Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SANTIAGO561
2006-03-17 21:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Santiago
Cable title:  

CHILE: SUPPORTIVE OF MOST CICTE GOALS; CONCERNED

Tags:  PTER PREL MARR OAS CI 
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DE RUEHSG #0561/01 0762157
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 172157Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8667
INFO RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0810
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 1465
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0894
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 3115
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0496
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0475
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0142
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000561 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL MARR OAS CI
SUBJECT: CHILE: SUPPORTIVE OF MOST CICTE GOALS; CONCERNED
OVER VENEZUELAN BEHAVIOR

REF: A. STATE 40856

B. STATE 31112

C. SANTIAGO 541

D. SANTIAGO 514

E. SANTIAGO 488

F. SANTIAGO 447

G. SANTIAGO 429

H. SANTIAGO 384

Classified By: Ambassador Craig Kelly for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000561

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL MARR OAS CI
SUBJECT: CHILE: SUPPORTIVE OF MOST CICTE GOALS; CONCERNED
OVER VENEZUELAN BEHAVIOR

REF: A. STATE 40856

B. STATE 31112

C. SANTIAGO 541

D. SANTIAGO 514

E. SANTIAGO 488

F. SANTIAGO 447

G. SANTIAGO 429

H. SANTIAGO 384

Classified By: Ambassador Craig Kelly for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Foreign Ministry Special Policies Director
Luis Winter told EPOL Counselor that Chile supported most of
the U.S. goals for CICTE VI, but would like to discuss
further the declaration language on "shared responsibility."
Chile was satisfied with CICTE's performance to date, and
would try to find resources to assign a Chilean intelligence
officer to CICTE's secretariat. Winter characterized
Venezuela's behavior at the March 10 CICTE declaration
negotiating session as "obstructionist grandstanding," and
indicated that he was concerned by the prospect of Venezuela
on the UNSC. End Summary.

--------------
CHILE'S DELEGATION AND GOALS
--------------


2. (U) EPOL Counselor, accompanied by Poloff, called on
Chile's head of delegation to CICTE VI, Ambassador Luis
Winter, on March 16 to deliver points in reftels A and B
prior to the CICTE meeting in Bogota, Colombia. Foreign
Ministry's Special Policies Chief for Transnational Crime,
Luis Plaza, accompanied Winter. Winter said he and the
director of Chile's National Intelligence Agency, Carlos
Fernandez, planned to attend CICTE VI. Francisco Bernales,
assigned to Chile's OAS mission, will be designated the
session's Rapporteur.


3. (U) Winter said Chile supported a strong Declaration of
San Carlos, and would also propose a regional conference in
Chile to discuss methods for averting large-scale terrorist
attacks. Winter said that Chile was satisfied with CICTE's
performance to date. He agreed that CICTE would benefit from
expanded resources and staff. While the GOC hoped to second
an expert from its National Intelligence Agency (ANI) to
CICTE, it faced budgetary constraints. Nevertheless, the GOC
was attempting to identify funding for a possible CICTE staff
contribution.

--------------
NO SHARED RESPONSIBILITY?
--------------


4. (C) Poloff underlined U.S. concern that language
explicitly recognizing the "connections" between terrorism
and other forms of transnational crime would be weakened in
the final declaration. Winter replied that Chile's greatest
concern was language on "shared responsibility." While there
was general acceptance of applying "shared responsibility" to
narcotrafficking, where both the producing and consuming
countries had responsibility to fight the problem, the GOC
had reservations about extending the model to terrorism.
Chile was cautious about inserting language that could be
taken as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of
another country. Winter noted the draft declaration
currently had three different versions of language on "shared
responsibility" in brackets. EPOL Counselor noted the U.S.
delegation to CICTE VI had expressed its desire to work
closely with Chile.

--------------
OBSTRUCTION FOR ITS OWN SAKE
--------------


5. (C) Winter characterized Venezuela's strategy at
international conferences as obstructionist. He said it was
reminiscent of the "politique du non" that France has
employed. Winter said Venezuela's actions "made no sense" in
policy terms. He recalled Venezuela's actions at the
November 2005 OPANAL (Organization for the Proscription of
Nuclear Arms in Latin America and the Caribbean) conference
in Santiago, where the Venezuelan delegation raised
objections to previously agreed language during the reading
of the final report, then refused to explain its positions on
the grounds that it was "a sovereign country with freedom of


expression and self determination." Winter said Venezuela
was attempting to set itself up as the rallying point for
opposition to Washington.

--------------
VENEZUELA AND THE UNSC CANDIDACY
--------------


6. (C) EPOL Counselor then turned the discussion to
Venezuela's UNSC candidacy (refs C-H). He noted that if
Venezuela were to win a seat on the UNSC, we could see this
obstruction for the next two years. Winter said that Chile
was preoccupied at the prospect of Venezuela on the UNSC, and
it would "be happy if another country stepped forward." A
major GOC priority was improving strained relations with its
neighbors, some of which have already declared support for
Venezuela. Winter noted that regional politics within
GRULAC, particularly between South America and Central
America and the Caribbean, were complicated, and it would be
difficult if the Caribbean votes went to Venezuela.
KELLY