(C) GOC SEEKS TO "NORMALIZE" RELATIONS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003521 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO VE EC SUBJECT: (C) GOC SEEKS TO "NORMALIZE" RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA, WILL REMAINS PATIENT WITH ECUADOR, AND SEES BRAZILIAN ... id: 170699 date: 9/19/2008 20:00 refid: 08BOGOTA3521 origin: Embassy Bogota classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: header: VZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #3521/01 2632000 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 192000Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4849 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8389 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 2186 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1022 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP 9670 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6570 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 2342 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 7250 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003521 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO VE EC SUBJECT: (C) GOC SEEKS TO "NORMALIZE" RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA, WILL REMAINS PATIENT WITH ECUADOR, AND SEES BRAZILIAN INFLUENCE ON THE RISE Classified By: Acting Political Counselor David M. Zimov Reasons 1.4 (b and d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Foreign Minister Bermudez announced that he would meet with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Maduro in mid-October to discuss trade and a full range of bilateral issues. Vice FM Reyes told us the GOC wants to use the meeting to "normalize" relations through existing bi-national forums to address security, commercial, immigration, and border demarcation issues. The GOC will remain patient with Ecuador and does not expect any improvement in relations with the GOE until after the September 28 referendum. Reyes said Brazilian influence was on the rise due to de-institutionalization underway in some Latin countries. Separately, President Uribe told the Ambassador that at the UNASUR conference on Bolivia in Chile, Argentine President Fernandez was a "stalking horse" for Chavez; Brazilian President Lula was moderate and helpful; and Chavez pitched for language permitting military intervention until Lula talked him down. End summary. COLOMBIAN-VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET -------------- - ¶2. (U) Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said on September 16, that he will meet with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, likely on October 16 or 17. Bermudez, speaking from Santiago, Chile on the fringes of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) conference on Bolivia, said the meeting would focus on a full range of issues. The foreign minister added that commerce ministers would also participate. ¶3. (C) Vice Foreign Minister Camilo Reyes told us separately that the GOC wants to "normalize" bilateral ties as much as possible given political and personal tensions between Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Hugo Chavez. The Bermudez-Maduro meeting would serve to follow up on pending issues from the July Uribe-Chavez meeting in Venezuela. The GOC's goal is to revive the various bi-national forums created to handle commercial, immigration, infrastructure, security, and water issues. These include COPIAF (border issues, integration, immigration, security, trade); CONEG (delimitation of borders in the gulf, river basin issues, and other boundary issues), and COBAN (a forum that covers infrastructure and energy). Chavez created the latter, Reyes noted, because the other bodies had been set up by Chavez' enemy, former-President Carlos Andres Perez. GOC PATIENT WITH ECUADOR -------------- ¶4. (C) Reyes said the GOC would remain patient in its approach to Ecuador, believing there can be no lasting improvement in bilateral relations until after the September 28 constitutional referendum in Ecuador. Reyes told us the key was to avoid a further deterioration in relations, noting that while FM Bermudez met with his Ecuadorian counterpart at President Lugo's inauguration in Asuncion, President Rafael Correa renewed his verbal attack on Colombia. Correa has consistently used Colombia as a "political football" to advance his interests, even prior to his initial election, and the GOC expects this to continue. Reyes confided that OAS SYG Jose Miguel Insulza shared this view, and decided to hold off on further OAS efforts to promote better ties until after the 28th. ¶5. (C) Colombian Representative Guillermo Rivera, a member of the Carter Center group trying to improve Colombia-Ecuador relations, told us the group was set to meet with President Correa again in Quito in late October. Rivera said group members and Carter Center officials were surprised Correa had accepted the meeting. Correa stormed out of the last meeting on June 25, saying he would only meet with the group again "to talk about football, not restoring relations with Colombia." Rivera said several members of the group, including prominent leftist politicians Antionio Navarro Wolff (Narino governor) and Angelino Garzon (former Valle de Cauca governor) were "puzzled" by Correa's behavior--and would brush up on football prior to the meeting. GOC: BRAZILIAN INFLUENCE ON THE RISE -------------- ¶6. (C) Vice FM Reyes said the current process of de-institutionalization underway in some Latin countries has increased Brazil's importance and influence. Brazil possesses an "institutional solidity" that distinguishes it from many of its neighbors and allows for continuity of policy. Reyes said Brazil's UNASUR initiative would likely provide a useful forum where Colombia can interact with its more unstable neighbors (Venezuela and Ecuador) within a controlled environment. Reyes said the GOC would participate in talks on the South American Defense Council, but he said progress would be slow due to limits imposed by sovereignty and domestic legislation. He doubts the Council will ever be more than a talk shop--which would suit the GOC just fine. URIBE ON UNASUR BOLIVIA CONFERENCE -------------- ¶7. (C) President Uribe told the Ambassador on September 16, that at the UNASUR meeting in Santiago on Bolivia, Argentine President Fernandez de Kirchner represented a bad influence and was a "stalking horse" for Chavez. He said Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula was moderate and helpful in producing a decent outcome. Finally, Uribe told the Ambassador that Chavez had actually pitched for language permitting military intervention until Lula managed to talk him down. NICHOLS =======================CABLE ENDS============================