AFRICA-SOUTH AMERICA SUMMIT SHORT ON SUBSTANCE, LONG ON HEADACHES

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FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 001284 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2029 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, KDEM, VE, UNCHC, EAID 
SUBJECT: AFRICA-SOUTH AMERICA SUMMIT SHORT ON SUBSTANCE, 
LONG ON HEADACHES 
 
REF: A. CARACAS 1230 
 B. CARACAS 1059 
 
CARACAS 00001284 001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robin D. Meyer, 
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 

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Summit's first day that discussions about the declaration

were pointless, claiming: "We don't understand what we're

discussing because the majority of us haven't seen the text."

Several delegations, including Colombia, Algeria, and other

African countries, expressed frustration when a provision

condemning terrorism disappeared from the text late in the

negotiations. (Note: A provision condemning terrorism does

appear in the final version, although it remains unclear if

the wording was the same as what was originally proposed. End

Note.)



3. (C) When the declaration's draft language was opened to

debate, according to Brazilian, Chilean, and South African

diplomats, numerous articles promoting Chavez's "Bolivarian"

agenda were rejected. A last-minute attempt by the Libyan

delegation to insert what one participant referred to as

"nasty language" condemning Israel, among other things, was

similarly thwarted. In the end, the 96-article Declaration

does not mention the U.S., the Bolivarian Revolution, or

state a preference for any particular economic framework. It

does call for increased South-South cooperation, United

Nations reform, an end to the U.S. embargo of Cuba, and

protection of the environment, among many other unremarkable

provisions. Even the language on U.N. Security Council reform

reflects the differences among the wide range of

participants, who apparently could only agree on extremely

general language calling for greater representation and

transparency, rather than on an endorsement of a specific

reform proposal.



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THE RESULTS: ASA HQ, BANCO DEL SUR, AND ENERGY DEALS

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4. (C) The GBRV made considerable fanfare about a handful of

developments. Chavez ensured a "permanent" link between

Venezuela and the African countries by sealing an agreement

to establish an ASA Summit Secretariat on Margarita Island.

Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez announced that the GBRV signed

bilateral accords on energy and/or mining with eight African

countries. (Note: the countries cited were Libya, South

Africa, Sudan, Niger, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Guinea

Bissau, and Cape Verde. End Note.) Chavez also proposed a



CARACAS 00001284 002.2 OF 003





petroleum-related alliance between the continents,

"PetroSur-Sur."



5. (C) On the Summit's margins, Presidents Chavez, Lula,

Fernandez de Kirchner, Correa, Morales, Lugo, and Vazquez

signed a "constituting agreement" of the Chavez-proposed

regional development bank, Banco del Sur. Chavez also

announced a Venezuelan commitment of $4 billion to the

bank-- equivalent to the promised contributions of Brazil and

Argentina -- as part a total $20 billion capital commitment

by the subscribing parties. The language of the new agreement

was not immediately available, and the GBRV offered no

clarification regarding how this document differed from

previous accords on the subject, nor how it brought the Banco

del Sur any closer to operability.



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LOGISTICAL INCAPACITY WREAKS HAVOC

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6. (C) The GBRV's preparatory and logistical work for the

Summit was universally criticized by participants. South

African and Brazilian attendees noted that the GBRV provided

no advance information on the agenda, despite repeated

requests; GBRV officials were not in Margarita to help

Presidential advance teams until shortly before the Summit

began; and hotel rooms were not set aside for Summit

delegations. In the case of Brazil, this poor planning

resulted in daily threats to President Lula's advance team of

expulsion from their hotel due to an alleged lack of

available space, according to Brazilian DCM Rafael Vidal

(protect). Vidal also reported that none of the workspaces

available to the delegations were equipped with Internet

access, and that security restrictions were both extreme and

irregular. Vidal called the Summit arrangements "a horrific

organizational effort, even by Venezuelan standards." South

African DCM Wessel Mulder (protect) noted that the fuel

supply at Margarita's airport ran out as Presidential

delegations were leaving, forcing South African President

Zuma's departure to be delayed more than an hour while

additional fuel was procured.



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BRAZIL-VENEZUELA BILAT POSTPONED

--------------



7. (C) A Chavez-Lula bilateral meeting previously scheduled

to take place on September 28 was postponed at Brazil's

request. The Brazilians cited Lula's plan to travel to

Copenhagen this week to advocate for Brazil's 2016 Summer

Olympics bid. Brazilian DCM Vidal told PolOff that Lula was

"tired" by the end of the Summit, and that the Olympic bid

was a major priority. Vidal noted that the bilat was

immediately rescheduled, and even lengthened to two days,

October 16-17. (Note: One day of the meeting will take place

in Caracas, while the second day will be in El Tigre, a

central Venezuelan town where a Brazilian soybean production

facility operates. End Note.) When asked about the likelihood

of signing a previously announced bilateral agreement to

finance construction of a petroleum refinery in Brazil's

Pernambuco state, Vidal asserted it was almost a done deal:

"We received good news on that this weekend."



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GADDAFI AND CHAVEZ -- "REVOLUTIONARY BROTHERS"

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8. (C) After the Summit's official conclusion, Chavez hosted

a number of bilateral discussions with African countries,

with the feature event a lengthy ceremony between Chavez and

Libyan President Gaddafi. (Note: Libya will be the host for

the Third ASA Summit, scheduled for 2011. End Note.) The two

Presidents congratulated each other on their "revolutions,"

with Chavez asserting, "What Simon Bolivar is to the

Venezuelan people, Gaddafi is to the Libyan people." Chavez

also awarded Gaddafi the "Orden del Libertador," Venezuela's

highest civilian decoration, and presented him with a replica

of Simon Bolivar's sword. Gaddafi praised Chavez for "having

driven out the colonialists," just like he had driven out

those in Libya. "We share the same destiny, the same battle

in the same trench against a common enemy, and we will

conquer."



9. (C) Comment: Local press coverage of the Summit was less

than expected considering its A-list cast. Some diplomats



CARACAS 00001284 003.2 OF 003





speculated that the government intentionally kept the media

away from the disgruntled delegates. The meeting with

Gaddafi, however, provided the opportunity for rhetorical

assaults on capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism. Despite

Brazilian DCM Vidal's comments to the contrary, many

diplomats and journalists believe the Brazilian decision to

postpone the Lula-Chavez bilateral meeting reflected Lula's

concern about appearing too close to Chavez at a time when he

was being criticized for his alleged collusion with Chavez in

the covert return of President Zelaya to Honduras. End

Comment.



DUDDY