URUGUAY PLANTS VENEZUELAN FLAG IN ANTARCTICA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTEVIDEO 000082 SIPDIS SIPDIS BRASILIA FOR HUB BRAGHETTA DEPT FOR OES/OA, EBLOOM, LRHUGHES DEPT PASS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION/OPP FOR KERB, SBORG, PWEST E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 TAGS: PREL PHSA KTIA EAID AY VZ UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY PLANTS VENEZUELAN FLAG IN ANTARCTICA REF: MONTEVIDEO 68 Classified By: Ambassador Frank Baxter for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The opposition Colorado Party joined forces with Frente Amplio (FA) deputies to approve a Venezuela-sponsored joint expedition to Antarctica that departed Montevideo this week. According to GOU officials, Venezuela aims to become a full consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty (AT). The trip will provide Venezuela the opportunity to fulfill some the requirements for membership (e.g. dispatching of a scientific expedition). An official at Uruguay's Antarctic Institute (UAI) said the Institute was not consulted and objected to the prospect of Venezuela piggy-backing on Uruguay's Antarctic program in pursuit of its own dubious political and military objectives under a scientific guise. In response to concerns voiced by opposition Blanco party deputies, the GOU told members of the Congressional Defense Committee that this joint expedition is not part of any plan for a military alliance with Venezuela. Meanwhile, newspapers carried photos of the Venezuelan and Uruguayan flags flying side-by-side at Uruguay's Antarctic research base. END SUMMARY. THE EXPEDITION -------------- ¶2. (U) A team of Venezuelan scientists departed February 15 on a 45-day expedition aboard the Uruguayan Navy research vessel ROU22 Oyarvide. Local press touted this as Venezuela's first Antarctic expedition; laying the groundwork for the BRV to fulfill requirements it believes will allow it to become a full consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty. Venezuela is currently a non-consultative party to the treaty, which provides the BRV a seat at the table but no decision-making role in this consensus-based body. ¶3. (SBU) The expedition will include civilian and military scientists, with specialties ranging from marine biology to chemistry. According to local press, Venezuelan President Chavez called the scientists "pioneers" on his Sunday radio and TV program in early February and told listeners "this is something historic." Venezuela's Science and Technology Minister added, "what we hope is to be able to build a base ... a permanent Venezuelan scientific station on the Antarctic continent." The press also reported that the expedition was made possible through cooperation between the Venezuelan and Uruguayan navies. Venezuela is providing USD $558,000 to finance the expedition, along with fuel and supplies for the ship. ¶4. (C) NOTE: A UAI official told poloff that, in addition to the financial support cited by the media, Venezuela had also agreed to make repairs to the ROU4 Artigas, a Navy logistics ship that annually carries supplies to Uruguay's Antarctic base. A senior navy official told emboffs in December that the Artigas could not travel to Antarctica this year as planned due to repairs needed after its participation in the PANAMAX naval exercises. The Artigas stopped in Venezuela during its return trip from PANAMAX. END NOTE. THE POLITICS -------------- ¶5. (C) An official at the Uruguayan Antarctic Institute (UAI) told poloff that the expedition was the brainchild of current Vice-Minster of Defense (and soon to be Minister - reftel) Jose Bayardi. He said the GOU had not consulted the Institute and that he and colleagues objected to Venezuelan meddling in Antarctic affairs, fearing the disruptive role it would play in such an international forum. While he doubted that the BRV would actually gain consultative party status to the Antarctic Treaty, he considered the Uruguayan military's role in the venture ill-advised and focused on short-term political/financial gain. He told poloff that officials from the UAI had gone as far as to provide background and briefing material on the expedition to opposition party members in Congress that they in turn used to attempt to torpedo the mission. ¶6. (U) Opposition deputies, mainly from the Blanco Party, accused the Vazquez administration of moving towards a closer military alliance with Venezuela by allowing such a mission MONTEVIDEO 00000082 002 OF 002 to take place as part of Uruguay's Antarctic effort. ¶7. (U) The Congressional Defense Committee summoned Vice-Minister of Defense Jose Bayardi, who will become Minister of Defense on March 1 (reftel),last week to speak to the issue. Bayardi told Congress an expanded military alliance is "not under consideration," but that Uruguay will provide Venezuela with all the necessary knowledge and experience to enable the latter to join the Antarctic Treaty as a consulting member. The President of the Defense Committee, Jorge Menendez, who will replace Bayardi as Vice-Minister of Defense (reftel),strongly endorsed Bayardi's position and insisted that the expedition was of a purely scientific nature. Meanwhile, newspapers carried photos of the Venezuelan and Uruguayan flags flying side-by-side at Uruguay's Antarctic research base, a gesture of welcome offered whenever foreigners visit the base. BACKGROUND -------------- ¶8. (U) Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty (AT) and designated as a natural reserve dedicated to peace and science. Research stations are operated by 28 nations (including Uruguay) on the continent and nearby islands. No single nation has control over any section of the continent. Every year the original twelve Parties to the Treaty and those Parties that have demonstrated an interest in Antarctica - together called the Consultative Parties - meet "for the purpose of exchanging information, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, formulating, considering, and recommending to their Governments measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of the Treaty", in what are known as the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. ¶9. (U) In addition to the consultative parties (currently 28),since 1983 non-consultative parties (currently 18) have also been invited to take part in those meetings, but do not participate in decision-making. A non-consultative party may only achieve consultative status if it "demonstrates its interest in Antarctica by conducting substantial scientific research activity there, such as the establishment of a scientific station or the dispatch of a scientific expedition" (Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty text). COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) COMMENT: While some in Uruguay support greater outreach to Venezuela, others are wary of such cooperation and would actively seek to diminish it. In the end, Venezuela's petrodollars represent a strong temptation. This is especially true since Uruguay's relative level of development disqualifies it from most international assistance. It is also noteworthy that the UAF seems to have secured Venezuelan repairs for a ship it used in a U.S.-sponsored military exercise. Baxter