DOMINICAN PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ ON HAITI, BORDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 000657

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA, PM, DRL, G/TIP;
NSC FOR SHANNON; SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA AND OSD/ISP;
JOINT STAFF FOR J-5; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD;
TREASURY FOR OASIA-J LEVINE; STATE PASS USTR;
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION;
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016
TAGS: PREL DR HA EXIM SNAR KCOR KJUS PHUM ETRD
MASS, SENV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ ON HAITI, BORDER
ASSESSMENT, INVITATION TO POTUS

REF: SANTO DOMINGO 0333 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Ambassador Hans Hertell for Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: On February 16 President Fernandez told the
Ambassador he expects Haitian President-elect Preval will pay
his first foreign visit to the Dominican Republic. Fernandez
expressed keen interest in the possibility of President
Bush's attendance at a May 30-31 regional summit in Santo
Domingo, noting it presented an opportunity to rebut the idea
that the United States is "losing" Latin America. He also
confirmed his interest in USG suggestions for improved
administration of the border with Haiti and asked for a
briefing for cabinet members. End summary.


2. (C) President Fernandez received the Ambassador February
16 to discuss Dominican-Haitian relations, the
Southcom-coordinated border assessment, and the Dominican
invitation to President Bush for a regional summit in Santo
Domingo in May. DCM, DATT, and political officer
accompanied. Septels report discussion of a possible
Exim-financed sale of patrol boats and the USG request for
donations to efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Haiti
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3. (C) Fernandez found the resolution of the electoral
impasse in Haiti to be "excellent." The Ambassador
encouraged Fernandez to take advantage of the opportunity to
improve relations and understanding with Haiti and emphasized
that the United States wants the two countries to cooperate
on common interests, such as fighting terrorism. Dominican
Ambassador Jose Serulle Ramia had infomed Fernandez on
February 15 that Preval's first foreign visit as
president-elect would be to the Dominican Republic.
Fernandez said he and Preval had worked closely together on
bilateral issues during their first administrations. The
Ambassador suggested that the two countries revive their
binational commission, established in the late 1990s to deal
with migration and other issues.


4. (C) Fernandez mentioned his "excellent" meeting iwth
Haitian students at a Dominican university (PUCMM) in
Santiago on February 10. A student had spoken out
"respectfully but solemnly" about "some abuses which are
committed against Haitian students" -- "details" which are
easy for a chief executive to overlook, such as illegal
charges levied by border guards and a requirement that the
students return to Haiti every three months to renew tourist
visas at considerable cost. "Everything he said was right,"
commented Fernandez. He said he was ordering the issuance of
one-year renewable student visas and cessation of illegal
monetary assessments on the students when they cross the
border.

Border Assessment
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5. (C) The Ambassador asked Fernandez about the USG
interagency border assessment, prepared last year at the
latter's request. The Ambassador noted the culture of
corruption among border officials allows all sorts of
contraband to enter the country and deprives the Dominican
Government of millions of dollars in tax revenue. The
Ambassador said that recent proposals by senior Dominican
military officers about border administration differ from the
U.S. recommendations. The Dominican military propose to keep
the border force within the military chain of command --
thus, the Ambassador commented, preserving corrupt
influences. He urged Fernandez to have the new border
security force report through a civilian authority to the
president. The Ambassador further noted that the Dominican
military response does not address issues of social and
economic development or issues of administration of justice.


6. (C) The DCM pointed to the example of the U.S. Border
Patrol, an entity with enforcement authority but subject to
DHS controls (and, when necessary, sanctions). The
Ambassador urged that Dominican authorities require
identification of persons crossing the border and adopt
modern information technology for this. The DATT suggested
establishing a joint working group with a one-year mandate to
plan the implementation of the recommendations in all their
complexity.


7. (C) Fernandez cited the political sensitivity of any
public announcement that might provoke nationalistic
criticisms from some Dominicans -- even though he had
requested the assessment. He acknowledged the usefulness of
sharing the information in the assessment. Fernandez agreed
as a first step to attend a joint Embassy-Presidency briefing
on the assessment and recommendations for at least 10 of his
top advisers in early March.

Invitation to POTUS for Regional Summit
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8. (C) Regarding the invitation to President Bush to attend
a regional summit here May 30-31 (reftel),the Ambassador
recommended that the Dominican Republic confirm the
attendance of the other heads of state from Mexico, Colombia,
and Central America. The Ambassador also suggested that the
agenda might include topics in addition to energy.


9. (C) Fernandez said he would promote the Santo Domingo
summit during a Panama regional summit in March and said that
perhaps leaders at that meeting might make a collective
invitation to President Bush. He reaffirmed his strong
interest in hosting President Bush, including for an official
bilateral visit. Fernandez said the Santo Domingo event
could help rebut critics who claim that "the United States is
losing Latin America." Fernandez said that the Dominican
Republic could be highlighted as a country that has quickly
overcome financial crisis via a friendly strategy of
negotiations with international creditors and compliance with
an IMF program.
HERTELL