Ecuador Calls UNASUR Presidential Meeting on Haiti

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000065 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE E.O. 12958: DECL: 2025/02/04 TAGS: PREL EAID MARR EFIN SNAR EC HA CO XR SUBJECT: Ecuador Calls UNASUR Presidential Meeting on Haiti REF: QUITO 45 CLASSIFIED BY: Heather M. Hodges, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. President Correa visited Haiti in his capacity as UNASUR interim president on January 29. Correa has since called for an emergency meeting of UNASUR presidents on Haiti on February 9 in Quito, which may include Haitian President Preval. Meanwhile, UNASUR vice defense ministers held an inconclusive meeting on January 28-29 where they analyzed a Protocol on Peace and Security and a U.S. Air Force White Paper. It is still unclear who will assume the interim presidency when Ecuador relinquishes it in August 2010. END SUMMARY. UNASUR RESPONDS TO HAITI ¶2. (C) Vice defense ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR),meeting in Manta, Ecuador, on January 28-29, passed a resolution urging the Government of Haiti to give the international community direction on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. "We support efforts so that Haiti, under its leadership and in agreement with the international community and United Nations, would establish standards and responsibilities to help in the long job of reconstruction." The presence of foreign troops (meaning U.S. troops) in Haiti drew criticism from some UNASUR representatives during the Defense Council meeting. ¶3. (C) To date the GOE has not joined in the criticism of U.S. troops in Haiti. When President Correa visited Haiti in his capacity as UNASUR interim president on January 29, he stated that first it would be necessary to assist Haiti and then analyze the implications of the presence of foreign troops, but that "at this moment, the most important is the more assistance, the better." Correa termed the discussion of foreign troops "insignificant." On the other hand, he reportedly criticized the "imperialism" in aid efforts, saying that "they donate first, but most of it goes back to them." This may be a reference to international press reports that the Haiti government gets only 1 cent of every U.S. earthquake assistance dollar. Correa offered Haiti UNASUR's solidarity and support. ¶4. (C) Following his trip, Correa decided that UNASUR needed to do more. The MFA announced on February 2 an emergency meeting of the presidents of UNASUR member countries on Haiti, originally for February 4, now pushed back to February 9. It is not clear what this UNASUR meeting will accomplish. Marjorie Ulloa of the MFA's UNASUR Coordination office told us that the MFA understands that most countries would like their humanitarian contributions to Haiti highlighted bilaterally. She added that any contribution from UNASUR as a multilateral organization would likely focus on the long-term reconstruction of Haiti, and perhaps shorter-term medical assistance as well. ¶5. (SBU) Five presidents -- Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela -- have confirmed their attendance at the February 9 UNASUR meeting on Haiti. MFA Bilateral Affairs Under Secretary Leonardo Arizaga told the Ambassador on February 3 that Haiti President Preval would also attend the meeting, but this has not been announced publicly. The Ambassador raised the idea of police/military units for Haiti with Arizaga, who quickly and firmly rejected the prospect, noting that Ecuador was considering sending more engineers. Note: Preval's visit may provide a chance to revisit this, since Correa has been reported as saying donors should give Haiti what the Haitian government needs. End Note. ¶6. (SBU) Following Ecuadorian MFA promises that the UNASUR Haiti summit meeting would not slip into a discussion of bilateral issues, Colombian President Uribe agreed to attend, which has received considerable press attention in Ecuador. This will be Uribe's first time in Ecuador since the GOE broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia in March 2008 following the Colombian attack on a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) encampment in northern Ecuador. Uribe's last visit to Ecuador was in November 2007 to attend the inauguration of Ecuador's Constituent Assembly. PROTOCOL ON PEACE AND SECURITY TABLED ¶7. (C) The original purpose of the South American Defense Council meeting in Manta was to approve the text of a Protocol on Peace and Security. According to Ulloa, the vice ministers did not reach a consensus as Colombia refused to agree to guarantees with regard to small arms and light weapons. The GOC also objected to a proposal by some member countries that terrorism and drugs be handled by the UNASUR counternarcotics group. According to Ulloa, Colombia offered a counter-proposal (NFI). Since there was no consensus, the vice ministers directed Defense Council delegates to resolve the matter prior to another meeting of vice ministers. ¶8. (C) Ulloa suggested that the next meeting of defense ministers will likely not happen until April or May, in order to give the delegates and vice ministers time to work out their differences. NOT THE DCA, RATHER THE WHITE PAPER ¶9. (C) Another subject discussed by the vice defense ministers was the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command white paper. Ulloa told us that the Venezuelans monopolized this discussion. Brazil's Ambassador to Ecuador, Antonino Marques Porto, was quoted in the Ecuadorian press as saying, "The white paper, from our point of view, indicates that the presence of foreign forces in South America very probably has more to do with other things than the fight against guerrilla and narcotrafficking." After approximately two hours, discussion of the white paper was tabled when Colombia suggested that a working group be formed to address the issue. According to Ulloa, representatives from Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and one or two other countries will likely form the working group. FIGHT AGAINST NARCO-TRAFFICKING ¶10. (SBU) At the same time as the UNASUR vice defense ministers' meeting, vice ministers and representatives of UNASUR ministries of government/interior met in Quito on January 27-28 to discuss the problem of impunity enjoyed by narco-traffickers in the region. Ecuadorian Government Minister Gustavo Jalkh emphasized in his remarks the need to develop the judicial sector in the region, and that the health and education sectors should be included to help stem drug demand. Ministry of Government Under Secretary Fredy Rivera is the lead for the GOE for UNASUR's so-called Fight Against Narcotics Council. ¶11. (SBU) According to Ulloa, another UNASUR entity will meet in Quito on February 10-11, with representatives of the ministries of finance and/or economics and the central banks. The representatives will explore establishing a new financial architecture in South America, as well as the possibility of creating a new UNASUR council to handle regional economic issues. UNASUR PRESIDENCY, WHO'S NEXT? ¶12. (C) When Ecuador completes its one-year rotating UNASUR presidency in August 2010, it is not clear what country will take it over. According to Ulloa, Guyana will likely not assume the presidency for lack of resources and personnel to effectively administer the presidency. Next in line alphabetically is Paraguay, but the GOP has other responsibilities (NFI) at that time, according to Ulloa, and therefore is also likely to pass on the UNASUR presidency. She said Peru might take the baton instead. ¶13. (C) Ulloa said that the GOE would fulfill its promise to build a headquarters to house the UNASUR presidency and has approved the budget to fund its construction, but noted that the GOE did not want to disclose the amount. She added that the construction of the headquarters would be a long process, but that it was important to the GOE that the project begin while Ecuador still held the presidency. A ceremony to lay the first brick will be scheduled in the next months. Meanwhile, Ulloa said that UNASUR members were avoiding the topic of selection of an UNASUR Secretary General. ¶14. (U) Minimize considered. HODGES