OAS "REGRETS" U.S. ACTION: INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY REPORTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 406652

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PM OAS
SUBJECT: OAS "REGRETS" U.S. ACTION: INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY REPORTS

FOR POSTS' INFORMATION, FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF
BEHAVIOR OF OAS MEMBERS AT DECEMBER 20-22 SPECIAL SESSION
OF PERMANENT COUNCIL TO CONSIDER U.S. MILITARY ACTION IN
PANAMA:

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA:

BROKE WITH CARIBBEAN (PERHAPS DUE TO ABSENCE OF
INSTRUCTIONS; DISCRETION ADVISED) AND USED HIS FLEXIBILITY
TO ABSTAIN ON FINAL VOTE; HELPFUL PROCEDURALLY; IN
STATEMENT EXPLAINED PRINCIPLES SHOULD NOT BE USED TO
SHIELD HUMAN VIOLATIONS.

ARGENTINA:

INITIALLY MODERATING INFLUENCE WITHIN G-8 BUT BECAME
INCREASINGLY PASSIVE AS TIME PASSED, CLAIMING ADVERSE
POPULAR REACTION AND RETURN OF ANTI-AMERICANISM.
SUPPORTED ALL G-8 POSITIONS, BUT SHARED INFORMATION.

BAHAMAS:

ABSENT ON SECOND DAY.

BARBADOS:

ACTIVE AS INTERLOCUTOR BETWEEN G-8 AND CENTRAL AMERICA,
BUT LESS SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. THAN HOPED. WORKED TO
MODERATE G-8 DRAFT.

BOLIVIA:

MODERATE BUT NOTED FROM START NEED OF PAZ GOVERNMENT TO
TAKE STRONG LINE TO OFFSET REACTION TO EXTRADITION.
JOINED G-8 RESOLUTION; VOTED FOR HELPFUL CR AMENDMENT
THAT PASSED.

BRAZIL:

HARDLINE AND ACTIVE IN SELLING G-8 RESOLUTION. UNHELPFUL
ON PROCEDURAL ISSUES. READ FM COMMUNIQUE.

CANADA:

SPOKE AS OBSERVER, BECOMES MEMBER JANUARY 1. MADE
STATEMENT GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF PRESIDENT BUSH,
ALTHOUGH REGRETTING USE OF FORCE.

CHILE (PROTECT):

PREPARED HELPFUL NON-PAPER RESOLUTION BUT DID NOT PUSH
AFTER G-8 REJECTED IT. PASSED US USEFUL INFORMATION AND
ADVICE. (DISCRETION ADVISED)

COLOMBIA:

RESTRAINED STATEMENT BUT HARDLINE AND ACTIVIST ON G-8
RESOLUTION. INFORMED THAT LONDONO WAS CONSULTING BUT
HAD FOUND NO SUPPORT OUTSIDE OF VENEZUELA FOR A NEW
MFM.

COSTA RICA:

ACTIVE AND ELOQUENT DEFENDER OF NEED TO RAISE
PRIORITY FOR DEMOCRACY. COSPONSORED DRAFT WITH OTHER
3 CA DEMS. LEADER IN PUTTING BEFORE THE COUNCIL THE
ACTIONS BY NORIEGA WHICH CAUSED THE CRISIS. PROPOSED
NORIEGA AMENDMENTS. VOTED FOR U.S. AMENDMENTS.

DOMINICA:

ABSENT.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

DISAPPOINTING. PERMREP NOT PRESENT. ALTERNATE REP
AGED AND UNINFORMED. VOTED STRAIGHT G-8 AND GAVE
SHORT UNHELPFUL STATEMENT SAYING DR HAS SUFFERED
FOREIGN INTERVENTION.

ECUADOR:

NEXT TO PERU, MOST UNHELPFUL. THIS LA DEMOCRACY
VOTED "NO" ON NORIEGA AMENDMENTS ALONG WITH PANAMA.

EL SALVADOR:

HELPFUL BUT NOT THE LEADER, FOLLOWING COSTA RICA AND
HONDURAS. ONLY AMBASSADOR OTHER THAN U.S. TO CITE
NORIEGA'S STATE OF WAR PROVOCATION.

GRENADA:

TRIED TO BE HELPFUL BUT DUE TO PM'S DEATH WAS
INSTRUCTED NOT TO PARTICIPATE ON L2/2L, LOSING
IMPORTANT VOTE ON AMENDMENTS.

HONDURAS (PROTECT):

WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH U.S. SUBSTANTIVELY AND
PROCEDURALLY. VERY HELPFUL. SPEARHEADED WITH CR
HELPFUL CENTRAL AMERICAN DRAFT AND BROUGHT NORIEGA ISSUE
TO COUNCIL REPEATEDLY. VOTED FOR U.S. AMENDMENTS. (MAY
HAVE EXCEEDED HIS INSTRUCTIONS.)

GUATEMALA:

HELPFUL BUT WITH AMBASSADOR ABSENT, FAR LESS ACTIVE
THAN COSTA RICA AND HONDURAS.

HAITI:

UNHELPFUL, JOINED G-8. BRIEFLY CITED FRENCH AND U.S.
INTERVENTIONS IN HAITI AGAINST OUR ACTION.

