MFA OUTLINES FRENCH POSITIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002267

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV FR VE BO CU HA
SUBJECT: MFA OUTLINES FRENCH POSITIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: MFA A/S-equivalent for WHA Daniel Parfait
provided visiting EUR/WE Director Kathy Allegrone with a
candid assessment of French positions on Latin American
issues April 5, touching on Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, and
Haiti. Parfait acknowledged the close relationship Hugo
Chavez shares with President Jacques Chirac and Prime
Minister Dominique de Villepin, but expressed growing
concerns and "mixed feelings" about Chavez, particularly in
light of recent actions concerning French oil company Total.
Parfait had been briefed on the Secretary's March 30
discussion with President Chirac on U.S. concerns about arms
sales to Venezuela, an issue on which Allegrone pressed
repeatedly. Parfait counseled active engagement and support
of Bolivian President Evo Morales in his efforts to avoid
pushing him into the arms of Chavez and Castro. While the
GoF position on Cuba has toughened, Parfait admitted the
debate within the EU was "going nowhere" and, having tried
unsuccessfully with both carrots and sticks to secure the
release of imprisoned dissidents, France and the EU were
"short of ideas" about what to do. He indicated that he
would be traveling to Miami to meet with the Cuban community
there, most likely in June, and was open to suggestions of
being put in contact with U.S. experts to discuss the issue.
Finally, Parfait noted that France would push for more EU
assistance to Haiti and receive president-elect Rene Preval
in June. Parfait indicated that he had just returned from
consultations with the Germans on Western Hemisphere issues
prior to a joint meeting with the Spanish. End Summary.


2. (U) EUR/WE Director Kathy Allegrone met April 5 with MFA
Americas Director Daniel Parfait to exchange views on Western
Hemisphere issues. Parfait was joined in the meeting by
DAS-equivalent for North America Yves Oudin and U.S. desk
officers Jean-Charles Bou and Sophie Hubert. EUR/WE Director
Allegrone was accompanied by Deputy PolCouns and PolOff.

"Listening" to Concerns on Venezuela
--------------

3. (C) On Venezuela, Parfait began by cycling through the
GoF's well-rehearsed talking points: Hugo Chavez will be in
power for the foreseeable future and must be dealt with;
France prefers engagement, particularly as Chavez enjoys good
relations with Chirac and Villepin; the media enjoys great
freedom; there are currently no political prisoners; and
France does not see Venezuela as a threat to regional
stability. Somewhat unusually, he even claimed that the
Venezuelan militia was not armed. However, he did say that
France had "mixed feelings" about Chavez and there were
distinct areas of growing concern. Without being prompted,
Parfait noted that the Secretary had raised Venezuela in her
March 30 meeting with Chirac and emphasized that France was
"listening to our concerns on arms sales."

France Policy on UNSC Seats, Too Early on Total
-------------- --

4. (C) When asked if France had reached a decision on
support for Guatemala's bid over Venezuela for the GRULAC
(Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries) UNSC seat,
Parfait explained that GoF policy was not to reveal its
position until the last minute, citing France's "delicate"
position as a perm-five member of the Security Council. That
said, there was strong (even "adamant") resistance to
Venezuela's candidacy within France's IO bureau, and he
expected that the issue would be discussed within the EU,
which he described as "cautious" on the matter. Regarding
Venezuela's recent actions against French oil company Total,
Parfait admitted to not yet having all the details and
cautioned that it was still too early to draw any
conclusions. Based on his information, however, he believed
that Total would abandon the 30,000 barrel-a-day Jusepin oil
field that had been seized, while maintaining its interests
elsewhere in Venezuela. Parfait also noted frustration with
Venezuela over supermarkets owned by French firm Casino that
had been shut down several times for unexplained reasons.

Message to Pass Chavez?
--------------

5. (C) Allegrone explained to Parfait U.S. concern about
Chavez' systematic attempt to stir up anti-Americanism within
Venezuela, South America, and indeed internationally.
Parfait responded that France was disturbed by Chavez' use of
anti-Americanism as a political tool, which he saw as the
only possible motive for its position on issues such as Iran
(he was quite explicit that the French had tried to come up
with other explanations, to no avail). Although Parfait
judged that such tactics would continue through the upcoming
Venezuelan elections, he expressed hope that there might be
at least some level of reconciliation afterwards. Parfait
acknowledged Allegrone's arguments that it was impossible
even to begin a dialogue with Chavez given the level and
vitriol of Chavez' rhetoric. Nevertheless, Parfait offered
French assistance in serving as a potential go-between and
asked if there were any messages the U.S. might want the GoF
to pass to Chavez.


