EMBASSY-ORGANIZED EVENT BRINGS THE INAUGURATION

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000024 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT WHA/PDA FOR CWEST E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL NS SUBJECT: EMBASSY-ORGANIZED EVENT BRINGS THE INAUGURATION EXPERIENCE TO 1000+ SURINAMERS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On January 20, approximately 1,000 Surinamers (in a country of 500,000) attended the Embassy's Inauguration Day event, which included American franchise vendors and large-screen broadcasts. The overwhelming positive and widespread media coverage reached even more in all corners of Suriname. In addition, Post received high and wide praise for opening the event to the general public. President Venetiaan attended and also made unprecedented positive remarks about the United States and its new President. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Strong Surinamese interest in President Obama as the first U.S. African-American President transcended the usual Surinamese cynicism of U.S. politics. Although Suriname boasts a multi-racial population, its history of Dutch slave plantations fostered a resonance in the public with Barack Obama being the first African-American President -- which resulted in Surinamese Obama Mania. Surinamers have high hopes and expectations for Obama's presidency, although many of these appear to be based more in his being identified as an African-American president than with his proposed policies. Leading up to inauguration day, local stores carried "Yes We Can" bracelets and Obama T-Shirts, and some bookshops carried displays of books on Obama (in Dutch). ¶3. (SBU) Approximately 1,000 Surinamers, in a nation of 500,000, attended Post's free Inauguration Event. Suriname has a very small American expatriate community, and the majority of the attendees were Surinamers. When Obama was sworn in as President, the Surinamese crowd stood up en masse and applauded loudly. In addition to Obama T-shirts and caps, some in the audience waved American flags or carried pictures of Obama. Several vendors sold, provided coupons, or donated American products to the audience. ¶4. (SBU) President Venetiaan, who shows little warmth publicly for the United States, remarked at the event "it was a special moment when Obama presented himself as the President of the United States, a nation of unity, but we do not forget the history of black people on this continent, or the history of black people in the United States of America. Therefore, this is a special moment because we have seen the peaceful transition in unity of power of the President of the United States from George Bush to Barack Obama, from a white man to an African-American, expressing to us that we have reached a state in this hemisphere that the power can be held by any person, a great example also for our nation, Suriname. We congratulate the United States of America. Today, we, together with all the Americans, celebrate this moment and look forward and pray for the success of this man, Barack Hussein Obama, not only for the success for his nation, the United States of America, but for our world." President Venetiaan's remarks were carried by both the print and television media. ¶5. (SBU) The U.S. inauguration dominated the print media on January 20 and 21. Post's event "localized" the U.S. inauguration, and three of four newspapers featured Post's event on the front page. The remaining newspaper used the local event as its "centerfold" story. A January 21 morning tally showed that 13 of 48 photographs, and 7 of 21 articles, were generated by the local media. 6.(SBU) The Ambassador and other officers' flurry of interviews also generated abundant television coverage of the inauguration and Embassy event. Although Post did not complete a final tally of all television inauguration coverage, all five of Suriname's major television channels (ATV, Sky, Apinti, STVS, and ABC) dedicated most of their newscasts to the inauguration and the Embassy event. Two channels additionally covered the event in their current affairs programs. The daily Ten Minute Youth Journal devoted its program entirely to the inauguration, and included an interview of the Ambassador as well as interviews of children who attended Post's event. Post's LES PD Assistant was featured in one special broadcast as well. SCHREIBER HUGHES