From: Destaque Internacional Director: Javier González. Buenos Aires, Jul. 18, 2003, No. 106 (translation from original in Spanish).

In Latin America the American government continues to face - perhaps without perceiving it, or, what is more probable, without wanting to recognize it publicly - what is literally a form of political "guerrilla warfare," analogous to what it faces militarily in Iraq.

Among their quasi-official leaders - corresponding to such "guerrilla warfare" - are presidents Lula of Brazil and Kirchner of Argentina. At the same time, in an openly hostile manner, Cuban and Venezuelan diplomatic efforts are on the move, the former with persistent influence in many countries of the region, in spite of the fact that the "wishful thinking" of some observers portrays it as being isolated and of minor influence.

The news divulged in Buenos Aires that the next Mercosur summit, to take place August 14, would count on the presence of the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, has taken by surprise not a few "Latin American specialists" of the country to the North (Urgente 24, Buenos Aires, Jul. 17, 2003). This is a characteristic episode of "guerrilla warfare" which, together with an openly hostile face (Chávez-Castro), displays another face that alternates between hostility and sympathy (Lula-Kirchner), managing to create false illusions among certain American diplomats.

An example of those lamentable illusions is that of the American ambassador in Brasilia, Donna Hrinak, who one week ago stated that President Lula should be the leader of Latin America (La Nación, Buenos Aires, Jul. 11, 2003). In view of this there is no doubt that the American "losses" in Latin America are being caused not only by declared and semi-declared adversaries, but also by "friendly fire." It is an error in calculation of a kind that should be rectified, because with it only the left stands to gain.

In this sense, questions arise regarding the fact that the press in Washington has not reported on the verbal attacks of President Lula against the United States, nor about his intent to justify the unjustifiable attitudes of Communist Cuba during his recent visit to London.