BRAZIL, CHILE LED EFFORT TO CREATE NEW UNASUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTIAGO 000254

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC--CATO AND CROFT, WHA/AND, WHA/CAR,
PM/RSAT--BURNETT
PENTAGON FOR KRISTI HUNT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019
TAGS: MARR PREL XR CI
SUBJECT: BRAZIL, CHILE LED EFFORT TO CREATE NEW UNASUR
DEFENSE COUNCIL

REF: SANTIAGO 239

Classified By: Political Officer Jennifer Spande for reason 1.4 (b).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Brazil and Chile played leading roles in
creating the new South American Defense Council (SADC),which
was inaugurated last week at a meeting of all 12 UNASUR
Defense Ministers in Santiago. The new body, which is
not/not a military alliance, aims to develop relationships
and build trust in the region through a series of concrete
action items ranging from cataloging regional humanitarian
assistance capabilities to creating a new South American
Center for Strategic Defense Studies. Ecuador will assume
responsibility for directing the SADC in May, when it becomes
president pro-tempore of UNASUR. End Summary.

Brazil, Chile Collaborate to Create New Defense Body
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Last week's formal establishment of the South
American Defense Council (SADC) was the end of a year-long
effort initiated by Brazilian President Lula and brought to
fruition with assistance from Brazilian Defense Minister
Jobim, Chilean President Bachelet, and Chilean Defense
Undersecretary Garcia. Contacts from the Defense and Foreign
Affairs Ministries told Poloff and DATT March 13 that Lula
conceived of the group in May 2008 and Defense Minister Jobim
visited each UNASUR capital to sell the idea. (Note: The
group is known in Spanish as the Consejo de Defensa
Suramericano (CDS). End Note.)


3. (C) Chilean officials told emboffs that the March 9 and
10 negotiations formally establishing the body and agreeing
to a declaration of principles and action plan were
relatively quick and straightforward. The hard work, they
said, took place earlier in the year in getting all 12 UNASUR
nations to participate. MOD advisor Juan Esteban Montes said
that Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela were the most hesitant to
sign on to the new organization. Bachelet and Lula both
reached out to Peruvian President Garcia and persuaded him to
join. Colombia and Venezuela were both reluctant to be part
of a defense organization that would include the other, and
Colombian President Uribe insisted that language rejecting
the "presence or action" of extra-legal armed groups be
included in the declaration. Chilean Undersecretary for
Defense Gonzalo Garcia and his staff took the lead in
drafting the SADC documents and action plan.


4. (C) Emboffs noted that Brazil had suggested the creation
of the SADC and proposed that the body promote the
development of a South American defense industry, but then
appeared to be disengaged from the actual work of this
initiative. According to the Action Plan, Ecuador will lead
efforts to assess the defense industries of UNASUR members,
while Venezuela will promote bilateral and multilateral
initiatives to increase defense industry cooperation. Montes
indicated that the Brazilians were savvy in advancing their
interest in a regional defense industry, suggesting but not
pushing it too hard, and allowing other countries to take the
lead. Brazil knows well its relatively advanced defense
industry would have to be a focal point for any cooperation.

Action Plan to Build Trust and Communication
--------------


5. (C) The SADC is designed to build confidence,
transparency, and open communication, Chilean defense and
foreign affairs officials said. They highlighted that the
action plan items (which include cooperation in defense
policy, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, defense
industry and technology, and training) are less important
individually and best seen as ways to encourage dialogue and
build relationships. MFA officials noted that Bolivia was
particularly interested in disaster response issues and
Argentina was focused on training. Montes said he believed
the creation of a South American Center for Strategic Defense
Studies (CSEED--Centro Suramericano de Estudios Estrategicos
de Defensa) in Buenos Aires was the most significant
individual action to come out of the SADC action plan. The
action plan also envisions regular South American Strategic
Studies forums, the first of which is tentatively scheduled
for November 11-13, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro.


6. (SBU) The Chileans are clearly quite proud of their role

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in bringing SADC to fruition. Former Chilean Defense
Minister Goni described the creation of the SADC as a
"historic landmark" which, along with the September 2008
summit on the crisis in Pando Department, Bolivia, was one of
Chile's key achievements during its year-long tenure as
UNASUR president pro-tempore. Responsibility for directing
SADC will now pass to Ecuador, who assumes the president
pro-tempore role in May.


7. (SBU) Post has electronic copies of the SADC Final
Declaration, SADC Statue, and SADC Action Plan Matrix in
Spanish and will email to political section chiefs in UNASUR
capitals and Washington officials listed in pass line. Any
other officials wishing to have a copy should contact
Political Officer Jennifer Spande at spandejs@state.gov.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) Once again Chile is punching above its weight class
in efforts to build trust and reduce conflict in South
America. Defense Ministers were quick to clarify that the
SADC is not/not "NATO South," and in fact there is no grand
overarching project that the SADC is aiming to achieve. Yet,
there is value in the incremental approach that the 12
nations are taking to increase transparency and build
relations among each other. Last week's SADC meeting was the
first time all of the continents' Defense Ministers had met
together, and such efforts to foster open communication are
welcome in a region with many perennial inter-state disputes.
End Comment.
SIMONS