BRAZIL,S FOREIGN MINISTRY DISSES AND DISMISSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001664 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE WHA FOR CHRIS MCMULLEN, DEBORAH MCCARTHY, CAROLINE CROFT, BRUCE FRIEDMAN, AND BEN CHIANG S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA FBI FOR COUNTERRORISM DIVISION AND OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT FOR ICE/OIA H E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2017 TAGS: PTER EFIN PREL PGOV SNAR KTFN PA BR AR SUBJECT: BRAZIL,S FOREIGN MINISTRY DISSES AND DISMISSES THREE PLUS ONE MECHANISM REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 1685 ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 1709 ¶C. ASUNCION 688 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Phil Chicola. E.O. 12958, Reasons: 1.5 (B) & (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: The director of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations (Itamaraty) Office of Transnational Crimes, Virginia Toniatti, told PolCouns in a meeting August 27 that Brazil does not see the Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay tri-border cooperation mechanism and the 3 1 mechanism that includes the United States as the best way to address terrorism concerns. Brazil participates in these mechanisms "only out of solidarity" with countries that have been victims of terrorists attacks. She categorically ruled out expansion of the 3 1 mechanism to discuss other transnational crime issues, saying that bilateral issues should be discussed bilaterally. Toniatti is a key working-level contact on these issues, and her views mirror closely those of Secretary General (Vice Minister) Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes. Toniatti,s comments suggest that expansion of cooperation via the 3 1 mechanism, as proposed in reftels, will require laying the groundwork carefully at more senior levels of the GOB, including Foreign Minister Amorim, National Security Advisor Garcia, and perhaps even President Lula. End summary. ¶2. (C) In light of reftels, PolCouns took advantage of his courtesy call with Virginia Toniatti, head of Itamaraty,s office in charge of fighting transnational crime, to ask for her views on tri-border cooperation. Toniatti responded that there are 14 tri-border areas in South America, and that the one between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay is not particularly problematic or deserving of greater attention than the others. She asserted that Brazil only participates in the coordination mechanism with Brazil and Paraguay, and in the 3 1 mechanism that includes the United States, out of &solidarity8 with the Argentina and United States because they have suffered terrorist attacks. Brazil does not see the 3 1 mechanism as a particularly useful way to do real business, she said. &Bilateral issues should be handled bilaterally,8 she stated, and border issues should be addressed between the neighboring countries. In particular, Toniatti said, it is unfortunate when it appears that the other three countries have consulted prior to the 3 1 meetings and are seeking to present Brazil with a fait accompli. She also criticized the U.S. release of a list of terrorist suspects just before the last meeting, for which, she said, USG officials were unwilling to offer any solid evidence. ¶3. (C) PolCouns stressed how useful the 3 1 mechanism is to U.S. agencies and asked about cooperation on other transnational crime issues in the tri-border region. Toniatti said that Brazil is more than willing to discuss trafficking in persons (TIP),counternarcotics efforts, counterfeiting and money laundering with USG agencies on a bilateral basis. However, she ruled out categorically any expansion of the 3 1 mechanism into other areas, stressing adamantly that she would not accept or tolerate further "attacks" on Foz do Iguacu. Foz is not deserving of the negative attention it is already getting, she said. Hollywood,s fictitious characterizations of the region as a home base for terrorists and other criminals combined with uncalled for statements by U.S. law enforcement officials (she referred specifically to comments by State and Treasury officials in a May 9 MSNBC piece on the tri-border area) have given Foz an undeserved reputation that is having a negative impact on tourism. ¶4. (C) Toniatti did offer that Brazil is seeing a problem with falsified passports, and that it would be useful for the U.S. to help fund a modernization of Paraguay,s passport system. Brazil has the expertise and training to spot the fraud, she said, but does not have funds to help the Paraguayans modernize their passports. ¶5. (C) Comment: Toniatti, one of our principal working-level contacts on tri-border and other transnational crime issues, BRASILIA 00001664 002 OF 002 is generally dogmatic in her views and aggressive in expressing them. Her comments are not the final word on these issues, but her chain of command on counterterrorism and transnational crime issues runs through the office of Secretary-General (Vice Minister) Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes, SIPDIS who has been publicly critical of increased GOB cooperation with the U.S. in a number of areas, and specifically of increased U.S. presence in Brazil and the region. Toniatti's views likely mirror those of Guimaraes with regard to the usefulness of the current process and interest in expanding it. Her unhesitating expression of disinterest in any expanded cooperation through the 3 1 mechanism, as proposed in reftels, suggests that gaining Brazil,s agreement will require laying the groundwork carefully at more senior levels of the GOB, including Foreign Minister Amorim, National Security Advisor Garcia, and perhaps even President Lula. CHICOLA