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DE RUEHBU #0509/01 1241758
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O 041758Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3640
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000509 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PBTS PA BL AR
SUBJECT: Argentina Hosts Lugo and Morales for Signing of Final Act 
of 1938 Peace Treaty 
 
REF:  BUENOS AIRES 0498 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Argentina hosted Paraguayan President Lugo and 
Bolivian President Morales for an April 27 ceremony to deliver the 
Final Record of the border commission in execution of the 1938 Peace 
Treaty between the two countries.  The Ambassador attended as 
representative of one of the six guarantor nations.  He and the 
other five guarantor representatives received copies of the Final 
Record (pouched to L/T) and signed a brief statement (see text in 
para 9) applauding Bolivia and Paraguay for their efforts. 
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) used the warm and 
friendly occasion to lob a few zingers at an American historical 
figure's role in the war but afterward, privately with the 
Ambassador, she praised President Obama's participation at the 
Summit of the Americas (SOA) and said it had set a new tone for 
hemispheric relations.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Argentina hosted Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo and 
Bolivian President Evo Morales for an April 27 ceremony to deliver 
the Final Record of the border commission in execution of the 1938 
Peace Treaty between the two countries.  The Ambassador attended as 
representative of one of the six guarantor nations (Argentina, 
Brazil, Chile, the United States, Peru, and Uruguay).  He and the 
other five guarantor representatives received copies of the Final 
Record (pouched to L/T) and signed a brief statement (see text in 
para 9) applauding Bolivia and Paraguay for their efforts. 
 
Parties and Guarantors Note Historic Occasion 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Bolivian FM Choquehuanca thanked the border commission for 
its work, noting that borders can be used for integrating rather 
than keeping people apart.  He made a cryptic remark lamenting that 
the 1932-35 war had been fought "at the behest of foreign 
interests." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Paraguayan FM Hamed noted that the two countries had 
inherited an unpopulated, undefined border.  He praised the work of 
the commission in defining and delimiting borders in remote, 
difficult terrain. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chilean FM Mariano Fernandez, speaking on behalf of the 
guarantors, praised the peace process as evidence of "our capacity 
to resolve disagreements peacefully." 
 
Long memory on Braden, Praise for President Obama 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. (SBU) President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) used the 
warm and friendly occasion to lob a few zingers at the United 
States.  She said the Chaco War had a "smell of petroleum" ("olor a 
petroleo"), and she claimed that American businessman Spruille 
Braden as an agent of Standard Oil had played a nefarious role in 
provoking the war.  (Note:  Braden has long been a bogeyman for the 
Peronists.  When he served as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina in 1945, 
Peron accused Braden of organizing the opposition and campaigned on 
the slogan of "Braden or Peron.")  CFK went on to criticize the 
"Washington Consensus" for asserting that "the market can solve 
everything" and promoting excessive privatizations.  She praised 
state regulation of the markets and said a strong state presence is 
the best guarantee for more justice and social equity. 
 
¶7. (SBU) After her remarks, on her way out of the ceremony, CFK 
spoke briefly and privately with the Ambassador (reftel).  She was 
very upbeat on the Summit of the Americas, saying it set a new tone 
for hemispheric relations, and she praised President Obama's 
approach to the region. 
 
Press coverage 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) In an Embassy statement released April 27, the day of the 
signing ceremony, the Ambassador said, "The United States is proud 
to have supported the process that led to the signing of a peace 
treaty between Paraguay and Bolivia, and we congratulate Argentina 
on the constructive leadership role it played in resolving a serious 
conflict.  This serves as a vivid reminder that collective 
diplomatic action applied in a timely way can also prevent this type 
of conflict."  The Ambassador reiterated this message to television, 
radio, and print reporters while exiting the ceremony, noting he was 
there with representatives of Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay to 
applaud the efforts of Bolivia and Paraguay to carry out the duties 
established in the 1938 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Borders. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Begin informal translation of text signed on April 27: 
 
FINAL RECORD ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND FULFILLMENT OF THE TREATY OF 
PEACE, FRIENDSHIP, AND BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF BOLIVIA 
AND THE REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY, SIGNED ON JULY 21, 1938 
 
 
In the city of Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic, on the 27th day of 
the month of April, 2009, by invitation of the Minister of Foreign 
Relations, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine 
Republic, Lic. Jorge E. Taiana, the Minister of Foreign Relations of 
the Pluri-National State of Bolivia, Ambassador David Choquehuanca 
Cespedes, and the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Republic of 
Paraguay, Ambassador Alejandro Hamed Franco, meet to receive the 
Final Report of the work performed by the Mixed Committee for the 
Demarcation of the Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian 
Boundaries, which was established as a result of the provisions in 
Article 5 of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries between 
the Republics of Bolivia and Paraguay on July 21, 1938. 
 
