WikiLeaks: The U.S. Must "Neutralize, Co-opt or Marginalize" Radical Latin American Bloc in Climate

[Judi Lynn]

Nikolas Kozloff
Posted: December 7, 2010 11:53 AM
WikiLeaks: The U.S. Must "Neutralize, Co-opt or Marginalize" Radical Latin American Bloc in Climate Negotiations


As activists launch protests at the Cancún climate summit in Mexico, could negotiators be engaged in cynical backroom deals? In light of recent WikiLeaks disclosures, such an eventuality seems more than likely. Indeed, U.S. diplomatic cables show that the Americans have been trying to strong arm other countries in order to get their way at international summits. The cables, which go back to last year's Copenhagen summit, show the U.S. as a manipulative and opportunistic power seeking to water down important environmental agreements.

Judging from documents, the WikiLeaks scandal could well turn into the Climate Gate scandal. When reporting to his colleagues, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in La Paz John Creamer described Bolivian President Evo Morales' climate justice activism in the most unflattering light. An impoverished Andean nation, Bolivia is poorly equipped to deal with the ravages of climate change and has been a leading critic of the United States and the Global North at international summits like Copenhagen.

In a report, Creamer remarked that Morales "seemed to revel" in his opposition to the Copenhagen summit, which was dominated by the United States and other large powers. The Bolivian, the diplomat continued, made "extraordinary demands" like reparations and aid, thus alienating conference organizers and most delegations. The Danes became "fed up" with Morales and the pesky left-leaning ALBA bloc of countries from Latin America, which kept on mounting "propaganda arguments" against the Copenhagen accord .

Blackening Morales' Image

One would expect U.S. diplomats to be critical of Morales in their reporting, but in going over the WikiLeaks cables I've been struck by the remarkably supercilious tone and vindictive accusations hurled at the Bolivian leader. At this point, it's difficult to establish the exact veracity of all the many claims, and diplomatic historians will no doubt look into the charges in more depth in future. Perhaps American diplomats genuinely had high placed intelligence on Morales upon which to base their reports, or maybe they simply wanted to satisfy their superiors in Washington with wishful propaganda.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikolas-kozloff/wikileaks-the-us-must-neu_b_792904.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Bolivia Alleges U.S "Blackmail" At Climate Change Negotiations

Bolivia Alleges U.S "Blackmail" At Climate Change Negotiations

CANCUN, Mexico, 7 DECEMBER, 2010: Bolivia alleged that the United States was using "blackmail" tactics at climate change negotiations to force other countries to accept its position.

"We are not sold to anyone. We are not bought. We are not scared," Bolivia's Ambassador to the United Nations Pablo Solon told reporters at a press briefing here.

Solon said that the integrity of the negotiations at the current Cancun 16th United Nations Climate Summit which ends Fri Dec 10 and other climate negotiations had been undermined by recent Wikileaks.

Alarmed by increasing co-ordination among emerging nations on the climate dossier, the European Union (EU) and U.S. agreed earlier this year to synchronize their own efforts, with talks focusing on use of aid to win over reluctant third countries, leaked secret U.S. diplomatic cables revealed.

More:
http://malaysiandigest.com/world/13136-bolivia-alleges-us-qblackmailq-at-climate-change-negotiations-.html