Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LUANDA736
2009-12-07 09:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Luanda
how-toVZCZCXRO9221 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHLU #0736 3410947 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 070947Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5824 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000736
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2024
TAGS: PGOV PINR AO
SUBJECT: ISABEL DOS SANTOS: BIO NOTE
(U) Classified by DCM Jeff Hawkins, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000736
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2024
TAGS: PGOV PINR AO
SUBJECT: ISABEL DOS SANTOS: BIO NOTE
(U) Classified by DCM Jeff Hawkins, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of President
Dos Santos, met briefly with the DCM on 7 December. Isabel
dos Santos is Angola's most successful businesswoman (due in
large measure to her father's support),speaks impeccable
colloquial English, and comes across as sophisticated,
polished, and extremely articulate. Dos Santos mentioned she
will be traveling to New York mid-December with her husband
to set up a joint art exhibition between African and
African-American artists. She portrayed her husband, who she
said has his own art foundation, as a serious art collector,
noting he has a large collection of both contemporary African
and other art. She, too, seems keenly interested, noting how
much she admired the city of Miami's attempts in recent years
to attract and showcase European artists.
2. (C) DCM asked Dos Santos about her role in Angolan
political life, and more specifically her involvement in the
MPLA's party congress, which opens on December 7. She
ruefully noted that her three young children - ages 1, 3, and
5 - do not leave her much time for politics but nevertheless
appeared focused on the opening of the MPLA conference, which
she would attend later the same day. She underscored the
importance of getting delegates from all over the country
together and stressed the revision of party statutes that
will take place at the congress. She explained that with all
the work that had gone into preparing for the conference
there should be few surprises, with the congress more an act
of getting everyone on same page, rather than serving as a
forum for debate.
3. (C) Comment. Isabel, who has on occasion been cited as a
potential successor to her father, left us with the
impression, after this short meeting, that she was more
focused on her many business dealings, outside interests like
art collecting, and family than on positioning herself for a
political future. That said, she demonstrated a keen
interest in the MPLA congress, and was clearly familiar with
the organizational details of the event, even citing the
number of delegates that would be attending from around the
country. End Comment.
MOZENA
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2024
TAGS: PGOV PINR AO
SUBJECT: ISABEL DOS SANTOS: BIO NOTE
(U) Classified by DCM Jeff Hawkins, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of President
Dos Santos, met briefly with the DCM on 7 December. Isabel
dos Santos is Angola's most successful businesswoman (due in
large measure to her father's support),speaks impeccable
colloquial English, and comes across as sophisticated,
polished, and extremely articulate. Dos Santos mentioned she
will be traveling to New York mid-December with her husband
to set up a joint art exhibition between African and
African-American artists. She portrayed her husband, who she
said has his own art foundation, as a serious art collector,
noting he has a large collection of both contemporary African
and other art. She, too, seems keenly interested, noting how
much she admired the city of Miami's attempts in recent years
to attract and showcase European artists.
2. (C) DCM asked Dos Santos about her role in Angolan
political life, and more specifically her involvement in the
MPLA's party congress, which opens on December 7. She
ruefully noted that her three young children - ages 1, 3, and
5 - do not leave her much time for politics but nevertheless
appeared focused on the opening of the MPLA conference, which
she would attend later the same day. She underscored the
importance of getting delegates from all over the country
together and stressed the revision of party statutes that
will take place at the congress. She explained that with all
the work that had gone into preparing for the conference
there should be few surprises, with the congress more an act
of getting everyone on same page, rather than serving as a
forum for debate.
3. (C) Comment. Isabel, who has on occasion been cited as a
potential successor to her father, left us with the
impression, after this short meeting, that she was more
focused on her many business dealings, outside interests like
art collecting, and family than on positioning herself for a
political future. That said, she demonstrated a keen
interest in the MPLA congress, and was clearly familiar with
the organizational details of the event, even citing the
number of delegates that would be attending from around the
country. End Comment.
MOZENA