Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRAIA105
2008-04-02 18:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Praia
Cable title:  

CODEL FRANK ON-POINT WITH GOVERNMENT OF CAPE VERDE

Tags:  OVIP PREL EAID MARR CV 
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R 021825Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1390
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
AMEMBASSY PRAIA
UNCLAS PRAIA 000105 

SIPDIS


STATE AF/W FOR TAYBAR; H FOR JREDDY; AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK
DAKAR FOR DAO
DHS FOR ICE
EUCOM PASS AFRICOM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP PREL EAID MARR CV
SUBJECT: CODEL FRANK ON-POINT WITH GOVERNMENT OF CAPE VERDE

UNCLAS PRAIA 000105

SIPDIS


STATE AF/W FOR TAYBAR; H FOR JREDDY; AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK
DAKAR FOR DAO
DHS FOR ICE
EUCOM PASS AFRICOM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP PREL EAID MARR CV
SUBJECT: CODEL FRANK ON-POINT WITH GOVERNMENT OF CAPE VERDE


1. Summary: During two one-day visits during the week of March
24, Congressman Barney Frank and seven accompanying Members of
Congress met with local and senior officials, conveying
continued USG interest in and support for Cape Verde. Despite
unfortunate Sunday afternoon timing, the GOCV scheduled meetings
that included the President of Parliament, the President of the
Republic, and the Prime Minister. Far from mere courtesy calls,
all the senior officials granted extended meetings and broached
sensitive topics of concern in the bilateral relationship,
notably how to guarantee successful completion of the MCC
program in Cape Verde, how to deal constructively with the
effects of increased criminal deportees from the United States,
and how to improve maritime security. Following a rapid
succession of senior USG official visits, including a Codel led
by Senator James Inhofe, a CoDel led by Representative Patrick
Kennedy, and the recent visit of AUSTR Florie Liser, this visit
confirmed for the GOCV the durable USG interest in our bilateral
relationship. End Summary.


2. One of the largest Congressional delegations in recent memory
to visit Cape Verde arrived on April 24, consisting of eight
Members of Congress led by Congressman Barney Frank. During this
first of two programmed visits that week, the delegation visited
the windward island of Sal, where they called on the Mayor and
visited an Africa Development Foundation Project. The Mayor of
Sal Island, Dr. Jorge Eduardo Figueiredo, stressed to the
delegation how tourism has spurred economic development of the
island and his long-term plans for managed growth. If reelected
in this spring's parliamentary elections, Figueiredo plans to
continue with his action plan, most notably to improve health
services on the island and expand a local program that provides
home-buying assistance for the poorest citizens of the island.
Congressman Frank noted the importance of passing tourism
revenues on to the citizens of the island, and not remaining
only in the hands of foreign resort owners.


3. Following this insightful conversation, the Mayor escorted
the delegation on a visit to an USG-sponsored Africa Development

Foundation Hydroponics Project. The project was started with
USD 248,000 in USG financial assistance, with a view towards
diversifying agricultural production away from traditional corn
and sugar cane, and towards higher value-added vegetable crops.
These crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, and bell
peppers are now being sold to the many tourist resorts located
on the southern tip of Sal Island where they cater to a largely
European (British and Italian) market. The delegation was
impressed with the efficient use of resources, particularly
water, and with the economic push towards a more sustainable
economy through diversification. (Note: Cape Verde currently
imports an estimated 90 percent of its food needs, implying a
large unsatisfied market for value added crops, not just for
tourists but also for the local population. However, low
purchasing power among ordinary Cape Verdeans, transportation
challenges, scarce resources, and steep initial financing
requirements have thus far impeded the market's development.
End note.)


4. Following visits to several other African countries, on April
30 CoDel Frank again visited Cape Verde, this time to the
leeward island of Santiago, home to the capital city, Praia. In
a clear demonstration of the importance the GOCV places on the
Cape Verde - U.S. relationship, despite it being a Sunday
afternoon the delegation was received by the President of
Congress, the President of the Republic, and early Monday
morning, by the Prime Minister.


5. Following a briefing from Ambassador, the Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC),and the International Agriculture
Fund (IFAD),the delegation went on to meet with Aristides
Raimundo Lima, President of Parliament and Mario Gomes
Fernandes, Member of Parliament. Lima is a member of the ruling
PAICV party, while Fernandes is from the opposition MpD party,
and their competitiveness was on display in this meeting, only
six weeks before municipal elections in Cape Verde. During the
meeting Lima raised topics including the pressure criminal
deportees from the United States place on Cape Verde. Lacking
any agency or standing capacity to absorb these deportees into
society, he noted, they are largely left to their own devices.
Many, with violent tendencies and a proven criminal inclination,
go on to commit crimes in Cape Verde. The delegation was
sympathetic to these challenges, and noted that there are
cooperative arrangements in place between the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, local law enforcement in New England, and the
government of the Azores that might serve as a useful model for
GOCV engagement. The GOCV plans to attend a meeting on this
program in the Azores in April 2008. (Note: Though the total
volume of criminal deportees from the U.S. to Cape Verde is

quite low -- less than 50 persons per year -- the effect of
inserting sometimes violent criminals into a very small society
that is unprepared psychologically or legally to deal with them
has proven to be quite disruptive. End note.)


