Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06GUATEMALA428
2006-03-01 17:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT WRITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH ON

Tags:  PREL OPDC CVIS SMIG EAID PREF ETRD MASS SNAR GT 
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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

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