VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #0083 0281409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281409Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4143
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5325
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1903

UNCLAS MADRID 000083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA FOR A/S TOM SHANNON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR ANDEAN PRESIDENTS 
 
REF: A. BOGOTA 267 
 
     ¶B. 2007 MADRID 2123 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's January 
23 visit to Madrid, on the heels of the January 20 -22 visit 
of Peruvian President Alan Garcia, and the warm and public 
welcome extended to both by the Spanish government, send 
clear messages to the rest of the world:  Spain has a stake 
in the future of Ibero America and will not be usurped by the 
likes of Venezuelan President Chavez.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Garcia's visit, ostensibly to encourage Spanish 
investment in Peru, was his first official visit since he was 
re-elected President of Peru in 2006.  During the course of 
his stay, Garcia was received at all levels of the Spanish 
government and completed an impressive program with business 
leaders and media representatives, beginning with a working 
breakfast sponsored by a business association.  He and 
Spanish President Zapatero met January 21 for about two 
hours.  Zapatero reportedly offered assistance through 
Spain's development agency (AECI) to Peruvian literacy 
programs.  The two presidents gave a joint press conference, 
at which Zapatero stressed the historical, cultural, and 
economic bilateral relations and congratulated Garcia on his 
economic and investment policies.  Zapatero also offered his 
government's support to accelerate negotiations between the 
European Union and various Latin American regional groupings. 
 In support of Garcia's investment agenda, Zapatero noted 
most of the big Spanish companies trust Peru.  Garcia 
professed to offer Spanish businesses economic stability, 
legal security, and a consolidated democratic system.  In 
addition to President Zapatero, Garcia met with Madrid Mayor 
Ruiz-Gallardon of the opposition Popular Party (PP) and with 
Spanish King Juan Carlos I, who also hosted a dinner in 
Garcia's honor. 
 
¶3. (U) Juan Carlos also received Colombian President Alvaro 
Uribe.  Uribe attended the Fourth Congress of Victims of 
Terrorism in Madrid and met with Spanish activist judge 
Baltasar Garzon regarding Colombia's preparation of a decree, 
akin to Spain's statute, to assist victims of terrorism. 
President Uribe met with President Zapatero, participated in 
a joint press conference with the Spanish President, and 
addressed a luncheon forum organized by Europa Press.  Uribe 
and Zapatero signed January 23 Spain's fifth "Strategic 
Association Agreement," adding Colombia to a list of Spain's 
closest partners in Latin America that already includes 
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.  The agreement calls 
for high-level bilateral meetings and a dialogue mechanism on 
human rights issues.  During their joint press conference, 
Zapatero and Uribe stressed Spanish-Colombian friendship and 
close cooperation in the shared fight against terrorism. 
Zapatero noted Spain had always been on the side of Colombia 
and of Uribe himself, and he confirmed the GOS was willing to 
cooperate with France and Switzerland on a medical mission of 
700-1000 people to look after hostages held by the FARC (ref 
A).  Uribe expressed enthusiasm for the reactivation of the 
Europeans' cooperation mechanism to achieve the hostages' 
release, adding that he would welcome any "unilateral and 
unconditional" initiative by the FARC to release the hostages. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT:  The public highlight of Uribe's visit was 
his Churchillian Europa Press luncheon speech to leaders who 
represented a wide swathe of Spain's political and business 
elite, including Foreign Minister Moratinos.  The DCM, who 
attended, described Uribe's speech, nearly 45 minutes without 
notes, as "masterful."  Interrupted by generous applause and 
numerous standing ovations, the Colombian president conveyed 
remarkable energy and passion after more than five years in 
office.  Though Uribe publicly deflected journalists' 
attempts to draw him into a discussion of Hugo Chavez's 
insults, his own outreach to European partners and stated 
support of Catholic Church efforts to negotiate are seen here 
as a dignified, above-board attempt to neutralize Chavez. 
Spain's red-carpet reception of Presidents Garcia and Uribe, 
just two months after the King's shushing of the Venezuelan 
president in Santiago (ref B), sends strong signals to Latin 
America and to the rest of the world that Spain considers 
itself a stakeholder and will continue to claim its place at 
the table and as an advocate for serious Latin American 
governments in European fora. 
LLORENS