P 241833Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3433
INFO AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY
DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000602
STATE FOR WHA/BSC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MASS PREL BL CI
SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN AND CHILEAN SENATORS AGREE TO PRESS
GOVERNMENTS TO REDUCE LONG RUN PRESENCE IN HAITI
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Chilean and Brazilian Senators agreed
during a meeting in Brazil on June 11-12 to urge their
respective governments to take steps to diminish their
military presence in MINUSTAH over the long run. They also
discussed Chilean fruit exports to Brazil, emigration of
Chilean and Brazilian citizens, and ways to fortify UNASUR.
END SUMMARY
2. (U) Brazilian and Chilean senators met in Brazil on June
11-12 to discuss the peacekeeping mission in Haiti, bilateral
issues, and regional matters. The objectives of the meeting,
at least from the Chilean senators' perspective, was to
increase the exchange of information between legislators on
important foreign policy issues affecting both countries. It
followed with a vote by Chile's Congress to extend Chile's
presence in MINUSTAH to June, 2009.
3. (SBU) Rodrigo Yanez, foreign and defense policy advisor
senator to opposition and head of the Senate Defense
Committee Sergo Romero, confirmed to Polof on June 16 that
Senator Romero and his Brazilian counterpart support the UN
mission in Haiti and believe Chile and Brazil should continue
to contribute to it. However, they reportedly are concerned
about their governments' "open-ended" commitment there.
During the meeting, the two reportedly agreed to encourage
their respective governments to urge the UN to shift its
focus to civilian/police issues, and to encourage more
non-Latin American nations to contribute forces to the
mission. (NOTE: In exchange for its vote to extend Chile's
presence in Haiti for one year, Chile's center-right
opposition secured a commitment from the GOC that it would
undertake such an approach. END NOTE.)
URBAN