Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10QUITO65
2010-02-05 00:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Quito
Cable title:  

Ecuador Calls UNASUR Presidential Meeting on Haiti

Tags:  PREL EAID MARR EFIN SNAR EC HA CO XR 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000065 

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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)

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