The Representatives of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the 
Republic of Chile, the United States of America, the Republic of 
Peru, and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay were present at this 
momentous meeting, representing the mediator states that brought 
about the signature of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and 
Boundaries of 1938, and likewise received the Final Report of the 
work. 
 
Acknowledging the Report submitted by the President of the Mixed 
Committee for the Demarcation of the 
Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian Boundaries, having fulfilled 
the task of demarcation as established in the Arbitral Decision of 
October 10, 1938, according to Article 4 of the Act of November 25, 
1938, and in consideration of the decisions in Acts 47 and 55 of the 
Mixed Committee,  as well as with the approval of both States for 
the works performed, the Foreign Ministries of the Argentine 
Republic, of the Pluri-National State of Bolivia, and of the 
Republic of Paraguay declare the work of the Mixed Committee for the 
Demarcation of the Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian Border, 
created by Article 5 of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and 
Boundaries between the Republics of Bolivia and Paraguay, on July 
21, 1938, to be complete. 
 
(signatures of the Foreign Ministers of Bolivia, Paraguay, and 
Argentina) 
 
The Minister of Foreign Relations of the Pluri-National State of 
Bolivia, Ambassador David Choquehuanca Cspedes, and the Minister of 
Foreign Relations of the Republic of Paraguay, Ambassador Alejandro 
Hamed Franco, agree to the following: 
 
FIRST: They put forth for the record the acknowledgement of  their 
respective Nations of the institutions and of all those who 
participated in the implementation of this work, for their 
dedication and effort shown in carrying out their duties. 
 
SECOND: They would like to particularly emphasize their appreciation 
for the cooperation of the Presidency of the Mixed Committee for the 
Demarcation of the Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian 
Boundaries, held by the Argentine Republic, in the mission entrusted 
to the guarantor countries, which was fulfilled with objectivity and 
constructively. 
 
THIRD: They congratulate themselves because in the demarcation under 
the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries of July 21, 1938, 
the commitment established in Article 10 was strictly observed, and 
at the same time, they express the will of both States to maintain 
the same spirit that inspired its signature. 
 
FOURTH: They emphasize that the completion of the work of the Mixed 
Committee for the Demarcation of the 
Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian Boundaries is taking place 
at a time in which the Pluri-National State of Bolivia and the 
Republic of Paraguay are carrying out an intense and constructive 
integration agenda that manifests itself in several areas of 
bilateral and regional cooperation, resulting in mutual benefits for 
the economic and social development of both peoples. 
 
FIFTH: They agree to start the negotiations to sign an Additional 
Protocol to the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries that 
will establish a Bilateral Committee for the Demarcation of 
Boundaries that will, among others functions, erect border markers 
of II and III order, carry out the control and maintenance of the 
border markers, and open paths to allow inter-visibility and transit 
between the border markers. 
 
Until the Bilateral Committee for the Demarcation of Boundaries is 
established, the Governments of the Pluri-National State of Bolivia 
and the Republic of Paraguay may turn to the Government of the 
Argentine Republic to attend to any enquiry or requirement related 
to duties determined in Article 5 of the Treaty of Peace, 
Friendship, and Boundaries between the Republics of Bolivia and 
Paraguay, dated July 21, 1938. 
 
SIXTH: For the record, they note the appreciation of both countries 
 
for the valuable efforts displayed by the Governments of the 
Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic 
of Chile, the United States of America, the Republic of Peru, and 
the Eastern Republic of Uruguay to see the work of the Mixed 
Committee for the Demarcation of the 
Bolivian-Paraguayan/Paraguayan-Bolivian Boundaries through to a 
successful conclusion. 
 
Buenos Aires, Republic of Argentina, April 27, 2009. 
 
(signatures of the Foreign Ministers of Bolivia and Paraguay) 
 
The Representatives of the Argentine Republic, the Federative 
Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Chile, the Unites States of 
America, the Republic of Peru, and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, 
having attended the signing of this Final Record by Ministers of 
Foreign Relations of the Pluri-National State of Bolivia and the 
Republic of Paraguay, do hereby recognize the importance of this 
event and applaud the dedication and effort shown by the 
Pluri-National State of Bolivia and the Republic of Paraguay in 
carrying out their duties under the treaty. 
 
(signatures of the foreign ministers of Argentina and Chile, and the 
ambassadors of Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States) 
 
End informal translation of April 27 document. 
 
KELLY