BRAZIL: AMBASSADOR MEETS MRE POLITICAL UNDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000516

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR P, S/P, WHA, AND INL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2019
TAGS: PREL SENV SNAR SCUL UNSC KSUM BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: AMBASSADOR MEETS MRE POLITICAL UNDER
SECRETARY IN ADVANCE OF HER WASHINGTON VISIT

Classified By: Ambassador Clifford Sobel, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Ambassador Sobel met April 24, with Brazilian
Under Secretary for Political Affairs Amb. Vera Machado on
the eve of her departure for her first trip to Washington
since taking over the position. In addition to leading the
delegation to the Major Economies Forum (MEF),Machado will
participate in the Joint Action Plan to Fight Racial
Discrimination (JAPR) and hold other meetings with USG
officials. She indicated that Brazil was pleased with the
outcome of the Summit of the Americas, confirmed that Iranian
President Ahmadinejad would visit Brazil on May 5, and
confirmed support for the U.S. candidacy to the UN Humand
Rights Council. The Ambassador raised concerns about our
counterdrug cooperation and progress toward a final agreement
on the Tropical Forests Conservation Act, which Machado
promised to look into. The two briefly discussed bilateral
cooperation in Haiti and Africa. End summary.


2. (C) Machado will lead Brazil's delegation to the MEF April
27-28, attend portions of the meeting of the steering group
for the JAPR April 29-30, and hold other meetings with USG
officials. The Ambassador suggested she also meet with S/P
and INL. Machado said she is looking forward to meeting
Under Secretary Burns, saying she hoped to discuss UN
Security Council reform, UN reform more broadly, and the "G8
plus 5" forum. She expressed interest in meeting with S/P,
and said that as she is largely ignorant of the law
enforcement and counterdrug matters in our bilateral
relationship, she would be in listening mode on those issues
in a meeting with INL. She noted that they are largely
handled by Virginia Toniatti, who runs the Office to Combat
Transnational Illicit Activities (COCIT).


3. (C) The Ambassador asked Machado, who attended the Summit
of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, what she thought.
She focused on the presence of President Obama, saying he was
clearly the star, and that his persuasive manner and message
of equal partnership had succeeded in changing the dynamic
with Latin America.


4. (C) The Ambassador raised difficulties the Mission is
having obtaining weapons permits for DEA officials in
Brasilia who took up positions transferred from Bolivia, and
the delay in transmission of the 2007 and 2008
counternarcotics LOAs. Machado appeared genuinely surprised
that the latter had not been transmitted, and clearly knew
nothing of the former problem. She promised to speak with
Toniatti, who handles both issues, when she returns.


5. (C) Machado and the Ambassador discussed the outcome of
the recent Durban Review conference, and she lamented that
Iranian President Ahmadinejad's remarks had overshadowed the
process. She confirmed that Brazil is still planning to host
him May 5. (Note: The MRE called in Iran's ambassdor to
protest the remarks, issued an unusual public denunciation,
and stated publicly that Brazil would use Ahmadinejad's visit
to indicate its disagreement with the issue. End note.)
Machado asked if the outcome of the Durban Review conference
would affect the U.S. position with regard to the Human
Rights Council. The Ambassador assured her it would not, and
asked if we could count on Brazil's vote. Machado responded
that Brazil's ambassador in Geneva would be "delighted" to
vote for the United States.


6. (C) The Ambassador noted that we continue to wait for a
reply from Brazil to the draft text of a Tropical Forests
Conservation Act (TFCA) agreement. He said he understood the
legal complications in Brazil, but hoped Machado could help
speed the process. Machado said she would look into it.


7. (C) The Ambassador briefed Machado on the recent visit to
Washington by the Director of the Brazilian Cooperation
Agency, noting that we are planning to expand cooperation in
Mozambique. Machado noted that a group of Brazilian and UN
officials had just returned from Guinea-Bissau, reporting to
her surprise that the country does not appear to be the drug
hub that we all feared. Machado asked about prospects for
cooperation under U.S. Hope II legislation regarding Haiti,
in order to allow Brazilian textile manufacturers to export
from Haiti to the United States duty free. The Ambassador
said that with a USTR now in place, it would be possible to
pursue the issue with renewed vigor.


8. (C) Comment: Machado, who has been in her current position
less than two months, is proving to be an accessible
interlocutor favorably inclined to work with the United
States. She is still getting her arms around her expansive

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portfolio, which includes relations with North America and
Europe, International Organizations Affairs, Environment and
Climate Change, Transnational Crime, and Human Rights and
Social Issues. Her lack of attention to transnational crime
and drug issues, in particular, is striking, in light of the
important discussions we have had with other Brazilian
officials on counterdrug cooperation, and the continuing
difficulties we have with MRE at lower levels. Post
recommends that Washington take the opportunity of her visit
to brief her on our interests in this area, in particular.
SOBEL