PRESIDENT BACHELET COMMITS TO MAINTAINING CHILEAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000525

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC MARR MOPS CI HA
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BACHELET COMMITS TO MAINTAINING CHILEAN
TROOPS IN HAITI

REF: A. SECRETARY 00003 (NOTAL)

B. 05 SANTIAGO 1094

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Emi L. Yamauchi.
Reasons: 1.4 (b and d).


1. (C) Summary: President Bachelet told the Secretary on
March 11 that Chile intended to keep its peacekeeping troops
in Haiti beyond June 30. Haitian President-elect Preval
reportedly received similar assurances from Bachelet during
their March 12 meeting. The Bachelet administration plans to
initiate formal discussions with Congress soon, as Senate
authorization for Chile's presence in Haiti expires on June

30. A further extension will require a simple majority in
the Senate, and Bachelet's center-left Concertacion holds 20
of the 38 Senate seats. End summary.


2. (C) During her meeting with the Secretary on March 11 (one
hour before being sworn in as president),Michelle Bachelet
said Chile would keep its approximately 600 peacekeeping
troops in Haiti beyond June 2006 (ref. A). The following
day, Bachelet's Foreign Minister, Alejandro Foxley, publicly
called on Congress to support Bachelet's pledge to
"demonstrate solidarity with a people (Haitian) who are
suffering." Foxley added the Bachelet administration
intended to discuss the matter with other MINUSTAH
troop-contributing nations, including Spain, so that all
nations adopted a similar position. Bachelet's Minister of
Defense, Vivianne Blanlot, said publicly on March 12 that
Chilean PKO troops could play an indispensable role in the
formation of the Haitian security forces responsible for
maintaining public security during peacetime. "In principle,
we (Chile) are prepared to collaborate in the formation of
the Haitian national police...At this time, all possibilities
remain open and discussions need to take place," said
Blanlot.


3. (C) On March 12, Haitian President-elect Preval told the
press that Bachelet had assured him during their meeting that
Chilean troops would remain in Haiti. Preval said it would
be "irresponsible" for troop-contributing nations to withdraw
their troops. On March 13, Haitian Ambassador Augustin
confirmed to poloff that Bachelet had provided Preval such
assurances. Augustin expressed confidence the Chilean Senate
would vote to extend Chile's presence in MINUSTAH.


4. (U) The center-right Chilean congressional opposition
reacted negatively to FM Foxley's call for Congress to back
an extension. Rightist Independent Democratic Union (UDI)
Senator Hernan Larrain, one of the senators who traveled to
Haiti last May before the last Senate vote to extend Chile's
PKO presence in Haiti, cautioned that an extension beyond
June could transform the peacekeeping mission into an
"occupation mission."


5. (U) The Senate's authorization for Chilean troops expires
on June 30. Only a simple majority is needed to extend
Chile's presence, and Bachelet's center-left Concertacion
holds 20 of the Senate 38 seats.
KELLY