BRAZIL: STATEMENTS ON TERRORISM AT CARTAGENA

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000303

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPDC PREL PGOV PTER SNAR ECON BR CO
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: STATEMENTS ON TERRORISM AT CARTAGENA
CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 18519

1.(SBU) Upon receipt of reftel late on afternoon of 1
February, PolCouns provided ref points to the Andean Division
of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE). PolCouns
followed up early on 2 February with the division's acting
deputy for Colombia and Peru, Lincoln Bernardes. Bernardes
indicated he had reviewed the points and would provide them
to Brazil's ambassador in Bogota, who is representing the GOB
at the Cartagena conference.


2. (SBU) Bernardes did not offer a view on ref points, but
said it was his understanding that a working draft of a
conference statement remains under discussion among
delegations in Cartagena, and he anticipated that the
Colombians would press for language on terrorism in the final
document. At the same time, Bernardes (who serves in the
political section in Brazil's embassy in Bogota and is on TDY
at his ministry) opined that the GOC may well prefer a
statement that is not seen as specifically provocative toward
Venezuela, in light of ongoing GOC and GOV efforts to ramp
down bilateral tensions stemming from the recent rendition to
Colombia from Venezuela of a FARC official.

Danilovich