URUGUAY ON UNSC RACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000936 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/BSC SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2016 TAGS: UNSC VE GT UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY ON UNSC RACE REF: SECSTATE 162359 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) On September 29, per instructions reftel, PolCouns delivered UNSC demarche to the MFA's Director for Multilateral Affairs Gustavo Alvarez and his deputy Beatriz Nunez. Both listened attentively to the points and visibly cringed at the contents of the non-paper quoting excerpts from President Chavez' September 20 address to the UNGA and other remarks. ¶2. (C) Alvarez said that "Chavez did not do himself a favor by delivering the speech" and stated that he was puzzled by the round of applause Chavez received at the UN for "such a show." Nunez volunteered that U/S Burns had demarched Uruguayan Deputy Formin Maria "Belela" Herrera on September 26 regarding the contested Latin American seat for the UNSC in 2007-2008, but did not know what impact the demarche may have had. Alvarez said that the decision of who Uruguay would back was being decided at "the highest level," though he did not clarify if this referred to President Vazquez or Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano. ¶3. (C) Alvarez stated that Latin Americans tended to vote in blocs and he underscored that Uruguay was a full member of Mercosur which now included Venezuela. He said that Uruguay was appreciative of Guatemala's contributions to Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) but added that Uruguay "did not do much business with Guatemala." ¶4. (C) Comment: The Charge has twice demarched President Vazquez on the UNSC race, but the Embassy has never demarched the anti-American Foreign Minister, considering it to be counter-productive. Alvarez and other career diplomats clearly fret over the thought of Venezuela on the UNSC, but realize that the GOU will vote based on what it considers to be in its larger interests. End Comment. ¶5. (C) Note: Gustavo Alvarez is soon being re-assigned to the Uruguayan Mission at the UN. Judging from our dealings with him over the last year, he is both competent and pro-American. End Note. Nealon