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### Viewing cable 08MADRID795, SPAIN AND LATIN AMERICA: VALEDICTORY TOUR

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08MADRID795 | 2008-07-21 06:06 | 2010-12-10 12:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Madrid

`

    VZCZCXYZ0001
    PP RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHMD #0795/01 2030617
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 210617Z JUL 08
    FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5113
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
    INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5365
    RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0387
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1307
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUL 1319
    RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0675
    RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 1423
    RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA PRIORITY 0197
    RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0276

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000795

    SIPDIS

    DEPARTMENT FOR WHA A/S TOM SHANNON; ELAINE SAMSON, EUR/WE

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2018
    TAGS: PREL PGOV SP
    SUBJECT: SPAIN AND LATIN AMERICA: VALEDICTORY TOUR
    D'HORIZON

    Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Hugo Llorens, for reasons 1.4 (b
    ) and (d)

    ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The DCM paid a farewell call on Spanish
    Secretary of State for IberoAmerican Affairs Trinidad Jimenez
    on July 1 and took the opportunity to exchange views on
    recent events in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting was
    substantive and lasted well over an hour. The two discussed
    FM Moratinos's June 17-18 visit to Colombia and Venezuela and
    Jimenez's trip to Ecuador, ongoing protests in Argentina,
    opportunities for the United States and Spain to collaborate
    with Mexico and Central American countries on security
    issues, and Cuba. As usual, Jimenez was cordial and open,
    and although aware of the challenges facing Latin America,
    was overall optimistic about the medium-term prospects in the
    region. Reviewing our shared goals, both Secretary of State
    Jimenez and the DCM were hopeful for future opportunities for
    U.S.-Spanish engagement in the region, including the next
    Working Group which Jimenez hoped would take place in
    September on the margins of the UNGA. End summary.

    //The Merida Initiative//

    ¶2. (SBU) The DCM opened by stressing the importance of the
    United States and Spain working together to support democracy
    by seeking ways to strengthen the rule of law and promote
    judicial reform in Latin America. The DCM cited Foreign
    Affairs Secretary of State Angel Lossada's June 26 meetings
    in Washington with the Deputy Secretary and with WHA A/S
    Shannon. Jimenez said Lossada had briefed her on these
    meetings. She agreed that judicial reform and rule of law
    were vital issues in the region and had a prominent place in
    EU and Spanish development portfolios in Latin American
    countries. She stressed Spain's continuing future resource
    commitment in this area and promised to provide us with a
    portfolio of these kinds of projects throughout the region.
    In response to the DCM's brief, she was extremely positive
    about the U.S. effort to further increase support for Mexican
    and Central American efforts to fight drug trafficking and
    organized crime through the Merida Initiative. She cited the
    critical importance for the region of President Calderon's
    success in his tenacious fight against the drug bands.
    Jimenez expressed great concern about the deteriorating
    situation in Central America and agreed that making headway
    against corruption and crime were critical to restoring
    stability in the region.

    //Recovering "Formality" with Venezuela, et al//

    ¶3. (C) Asked about Foreign Minister Moratinos's June trip to
    Venezuela and Colombia, Jimenez responded that Spain's
    purpose had been to "recover a certain formality" and to
    diminish tensions before the next IberoAmerican Summit, in
    which the Spanish King will participate. Jimenez said that
    in this visit Chavez had been unusually moderate, avoiding
    rhetorical excesses, and expressing interest in normalizing
    relations with Spain. She described the principal issues on
    the agenda as bilateral and principally related to supporting
    Spanish business interests and ensuring the protection of
    Spanish citizen properties in Venezuela. Jimenez described
    Chavez as "a brute, but not a stupid one." Chavez recognized
    that having lost the December 2007 referendum, his leadership
    position had been weakened. She said that Moratinos had
    invited Chavez to Spain, in connection with a trip by Chavez
    to the Water Expo in Zaragoza, in an effort to smooth over
    relations between the King and Chavez -- an effort the King
    supported. (Embassy Comment: We understand that Chavez is
    scheduled to visit Spain on/about July 21. The media report
    he will meet with King Juan Carlos I on July 25 in Palma de
    Mallorca, and will come to Madrid the same day to meet with
    President Zapatero.) The DCM raised U.S. concerns about
    Chavez and particularly his growing ties with Iran. Jimenez
    agreed that Venezuela's relations with Iran needed to be
    monitored, but noted that ultimately the two countries did
    not have much in common because of culture and the fact that
    both were principally energy exporters. She hastened
    somewhat naively to point out that despite economic dealings
    with Iran, Venezuela's economic ties with the U.S. would
    remain paramount. The DCM stressed the importance of Spain's
    not selling arms or weapons systems to Venezuela, which would
    send destabilizing signals around the region.

