Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10MEXICO127
2010-02-23 17:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:  

Mexico's Latin American Summit (22-23 Feb) -- Pushing Rio

Tags:  PREL OAS KSUM KPIN CACM CDB XM XR XS XL MX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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INFO ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000127 

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DEPARTMENT FOR WHA DAS JACOBSON, MEX LEE AND PPC NSC FOR RESTREPO AND O'REILLY
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/23
TAGS: PREL OAS KSUM KPIN CACM CDB XM XR XS XL MX
SUBJECT: Mexico's Latin American Summit (22-23 Feb) -- Pushing Rio
Group Mechanism to take over CALC

DERIVED FROM: DSCG 05-1 B, D

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000127

SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA DAS JACOBSON, MEX LEE AND PPC NSC FOR RESTREPO AND O'REILLY
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/23
TAGS: PREL OAS KSUM KPIN CACM CDB XM XR XS XL MX
SUBJECT: Mexico's Latin American Summit (22-23 Feb) -- Pushing Rio
Group Mechanism to take over CALC

DERIVED FROM: DSCG 05-1 B, D


1. (C) Summary: Rio Group President Mexico is hosting a summit
of Latin American leaders in Cancun on 22-23 February, in an effort
to extend the Rio Group's reach and provide a "more operational"
forum that would integrate its members and all CARICOM countries,
behind a comprehensive regional agenda. The Mexicans want to give
the Rio Group more legs without undermining the Organization of
American States (OAS). Brazil is supportive of the idea but is
reportedly seeking to retain its own earlier initiative, the Latin
American Summit on Integration and Development (CALC)., while
Venezuela and other ALBA countries are exploiting the meeting to
promote a well-known anti-American agenda, i.e. protesting U.S.
bases in Colombia and calling for the dissolution of the OAS.
Foreign Ministry sources continue to tell us progress is being made
on an end-of-summit declaration that will establish an agenda of
priorities for the new structure -- social development, security,
economic integration and combating poverty - without bloating its
bureaucracy. Press reports are playing up ALBA mischief, noting
the failure of Foreign Ministers' to close on the final
declaration, or even agree on a name for the new regional
structure. End Summary




2. (C) Rio Group Foreign Ministers met in the Mexican resort town
of Cancun over the weekend (February 20-21) to prepare for a "Latin
America Unity Summit" that would launch a new enhanced Rio Group
that, together with all CARICOM countries, would be prepared to
move forward on an agenda of regional priorities. Press reports
played up the absence of Venezuela and other ALBA countries in the
Ministerial opening and the lack of agreement on a name for the new
entity. President Calderon hosted CARICOM leaders on Sunday
(February 21) for a Mexico-CARICOM Summit while Foreign Secretary
Espinoza continued to work to resolve differences in the
Declaration language and pushed themes of regional unity in the
Mexican press. As Rio Group and CARICOM Presidents converged on
Cancun for a series of meetings focused on Haiti reconstruction,
the reintegration of Honduras and recognition of the Lobo
government, and other regional headlines, there were continued
reports of difficulties in reaching agreement on the details of the
new organization.




3. (C) Gustavo Martinez, in the SRE's Directorate for Regional
Organisms and Mechanisms, told us that the priority agenda items in
the declaration would focus on pressing regional issues and larger
longer-term goals, e.g., security, social development, economic
integration and the eradication of poverty. Martinez said it was
not Mexico's intention to undermine either CARICOM or the
Organization of American States (OAS). There were topics, however,
such as the Colombian bombing of FARC positions in Ecuador, where a
standstill in the OAS had been overcome in a Latin American
regional setting. It was Mexico's hope that a more effective
regional forum might open up opportunities for practical compromise
on Honduras, Haiti and other complicated issues and help translate
regional priorities into effective positions in other international
fora.




4. (C) Beatrice Tinajero in the Office of President Calderon's
foreign policy advisor, Rafael Fernandez de Castro, observed that
Mexico was making progress in working out details on the new group
with various countries, including with the Brazilians on their
concern on how the CALC would be subsumed into the new structure.
Tinajero said that Mexico believed that both the Rio Group and the
CALC could not presently translate regional concerns into effective
international action. Tinajero said that while Mexico was working
with Brazil and others to use the meeting to reintegrate Honduras
back into the Rio Group, and would push for that result in the
final declaration, it had not invited Honduras to the Summit for
fear of losing the participation of the ALBA countries.




5. (C) Comment: We will be pulsing our government and Latin
American Embassy sources over the next week in an effort to provide
more details on Mexico's regional initiative. Rio Group and

MEXICO 00000127 002 OF 002


CARICOM countries may want to report on reactions and concerns from
capitals as delegations return from Mexico's Latin America Unity
Summit. End Comment
FEELEY