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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001084 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON, DAS MCMULLEN, WHA/BSC - SIMPSON/POSIVAK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2019 
TAGS: MARR OPDC PREL CO BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: DEMARCHE/LETTER DELIVERED ON U.S.-COLOMBIA 
DCA PRIOR TO AUGUST 28 UNASUL SUMMIT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 89408 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lisa Kubiske.  Reasons: 1.4 (B) & (D). 
 
¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered reftel letter on the U.S.- Colombia 
Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) to Brazilian Ministry of 
External Relations (MRE) Head of the United 
States/Canada/Inter-American Affairs Department Carlos Abreu 
on August 27. Later that day, Abreu confirmed that FM Celso 
Amorim had read the letter before he departed for Bariloche, 
Argentina to attend the August 28 UNASUL summit. 
 
¶2. (C) In a meeting that afternoon with PolCouns and MLO 
Chief, Abreu, Pol/Mil Advisor to the Deputy Foreign Minister 
Amb. Marcos Pinta Gama, and Policy Planning Director Amb. 
Hermano Telles Ribeiro said that the Secretary's letter was 
helpful as a "political document."  However, it had not 
answered all of the questions they still had about the DCA. 
They raised several follow on questions and concerns 
regarding the types of missions that will be flown from the 
bases negotiated in the DCA. PolCouns and MLO Colonel 
explained the agreement and its basic intent, the provisions 
for respecting sovereignty, and the requirements of Colombian 
permission for U.S. operations.  In addition, MLO Chief 
explained the nature of a U.S. Air Force TransCom white 
paper, clarifying that it was not a policy document.  Both 
said they were grateful for the information the United States 
and Colombia had shared on the DCA, but said they were still 
unclear on the "full scope" of operations that would be 
conducted under the DCA and what types of planes would be 
used.  They encouraged us to provide in writing any 
additional information we could regarding the operations that 
would be conducted.  Pinta Gama stressed the sensitivity of 
this U.S. presence in South America, especially in light of 
how the news had come to the region's attention.  Telles 
Ribeiro said that Brazil has a mediating role to play in the 
region and was trying to prevent the worst of the rhetoric at 
the UNASUL meeting. 
 
¶3. (C) COMMENT: Although Brazilian suspicions about U.S. 
intentions toward the region, the Amazon, and their recently 
discovered sub-salt oil reserves have been heightened by the 
Colombia bases issue, Brazil's immediate goal in seeking 
detailed information on the DCA and our planned operations in 
Colombia is to countering Venezuelan assertions regarding the 
intent of the DCA in order to preserve peace among its 
neighbors and ensure that UNASUL does not collapse.  The GOB 
wants to be assured that the United States does not intend to 
run operations outside of Colombia--in particular in 
Venezuela--and the rather vague provisions of the DCA leaves 
them uneasy.  Two GOB officials have separately referred to 
Brazil,s "mediating role" in the region, leading us to 
believe that Brazil is actively trying to lower the 
temperature at the UNASUL meeting. 
KUBISKE