Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PARAMARIBO24
2009-01-21 20:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Paramaribo
Cable title:  

EMBASSY-ORGANIZED EVENT BRINGS THE INAUGURATION

Tags:  PGOV PREL NS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPO #0024 0212041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 212041Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0521
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
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

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