6. (C) Parfait indicated that he had recently held a round
of consultations with German officials on Western Hemisphere
issues, and on Venezuela in particular, prior to a scheduled
meeting with the Spanish (it was not clear whether this would
be a Franco-Spanish or trilateral meeting). He also
indicated that he had recently discussed with German
officials the idea of organizing a conference of experts on
Venezuela to openly discuss the situation there. He asked if
the U.S. would be interested in participating; in response to
a question, he said that the current concept envisioned
non-governmental involvement in the discussions. Allegrone
reacted coolly to the idea but said she would nevertheless
convey it to Washington.

Bolivia
--------------

7. (C) Parfait recounted that Chirac had urged Bolivian
president Evo Morales to seek better ties with Washington
during his visit to Paris. He stated that the jury was still
out on Morales, and that Paris was monitoring him closely,
while asserting that it was also important for others to
assist him where possible. Morales was not prepared to be
president, Parfait acknowledged, and the GoF has little
confidence in the people around him. Parfait argued that
assistance was also necessary to ensure that Morales did not
turn Chavez and Castro. Morales represented the first time
that the people of Bolivia have had a champion in power, and
he sincerely desired to improve the country, Parfait
insisted, arguing that help from countries like the U.S. and
France would reduce the influence of Chavez. To that end,
Parfait said, mobilizing EU assistance for Bolivia would be
high on his agenda in the upcoming meetings with the Spanish.

Out of Ideas in Cuba
--------------

8. (C) Parfait did not offer much hope of renewed EU
sanctions against Cuba when the issue comes up in June, as
the debate seems to have devolved into a stalemate, with the
Czech Republic and Spain at opposite extremes. After the
suspension of EU sanctions last June, he explained, France
had tried to open a constructive dialogue with the GoC by
inviting Cuban authorities to July 14 national day
celebrations -- a gesture reciprocated by the GoC with July
13 and July 22 crackdowns on dissidents. The French position
has toughened as a result, Parfait said, and its priority
remained the release of all dissidents; however, the GoF was
out of fresh ideas as to what to do next, with both sanctions
and gestures having failed to achieve desired results.
Castro was no longer interested in the EU, he judged, given
new opportunities and markets in China and Latin America.
Allegrone responded that it was at least in part thanks to
Chavez and his money that Cuba felt it now had a larger
margin of maneuver.


9. (C) Parfait expressed interest in a detailed discussion
with the USG on possible post-Castro scenarios. He indicated
that he would be traveling to Miami to meet with the Cuban
community there, most likely in June, and was open to
suggestions of being put in contact with U.S. experts to
discuss the issue.

Haiti
--------------

10. (C) Parfait stressed France's continued commitment to
working closely with the USG in Haiti. He indicated that
president-elect Preval would visit France in June and that
the GoF would support increased assistance to Haiti within
the EU. Parfait recounted that when the issue of Jean-Claude
Duvalier returning to Haiti first arose, French authorities
had tracked him down and eventually located him in a hotel in
Paris. Although the GoF had no legal authority to detain
him, Parfait did not think support for "Baby Doc" was enough
for him to risk his life by returning to Haiti.

Comment
--------------

11. (C) Although Parfait offered more cautionary language
than in previous discussions, the MFA still holds to what it
calls a "balanced view" of Venezuela and Hugo Chavez, despite
recent moves against French economic interests. The idea of
organizing a conference to discuss Venezuela would appear to
us to be counter to U.S. interests, given likely Venezuelan
participation and the likelihood that it would risk becoming
a forum for the defense of Chavez by European intellectuals
attracted to his Bolivarian dream. Washington may wish to
consider a counter-suggestion that the U.S. and EU member
state officials meet to discuss our views on Venezuela. We
believe Paris will make the right decision on the UNSC seat
in the end, although the extent to which it is prepared to
lobby is much less clear.


12. (U) EUR/WE Director Allegrone has cleared this cable.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton