A UNDP PROPOSAL IS BUT A SMOKESCREEN; IT IS REALLY A
DEA-/MCCAFFREY-/PICK YOUR VILLAIN- INSPIRED PLAN THAT THE USG IS
HEAVILY PRESSURING THE COLOMBIANS TO ACCEPT.
9. FINALLY, POST NOTES AN ARTICLE IN WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER "OTRA OPINION" ENTITLED "CLINTON WANTS WAR" AND "PLAN COLOMBIA
WILL INCREASE THE WAR." THIS NEWSPAPER HAS MINIMAL CIRCULATION AND
MINIMAL INFLUENCE AND WOULD NOT MERIT MENTION EXCEPT FOR ONE FACT: IT IS
OWNED AND EDITED BY A GROUP EXTREMELY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT CHAVEZ. AFTER
THE DEMISE OF "THE PRESIDENT’S POST,"
NOMINALLY EDITED BY HUGO CHAVEZ HIMSELF, "OTRA
OPINION" WAS FOUNDED AND IS STILL EDITED BY "PRESIDENT’S POST" DE FACTO
EDITOR, OFFICIAL STATE NEWS AGENCY VENPRES DIRECTOR, ONE-TIME
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR PRESIDENT CHAVEZ AND NOW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
(MVR) MEMBER JUAN BARRETO.
GUIDANCE REQUESTED
10. COMMENT: THE VIETNAM-TYPE ANALOGIES CAN BE
DISMISSED WITH RELATIVE EASE, MUCH MORE PROBLEMATIC IS THE IDEA OF
SPILLOVER EFFECTS AS PUSHED IN THE SPATE OF GUERRILLA INTERVIEWS. THAT
REFUGEES MAY COME TO VENEZUELA IS, FROM A PUBLIC DIPLOMACY VIEWPOINT,
MANAGEABLE; THAT MURDER MAY COME A-CALLING IS A CHALLENGE. AND WHILE THE
U.S. CONTRIBUTION DOES INCLUDE SOME FUNDING FOR NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES,
POST CAN ENVISION CERTAIN GOV OFFICIALS CONTRASTING AMOUNTS SPENT FOR
"MILITARISTIC" AID WITH THOSE TO HELP VENEZUELA COPE WITH SIDE EFFECTS
AND THEN RIDICULING AS PALTRY THE LATTER AMOUNT. WHILE WE DO NOT KNOW IF
OTHER NEIGHBORS ARE FACING SIMILAR REPORTS, CARACAS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
BELIEVES THIS ASPECT MAY MERIT WASHINGTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS ATTENTION, AND
WE WOULD APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO RESPOND IF NECESSARY.
LL. COMMENT, CONT’D: POST PUBLIC AFFAIRS ALSO
REQUESTS ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON THE FUSARIUM ISSUE. WE FACE A PUBLIC
THAT FLATLY DISBELIEVES ARGUMENTS THAT (1) IT’S NOT OUR IDEA - WE’RE THE
ONES SPRAYING THE CHEMICAL HERBICIDES - BUT THE UN’S; (2) TRUST US, IT’S
SAFE AND NATURAL. THE USG DOES NOT HAVE AND HAS NOT EARNED THE TRUST OF
FOREIGN PUBLICS IN THIS AREA. AND FRANKLY, POST PAS DOES NOT HAVE
SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO RESPOND TO SUCH CRITICISMS AS THOSE DETAILED
IN THE "MOTHER JONES" ARTICLE. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS TRUE THAT FLORIDA
HAS REFUSED TO TEST THE FUNGUS. OR IF IT IS TRUE THAT THE EN-4 VARIETY
OF FUSARIUM IS IN FACT NOT INDIGENOUS TO COLOMBIA, WE FACE A PUBLIC
AFFAIRS CHALLENGE OF ENORMOUS PROPORTIONS. AGAIN, WE REQUEST ADDITIONAL
WASHINGTON SUPPORT; AND IF NEIGHBORING POSTS HAVE INFORMATION USEFUL IN
RESPONDING TO THESE CRITICISMS, WE WELCOME THEIR INPUT.
HRINAK |
