Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SANTIAGO1126
2008-12-19 19:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Santiago
Cable title:  

REGIONAL MEETINGS IN BRAZIL: CHILE'S FM WORRIED

Tags:  PREL PGOV XM XL XS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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O 191944Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4170
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001126 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV XM XL XS
SUBJECT: REGIONAL MEETINGS IN BRAZIL: CHILE'S FM WORRIED
BY EXCLUSIONARY APPROACH; CALLS FOR INCREASED U.S.
ENGAGEMENT

Classified By: DCM Carol Urban for reason 1.4 (b).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001126

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV XM XL XS
SUBJECT: REGIONAL MEETINGS IN BRAZIL: CHILE'S FM WORRIED
BY EXCLUSIONARY APPROACH; CALLS FOR INCREASED U.S.
ENGAGEMENT

Classified By: DCM Carol Urban for reason 1.4 (b).


1. (C) In a short one-on-one conversation with the
Ambassador on December 19, Foreign Minister Foxley noted that
he was troubled by the mood at the December 17 Latin
American/Caribbean summit meetings in Brazil. Presidents
Calderon and Lula, he suggested, were genuinely serious about
replacing the OAS with a body that would exclude Canada and
the U.S. This exclusionary approach dominated discussions of
most of the subsidiary meetings in Bahia (e.g. UNASUR, Rio
Group, and Mercosur).


2. (C) Chile, Foxley noted, wanted to work closely with the
incoming U.S. administration on a positive agenda for the
hemisphere. It would be important, according to Foxley, to
offer a clear statement of U.S. hemispheric goals at the
April Summit of the Americas, which would include some
specific initiatives on how to utilize the hemisphere's key
regional institutions (i.e. the OAS and the Interamerican
Development Bank) to promote common goals. In the absence of
a clearly stated policy of engagement with the hemisphere, he
suggested, others with a more exclusionary agenda would fill
the gap, to the detriment of the long term interests of both
Chile and the U.S.


3. (SBU) Foxley also made a plea to identify and confirm on
an expedited basis the new Administration foreign policy team
dealing with Latin American issues.


4. (C) Comment: Foxley's request for active U.S. engagement
at the upcoming Summit of the Americas echoes similar
requests made to the Ambassador by President Bachelet in
November and Interior Minister Perez Yoma on December 16.
SIMONS