    ¶4. (C) Regarding the state of relations between Venezuela,
    Colombia, and Ecuador since the early March border conflict,
    Jimenez stated that despite the huge political differences
    between Chavez and Uribe, paradoxically in the past both
    Presidents actually had developed a measure of personal
    rapport. Certainly, national interest suggested that both
    nations needed to maintain good relations. She cited the
    fact that Venezuela was very dependent on Colombia as its
    principal supplier of foodstuffs, a fact that Chavez appeared
    mindful of at a time that Venezuela faced severe food
    shortages. Jimenez insisted that Uribe had even managed to
    maintain open lines of communication with Cuba's Fidel
    Castro, developed over the years and related to peace talks
    with the ELN. The biggest problem in this diplomatic jigsaw,
    according to Jimenez, was the poor state of relations between
    Ecuador and Colombia, and personally between President Correa
    and President Uribe. Jimenez described as excellent Foreign
    Minister Moratinos, visit to Colombia and meetings with
    President Uribe in Cali. Jimenez mentioned that Spain had
    offered to be helpful in easing tensions over the border with
    Ecuador, and had offered to provide a radar in order to
    ensure better border communication between the two countries.
    In her visit to Quito, Jimenez said Ecuadorian President
    seemed most concerned about salvaging his international image
    damaged by evidence linking him and his government to the
    FARC.

    ¶5. (C) Jimenez asserted President Zapatero was keen on
    strengthening ties with the troubled Andean region. Of the
    Andean nations, Bolivia was the most worrisome for Spain.
    She did not see Bolivia breaking up, but did see the
    potential for violence between the regions as a real
    possibility. While President Evo Morales might be
    strengthened by any referendum, it seemed to Jimenez that
    Morales had "thrown in the towel" and was no longer fighting
    the prefects. She noted that Morales appeared to be looking
    for external enemies such as USAID to detract from his
    domestic problems. Overall, however, Spain and Europe had
    reason to be optimistic as things were "settling" throughout
    Latin America. Young democracies that had not yet performed
    well needed time to consolidate their maturing democracies,
    yet Jimenez judged there was a low risk of back-sliding in
    most countries of the region. Jimenez and the DCM agreed
    that the recent mob attack on the U.S. Embassy was of grave
    concern and seriously weakened the credibility of the
    Bolivian government to guarantee the security of diplomatic
    missions.

    //Argentina//

    ¶6. (C) Regarding Argentina, Jimenez said President Cristina
    Kirchner had canceled a planned July 14 visit to Spain due to
    the conflict with the farmers. Jimenez agreed that Argentina
    had once again lost an opportunity to move its economy
    forward. She called Kirchner's response to the ongoing farm
    protests a shame for such a great and resource-rich country
    and said she hoped that there would be a viable and organized
    opposition. She lamented the weakness of Argentine political
    parties and noted she was troubled by the "unionized"
    opposition mounted in the countryside by the farmers, which
    she said threatened chaos. Jimenez opined that part of the
    problem was Cristina's over-reliance on former President
    Nestor Kirchner, whose confrontational approach to politics
    was exacerbating the crisis.

    //Cuba//

    ¶7. (C) Turning to Cuba, Jimenez expressed hope the EU's
    strategy would be successful and would generate positive
    change. The DCM voiced the Administration's skepticism that
    these measures would generate positive response from Raul
    Castro. Jimenez expressed the hope that if real change were
    evident, Washington might be able to adjust its own approach.
    The DCM assured her that if Cuba embarked on a genuine path
    of political reform, the U.S. was ready and had a plan to
    engage and provide support. Jimenez echoed opinions heard
    previously in our past discussions on Cuba, insisting that
    the international community could not merely wait for change
    but must talk to the regime and push directly in order for
    changes to come. The DCM said the USG was pleased that a

    wide spectrum of EU countries had participated in the June
    review process and that the declaration was cautious,
    mentioned prisoners of conscience, and included at a minimum
    the one-year evaluation mechanism.

    //Latin American Working Group//

    ¶8. (C) Jimenez expressed hope that Spain would further
    strengthen its relationship with the United States so that in
    a global scenario, the whole Western Hemisphere will become
    one pole: (just) America. She noted that in all of her
    meetings with Latin American leaders, she stressed the
    importance of having strong relations with the U.S. as
    essential to maintaining hemispheric cohesion, which was good
    for the region and in Spain,s interest. Jimenez said her
    office would continue to work with WHA A/S Shannon to bridge
    the gap in our perspectives through the end of the Bush
    Administration. She told the DCM she looked forward to going
    to Washington in September in conjunction with her travel to
    New York for the UN General Assembly. Jimenez planned to
    spend the first few days with President Zapatero at the UN
    and return for the LAWG at the end of the week, but saw no
    need to stay in New York for bilateral meetings with Western
    Hemisphere leaders who frequently come to see her in Spain.
    Asked by the DCM if she would still be interested in visiting
    Southern Command in Miami, she demurred vaguely saying that
    "they" would think it wrong. She said it was important
    nonetheless to maintain contact with the Cuban community in
    Miami and to have a presence -- even if her interlocutors
    were critical of Spanish policy. Jimenez and the DCM agreed
    that both Spain and the United States had common political
    and economic interests in Latin America and needed to
    continue to work closely together. The DCM noted that A/S
    Shannon's numerous visits to Europe demonstrated our interest
    in working closely with Europe on Latin America.

    ¶9. (C) COMMENT: Jimenez appeared increasingly confident in
    her role as Spain,s senior policymaker on Latin America and
    will remain our principal interlocutor in the region. It
    will be important to continue to work with her and influence
    her on issues of mutual interest.
    Aguirre

`