6. Following this meeting, Congressman Frank and Parliamentary
President Lima spoke to six television and print journalists
about the purpose of the visit and about their conversation.
Mr. Lima stressed the U.S. support to Cape Verde's development
through the Millennium Challenge program. Congressman Frank
described his strong connection to Cape Verde and his continued
support for economic development of the country. The press
praised Congressman Frank for his attention to the people of
Cape Verde, and highlighted the recent visits of Congressmen
Inhofe and Kennedy as further proof that Cape Verde is on the
radar of leadership in the USG. The visit was the top story on
the evening news, in two newspapers, and the evening national
radio news broadcast.


7. The delegation also met with President of the Republic Pedro
Pires, who was in an uncharacteristically expansive mood and
spoke for nearly an hour. In addition to touching on
immigration and deportation issues, Pires highlighted GOCV
concerns about the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact with
Cape Verde. That compact is somewhat behind schedule, owing to
longer than anticipated start-up as both MCC and the GOCV were
forced to learn by doing. (Note: Cape Verde was among the
first countries in the world to receive an MCC compact, and has
been a guinea-pig for many untested early MCC procedures. End
note.) The program is now moving ahead smartly, but most
experts estimate it will need an additional year beyond its
programmed 2010 expiration date to complete its projects,
especially the works upgrading the port of Praia. The other
significant concern, also beyond the control of the GOCV, is the
impact on the value of the compact of the continued sharp
deterioration of the exchange rate. Because the compact is
denominated in U.S. dollars, but disbursed in Cape Verdean
escudos -- which are pegged to the Euro -- the real value of the
compact has fallen by nearly 35 percent since it was originally
negotiated. Consequently, portions of the program have had to
be canceled, not because they are unworthy of funding, but
merely because they were made unaffordable within the
constraints of the compact. Delegation members took this
information on board, and undertook to investigate both the
potential for an extension of the duration of the compact and
additional funding, whether through MCC or another USG agency
such as USAID. (Note: Congressman Patrick Kennedy made a
similar commitment during his February visit. End note.)
Pires also discussed cultural and educational exchanges, citing
the recent visit of the replica of the slave ship Amistad and a
budding relationship between the University of Cape Verde and
several U.S. institutions, including Bridgewater State College
in Massachusetts. Pires also pushed for increased sports
exchanges, mentioning the U.S. influence, through Cape
Verdean-American athletes, on Cape Verde's National basketball
team.


8. Just prior to their March 31 departure, the delegation
shared an early morning breakfast hosted by Prime Minister Jose
Maria Neves, and also attended by the Minister of Defense.
Neves knows Congressman Frank well, and the two quickly moved to
talk of weighty issues including immigration and deportation,
the Millennium Challenge compact with Cape Verde, Cape Verde's
prospects for sustained economic growth, and USG engagement with
the islands. Delegation members were favorably impressed with
efforts to diversify the economy, but some questioned whether
agriculture, even high value added crops, is a realistic
long-term growth strategy. Neves pointed to tourism, as well as
other services as other areas of interest for the GOCV. Neves
spoke also about maritime security challenges and the threats of
transnational crime, including narcotics trafficking.
Congressman Frank undertook to investigate how the United States
might be more helpful in this area. Congressman Watt inquired
whether the lack of a legal agreement or framework was an
impediment to increased cooperation in this area. Minister of
Defense Fontes responded that the U.S. and Cape Verde are
working on completing a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) but
that their constitution requires parliamentary action rather
than an agreement by exchange of Diplomatic Notes, which was
causing a delay. They have similar agreements with Spain and
Portugal, and are very willing to enter into an agreement with
the United States as well.


9. Comment: This visit was terrifically valuable, both
symbolically and substantively. Press coverage of such a large
Congressional delegation visiting two different islands and
meeting with both local actors and the most senior leadership

clearly conveyed the shared bilateral interests. Discussions
were warm and informal, and broached a number of sensitive
topics in a constructive manner. As a result of this visit,
both governments have rededicated themselves to working towards
resolution of serious issues including U.S. bilateral
assistance, maritime security, and immigration and deportation
concerns. End Comment.


10. The delegation was composed of:

Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Ambassador Sidney Williams (Rep. Waters' spouse)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Mrs. Simone-Marie Meeks
Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO)
Mrs. Ivie Clay
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)
Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC)
Mrs. Sandra Watt
Jeanne Roslanowick, Staff Director, Financial Services Committee
Daniel McGlinchey, Staff, Financial Services Committee
Steven Adamske, Staff, Financial Services Committee
Larry Lavender, Minority Staff, Financial Services Committee
Justin Underwood, Minority Staff, Financial Services Committee
Dr. Ramiro Gutierrez, House Attending Physician
CAPT Joe McClain, Director House Liaison, Navy OLA
LT Bill Wellman, Liaison Officer, Navy OLA
LCDR Ron Valencia, Liaison Officer, Navy OLA


11. The delegation did not have the opportunity to clear this
cable.

PIERCE