EL SALVADOR: GOES VIEWS REGARDING UPCOMING MEXICO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 000052

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016
TAGS: ES MX PGOV PREL IMMIGRATION
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: GOES VIEWS REGARDING UPCOMING MEXICO
MEETING ON U.S. IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION

Classified By: Ambassador H. Douglas Barclay, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador has on several recent
occasions discussed with Salvadoran Foreign Minister
Francisco Lainez a planned January 9 meeting on U.S.
immigration policy to be held in Mexico City; it will likely
include foreign ministers of Mexico, Central America, and the
Dominican Republic. Foreign Minister Lainez has stressed the
importance of proactive U.S. engagement on such matters, and
appears ready to offer El Salvador's influence and leadership
in forestalling criticism of the U.S., and to moderate debate
at this and similar future meetings. In his public
pronouncements, President Saca has been circumspect in his
reaction to recent proposed changes in U.S. immigration
policy, and has called for multilateral dialogue and
cooperation to replace heated rhetoric. END SUMMARY.

2 (C) Lainez phoned the Ambassador January 2 and asked for a
meeting the following day. During the hour-long January 3
meeting, the Foreign Minister indicated that he expected the
foreign ministers of Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican
Republic would join himself and Mexican Foreign Minister
Derbez at the January 9 meeting; he expressed his concern
that the meeting might adopt "an aggressive stance" against
the United States. Lainez opined that it would be a mistake
if Derbez were to chair any such regional meetings in the
future relating to immigration issues, but in response to
repeated questions regarding who might provide more moderate
leadership, he was unable to provide any definite answer, and
off-handedly suggested Costa Rica as a possibility. (Note:
At present, it appears that Costa Rica will not attend the
January 9 meeting in Mexico. End note.) He added that
whoever leads the group should have "the proper tools"--i.e.,
direct high-level access in the State Department and
elsewhere within the USG.


3. (C) The Foreign Minister suggested that the USG should
seek dialogue with the governments of Mexico, Central
America, and the Dominican Republic on immigration issues and
try to find common ground, and that regional meetings on
immigration, properly handled, could reprrsent a foreign
policy opportunity for the U.S. rather than a
public-relations threat. Lainez again stressed the
importance of multilateral dialogue to any satisfactory
solution, and suggested that a meeting between U.S. officials
and their Mexican, Central American, and Dominican Republic
counterparts would be very helpful. He believes that the
proposed criminalization of illegal immigration will be a
particular sore point for Mexico and others, and he thinks
that the January 9 meeting may see proposals to hire public
relations firms and/or lobbyists to oppose such legislation.


4. (C) In a January 4 conversation, Foreign Minister Lainez
outlined to the Ambassador his view that, given the region's
geographic proximity to the United States and the rise of
leftist populism in Latin America, greater multilateral
accord on issues such as immigration deserved the USG's
highest-priority attention. He also related that illegal
immigration should be seen in the light of a "supply and
demand" problem, and that as long as job opportunities
existed in the U.S. for Salvadorans and other illegal aliens,
they would find some way to reach the U.S.


5. (C) Lainez phoned the Ambassador January 5 prior to a
widely-publicized press conference of President Saca, and
outlined that, in response to recent criticism by Farabundo
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) legislators of recent
toughening of U.S. lawmakers' stance on illegal immigration,
the President would acknowledge the United States' right to
control its borders, and condemn the FMLN's strident
criticism. The President did so during his remarks, saying
that although he felt that U.S. construction of a wall would
fall short of addressing the complexities of illegal
immigration, he "wasn't going to cry" about it. He
underscored the warm friendship between El Salvador and the
U.S., and expressed hope that Temporary Protected Status
(TPS),which benefits some 250,000 Salvadorans, would be
extended again. On January 6, Lainez informed the Ambassador
that FMLN deputies had tried to railroad through a
Legislative Assembly resolution condemning proposed
tightening in U.S. immigration policy, but that a call from
President Saca to Legislative Assembly President Ciro Cruz
Zepeda had headed off the attempt.


6. (C) COMMENT: Lainez is offering to serve in a leadership
role, directing highly-contentious discussion on sensitive
immigration issues toward more constructive channels, and
away from harsh criticism of the U.S. Lainez and the Saca
administration clearly support the United States' right to
control its borders. An opportunity exists for the
Department to avail itself of El Salvador's sympathetic
position and get its message to other governments in the
region. END COMMENT.
Barclay