Chávez "encouraged " Morales to nationalize Petrobras

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, encouraged in 2006 to his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales to nationalize Petrobras sparking a conflict between La Paz and Brasilia, as U.S. cable obtained by Wikileaks and released Wednesday by the Bolivian press . The communication from the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia the State Department said that Chavez spoke to Morales in the days before he ordered the military occupation of the premises of the Brazilian giant Petrobras, in May 2006, when he announced the nationalization of hydrocarbons Bolivia. The U.S. cable quoted Marcel Biato, assistant advisor to the Brazilian Presidency for International Affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia. "Biato said that in March 2006, Petrobras and Bolivian officials had begun what appeared to be relatively positive discussions. Meanwhile Evo (Morales) abruptly suspended the talks, insisting that he should discuss this directly with Lula. " "Between the start of the talks and the nationalization, Biato noted that there were several interactions between Morales and Chavez"as Americans. "It is now clear for the government of Brazil that Evo was encouraged to take the action after Chavez assured technical support to produce the gas" in case there was a rift between Brazil and Bolivia. In a different cable, Americans say they have asked Biato by the proximity between Chavez and Morales and he responded: "What can we do?