VZCZCXYZ0033
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1715/01 1301830
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091830Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2702
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8186
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0392
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 9430
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6195
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1665
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6847
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4429
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1924

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001715 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR MOPS PTER PHUM BR CO
SUBJECT: BRAZIL PUSHES SOUTH AMERICAN SECURITY COUNCIL 
INITIATIVE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William R. Brownfield - 
Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim briefed 
Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos on April 28 on the GOB 
proposal to create a South American Security Council and 
pushed hard for the GOC to sign up.  Santos told us the GOC 
fears the initiative may duplicate UN and OAS efforts, 
suspects Venezuela may be behind the idea, and believes the 
concept is premature.  Still, the Colombian military is 
concerned it will be isolated if it does not participate. 
The GOB plans to hold a regional conference to formalize the 
institution on May 28.  Santos said the GOC has yet to decide 
on its position, but told us the GOC does not expect to sign 
on to the concept presented by Jobim.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
BRAZIL SECURITY INITIATIVE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos told the 
Ambassador on April 30 that during Brazilian MOD Nelson 
Jobim's April 28 visit to Colombia, Jobim pushed for the 
creation of a South American Security Council.  The proposed 
institution would include all South American nations and 
would address South American security concerns.  It would 
initially be set up as a consultative mechanism among Defense 
Ministers, but would eventually evolve into an institution 
with some operational response capabilities.  Jobim said the 
GOB intends to formalize the institution at a regional 
conference in Brasilia on May 28. 
 
 
GOC DOESN'T WANT ANOTHER OAS... 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Santos told the Ambassador that the GOC pushed back on 
the proposal, voicing concerns that the initiative may 
duplicate OAS or UN functions.  Santos explained to Jobim 
that the GOC fears the initiative sounds too much like a 
Venezuelan idea.  The GOC does not want its armed forces 
subjugated to an institution whose details it does not 
understand.  Similarly, it is reluctant to join an 
institution that could be perceived by many as an effort to 
distance South America from the USG.  Jobim countered that 
the GOC would be completely isolated if it did not join.  The 
GOB would proceed with or without GOC support.  Santos told 
us the GOC informed Jobim it would take the proposal under 
advisement, and was unlikely to support the concept by May 
¶28. 
 
 
...BUT DOESN'T WANT TO BE ISOLATED EITHER 
------------------------Q--------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Army Commander General Mario Montoya confirmed Santos' 
description of the GOB concept and threat to isolate the GOC 
in a conversation with the Ambassador on May 1. He said the 
Colombian military did not want to be isolated from the rest 
of South America, noting that timing of the initiative was 
particularly unfortunate given the delay in approving the 
U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Montoya told the 
Ambassador that he recommended to Santos that the GOC reach 
out to Chile and Peru to see if they share the GOC's 
misgivings. 
 
 
USG RESPONSE 
------------ 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador told both Santos and Montoya that he 
would pass the information on the GOB initiative to 
Washington. He agreed the GOC should explore whether other 
regional governments had misgivings and, if so, see if they 
would make common cause with the GOC. In addition, the 
Ambassador suggested the GOC explore whether it could suggest 
options that would adjust the timing or the scale of the 
institution levels of participation. For example, perhaps a 
 
government could join without having to accept all aspects of 
full membership. Both agreed to consider the Ambassador's 
suggestions. 
BROWNFIELD