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