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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001638 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018 
TAGS: PREL KSUM ECIN MARR BR MX
SUBJECT: BAHIA SUMMITS, PART 3: THE SURPRISE OF BAHIA: 
MEXICO COZIES UP TO BRAZIL 
 
REF: A. BRASILIA 1636 
     ¶B. BRASILIA 1637 
     ¶C. BRASILIA 1301 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Clifford M. Sobel, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) In a meeting on December 19 with Ambassador Sobel 
regarding the outcome of the regional summits hosted by 
Brazil December 15-17 in Costa do Sauipe, Bahia (see 
septels), Mexican Ambassador to Brazil Andres Valencia 
Benavides (protect), just back from Bahia, revealed that 
President Calderon's remarks during the closing session 
regarding a possible "Union of Latin American and Caribbean 
Nations" were purely Calderon's idea and had not been mooted 
previously with either other leaders or the Mexican foreign 
ministry.  Clearly at a loss to explain them, Valencia 
stressed that, "In the ministry, we are focusing on 
strengthening the Rio Group.  Perhaps sometime in the future 
it will lead to a union."  Noting that he understood Brazil 
and Mexico were looking to restart trade talks, Ambassador 
Sobel suggested that Mexico could be a good "bridge builder" 
between Brazil and North America as a whole.  "If asked," 
Valencia said, "Mexico stands ready" to help engage Brazil in 
this regard. 
 
¶2. (C) Later that day, in a meeting that also dealt 
extensively with the Bahia summits, Brazilian Defense 
Minister Nelson Jobim (protect) confided to Ambassador Sobel 
that the "biggest surprise" of the CALC was Mexico's 
enthusiastic support for the new Latin America/Caribbean 
forum and for sending a strong message on Cuba to the United 
States.  Jobim's take is that Calderon took a risk by 
attending the summit and expressing strong support for Cuba 
because of a lack of support in his own party.  He had done 
so, Jobim said, because he wants a closer relationship with 
Brazil and is playing to his broader domestic audience that 
is more supportive of these positions.  Jobim reported that 
Calderon had invited him to Mexico to define strategies and 
be briefed on the South American Defense Council.  Calderon 
also invited President Lula to visit Mexico, specifically 
asking Lula to accompany Calderon to "the wall" along the 
U.S.-Mexico border.  When Ambassador Sobel asked if Lula 
would go, Jobim responded, "If Calderon presses, yes." 
 
¶3. (C) Comment: It is generally taken as gospel here that 
Mexico is the only other LAC country besides Brazil with the 
ability to convene a region-wide gathering and that, in 
general, Mexico and Brazil seek to check each other's 
ambitions to be the leader in the region and "representative" 
of the region in other fora.  In the wake of Brazil's CALC 
initiative, Mexico's emphasis on strengthening the Rio Group 
appears to be a not too subtle attempt to do just that.  So 
Calderon's overtures, which seem to have caught the 
Brazilians and perhaps Calderon's own foreign ministry by 
surprise, will be welcome in Brasilia.  A closer partnership 
between Lula and Calderon could well set the stage for a more 
cooperative dynamic among these two regional leaders in 
shaping the region's message to the United States and in 
global fora. 
SOBEL