JAMAICA:

WORKED TO SOFTEN G-8 LANGUAGE IN RESOLUTION
CRITICIZING U.S. ACTIONS. SUPPORTED G-8 DRAFT:
QUOTE NONE OF THE REASONS ADDUCED BY THE UNITED
STATES CAN POSSIBLY JUSTIFY THE MILITARY
INTERVENTION. UNQUOTE ONLY NATION TO PROPOSE
PEACEKEEPING FORCE TO ENABLE U.S. TO WITHDRAW NEWLY
DEPLOYED FORCES.

MEXICO:

SPEARHEADED G-8 RESOLUTION; CIRCUMSPECT IN CRITICISM
OF U.S. LED SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO CONVINCE CHAIRMAN
THAT NICARAGUAN DRAFT HAD SOMEHOW TO BE SET ASIDE IF
OAS WAS TO SURVIVE.

NICARAGUA:

LED THE ATTACK AGAINST U.S.: POLEMICAL, THREW IN CA
ISSUES, SAID U.S. TROOPS MIGHT MOVE THROUGHOUT CA.

PANAMA (NORIEGA'S AMBASSADOR):

AS EXPECTED. DEJECTED AND OBVIOUSLY INSECURE. NOT
FORCEFUL, BUT STURCK CHORD WITH REPEATED ACCUSATIONS
OF INDISCRIMINATE KILLINGS, MILITARY ABUSE, THOUSANDS
OF DEAD INCREASING BY THE MINUTE. ALLOWED TO SPEAK
BUT NOT INCLUDED IN NEGOTIATIONS.

PARAGUAY:

G-8 LINE BUT PASSIVE. BRIEF CRITICISM OF NORIEGA.

PERU:
. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). OUTRAGEOUS ANTI-U.S.
STATEMENTS. AGGRESSIVE LOBBYING FOR STRONGEST
RESOLUTION ATTAINABLE. ACCEPTED NEED TO ABANDON
CONDEMNATION OF U.S. FOR SAKE OF GETTING CARIBBEAN TO
SUPPORT RESOLUTION.

ST. KITTS:

INACTIVE. FOLLOWED BARBADOS' LEADERSHIP.

ST. LUCIA:

HELPFUL PROCEDURALLY. WORKED TO MODERATE G-8
RESOLUTION AND KEEP THEM HONEST.

ST. VINCENT:

ABSENT.

SURINAME:

FOLLOWED CARIBBEAN. AMBASSADOR NOT PRESENT.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, CHAIRMAN:

IMPARTIAL, EFFECTIVE AND INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN.
ORGANIZED AND LED ACTIVE CONSULTATIONS AND MADE SURE
EVERYONE WAS INCLUDED AND CONSULTED.

URUGUAY:

USED HIS OAS PRESTIGE AS AN INTERNATIONAL JURIST TO
LEAD G-8 PROCEDURAL BATTLES AGAINST U.S. AND CA 4.
ORIGINATED AND DEFENDED HAIRSPLITTING IN EFFORT TO
FORCE EARLY VOTE IN FAVOR OF NICARAGUAN RESOLUTION
DEC 2O. VIRULENTLY OPPOSED CRITICISM OF NORIEGA
QUOTE TODAY I AM MORE WORRIED BY THE OCCUPATION OF
PANAMA THAN BY THE ORIGINS OF THE CRISIS.

VENEZUELA:

DENOUNCED QUOTE TERRIBLE NEWS OF INTERVENTION BY U.S.
TROOPS UNQUOTE. THWARTED G-8 UNITY BY REFUSING TO
CO-SPONSOR G-8 RESOLUTION WHICH DID NOT DEAL WITH
CAUSES OF CRISES: NORIEGA WENT BEYOND LIMITS OF
TOLERANCE; "PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS
SITUATION IF THE OAS HAD CARRIED OUT ITS FUNCTIONS
BETTER." SUBSTANTIVELY ONE OF STRONG POINTS OF
MEETING, THOUGH GENERALLY UNINVOLVED. FM DID NOT
ATTEND ANY MEETINGS, TOLD AMB EINAUDI THAT BRAZ, URU,
ARG FMS HAD COMMITTED TO GOING TO WASHINGTON, DID NOT
COME, BUT THAT PRES PEREZ WOULD CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR
MFM AT AOOPORTUNE TIME.

IN VIEW OF HIGH LEVELS OF INTEREST AND DIRECT
PARTICIPATION OF SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS IN CONTACTS, POSTS
ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THIS INFORMATION DISCREETLY SO AS TO
CONFIRM U.S. INTEREST IN MULTILATERALISM AND TO PRAISE
THOSE DELEGATIONS THAT WERE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL, WHETHER
THROUGH SUBSTANTIVE POSITIONS (CA 4, ESPECIALLY HONDURAS),
OR THROUGH EFFORTS TO RECONCILE VIEWPOINTS, FACE FACTS, OR
MODERATE EXTREMISM (TRINIDAD, VENEZUELA, ETC.)

EAGLEBURGER

NOTE: POUCHED PROTECTED BY SO.