GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT WRITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH ON

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000428 SIPDIS NSC FOR DAN FISK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL OPDC CVIS SMIG EAID PREF ETRD MASS SNAR GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT WRITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH ON TPS ¶1. At a February 28 meeting with the Ambassador and DCM (septel),Guatemalan President Berger handed over a letter to President Bush and asked that it be forwarded to the White House. The Embassy is sending the original to WHA/CEN by pouch but provides text of the letter in para 2. ¶2. Embassy's informal translation: February 27, 2006 Excellent Mr. President: After sending you a respectful greeting, I proceed to refer to the petition we made in due time for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Guatemalan migrants based on new facts to justify our request. In particular, I am referring to the loss of lives and destruction of housing and infrastructure that Guatemala suffered because of Tropical Storm Stan last October. Mr. President, with my customary respect, I wish to express our bewilderment and concern about the information recently circulated by the press that TPS would only be extended to the migrants of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. As you know, we have always supported the appropriate aspiration of our Central American brothers and appreciate that their petitions have been granted, but we do not understand why Guatemalan migrants are being excluded from these same benefits when Guatemala's petition is based on equally valid arguments. We believe the merits of our request should be evaluated in light of the magnitude of damages suffered by Guatemala as a consequence of Tropical Storm Stan, which were greater and more recent than those caused by Hurricane Mitch. Consideration of the timeframe is of the greatest importance because Hurricane Mitch struck Central America in 1998, whereas the damages we suffered as a consequence of Tropical Storm date back only to October 2005. As you know, Guatemala needs the support of your government because we are completing the transition to true civilian control of the state. After decades of internal armed conflict, we are struggling to consolidate our democratic system with transparency and have taken firm steps to eradicate widespread corruption. We are rigorously combating organized crime and violent street crime. In these difficult times of securing democracy, Guatemala needs a clear message from the United States of solidarity and support. For that reason, I earnestly beg you to consider our petition to grant TPS to Guatemalans or else send a clear and unequivocal signal that in the near term some equally effective alternatives will be implemented. I trust, Mr. President, that, as an indicator of the importance which the United States attributes to its relationship with Guatemala and its commitment to all the countries of Central America that have been affected by natural phenomena, your government will not hesitate in favorably resolving my request. Sincerely, Oscar Berger President of the Republic DERHAM