FM FERNANDEZ ON UNASUR -- GREATER COLOMBIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000769

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: PREL CI
SUBJECT: FM FERNANDEZ ON UNASUR -- GREATER COLOMBIAN
PARTICIPATION WILL HELP MODERATES

REF: STATE 82581

Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Paul Simons. Reason: 1.4 b an
d d.


1. (C) Summary. On August 11, Foreign Minister Fernandez
suggested to the Ambassador that UNASUR moderates can balance
out the populists and hold UNASUR together in spite of
tension over Colombia. However, Colombia needs to
participate in UNASUR at a senior level to effectively
explain its position. He said that Venezuelan President
Chavez treated Ecuadorian President Correa poorly at the
August 10 UNASUR meeting in Quito. He added that UNASUR has
not decided whether the next high-level meeting will be
between presidents or foreign ministers. End summary.


2. (C) On August 11, the Ambassador met with Foreign
Minister Mariano Fernandez to review the August 10 meeting of
Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) heads of state in
Quito, where Chile turned over the rotating presidency to
Ecuador. Fernandez stated that UNASUR was in good shape
thanks to Chilean management but asked the open-ended
question of what happens next. He said that Chile hopes to
slowly build UNASUR as an effective institution to promote
regional integration but is concerned that differing views
within the region on Colombia could pull the organization
apart.


3. (C) Fernandez only briefly touched upon the Defense
Cooperation Agreement (DCA) being negotiated between the
United States and Colombia (reftel). Towards the end of the
meeting he stated that Colombia had done a poor job of
unveiling the concept to the region. From his comments it
was clear that the region's reaction to the DCA was the focus
of the UNASUR meeting in Quito.


4. (C) In the course of discussing the dynamics of the
UNASUR meeting, Fernandez emphasized two points, the first
explicitly and the second implicitly: 1) Colombia was
represented in Quito by a Deputy Foreign Minister and needs
to participate at a higher level in UNASUR meetings to
effectively explain its position, and 2) that there is
sufficient room and leadership for the moderate voices in
UNASUR to balance the more strident voices.


5. (C) Fernandez said that he is seeking clarification on
the next high-level UNASUR meeting. He said that Ecuador had
planned to hold a meeting of Foreign Ministers and Defense
Ministers on August 24, but it was not clear whether the
UNASUR members would go forward with the ministerial meeting
or a presidential meeting in Argentina, as verbally proposed
by Argentine President Fernandez.


6. (C) Fernandez commented on the performance and remarks of
some of the participants at the August 10 UNASUR meeting:

-- Venezuelan President Chavez treated Ecuadorian President
Correa poorly. (Note: this was evidently a reference to
Chavez's interrupting Correa to make his "winds of war"
statement after Chilean President Bachelet passed the UNASUR
presidency to Correa.)

-- Paraguayan President Lugo was very good, particularly his
statement that the regional leaders need to work together and
not make accusations.

-- Argentine President Fernandez was "better than average."

-- Colombia argued that it is addressing transnational
problems of organized crime and narcotrafficking.

-- Ecuador responded "well" to the Colombian statement by
asserting that the problems identified by Colombia are being
exported by Colombia.


7. (C) Fernandez made several general observations about
four Southern Cone countries, with the implicit suggestion
that these factors could affect how they react towards
Colombia and the DCA:

-- Argentina has an issue with foreign troops.

-- Uruguay will frame matters from the optic of its own
problems with Argentina.
-- Paraguay has performed well.
-- Brazil has its own issues (no further information).


8. (C) Fernandez also made the following statements about
dynamics surrounding the UNASUR meeting:

-- He and the Peruvian Foreign Minister both urged Colombia
to send a representative at a higher level than Deputy
Foreign Minister. He added that "Peru can only serve as
Colombia's lawyer once."

-- He pressed the Ecuadorians to ensure that the Colombian
Deputy FM received appropriate treatment.

-- That he helped craft a relatively open-ended UNASUR
Presidential Declaration. He said that he ended up working
with his Ecuadorian, Venezuelan and Bolivian counterparts on
the declaration and that other foreign ministers abandoned
him the evening of August 9 for dinner and other activities.


9. (C) Comment. In his quick survey of the August 10 UNASUR
meeting, Fernandez was attempting to assure the United States
that Chile is ready to work with like-minded countries in
UNASUR to maintain balance with UNASUR between moderates and
populists, particularly on Colombia. Clearly he believes
that Colombia will need to participate at a higher level to
effectively explain its position, including the DCA.
SIMONS