CODEL Engel meets LAC leaders at Fifth Summit of the

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 PORT OF SPAIN 000197 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA/EPSC, WHA/PPC, EEB/TPP/BTA, H STATE PASS USTR FOR AUSTR EISSENSTAT USDOC/ITA/MAC/LATIN AMERICA CARIBBEAN TREASURY FOR LUYEN TRAN DOE FOR OFFICE OF POLICY AND INT'L AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD ENRG MARR SNAR TD SUBJECT: CODEL Engel meets LAC leaders at Fifth Summit of the Americas SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Representative Eliot Engel, Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a Congressional delegation to the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago April 17-19, 2009. The delegation consisted of Representative Connie Mack (R-FL) Ranking, Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY),Representative Donald Payne (D-NJ),Representative Mary Bono Mack (R-CA),Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY),Delegate Donna Christensen (D-VI),and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR). While in Port of Spain, the delegation held 13 bilateral meetings with Latin American and Caribbean Heads of State and with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). In all of the bilateral meetings, Chairman Engel noted President Obama's desire to engage with Latin America and the Caribbean and the importance of looking at ways we can work together, improve cooperation, and focus on the future. Chairman Engel reiterated that the Congress wants to work with President Obama and hemispheric leaders on issues of concern to the region. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) EL SALVADOR. In a meeting with both President Saca and President-elect Funes, Chairman Engel noted it was the first time he had participated in a joint meeting and said it was a clear indicator of El Salvador's vibrant democracy. Engel said he is a strong supporter in the Congress of working to improve U.S. - El Salvador relations, adding he fought to ensure Central America was included in the Merida Initiative. President Saca discussed the importance of the Central American/Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and the help it provides to small enterprises; noting the importance of governments helping to facilitate private investment. Saca said his government and the U.S. embassy had just completed the exchange of notes to renew the Cooperative Security Location (CSL) for counternarcotics flights. President-elect Funes said he wanted to work together on drug trafficking (and the CSL), organized crime, and economic and social issues, such as migration. He added President Obama called him after his (Funes) election and he was thankful to hear Obama say he would focus more attention to the region. Chairman Engel said he was looking forward to working with President-elect Funes and hoped to visit El Salvador in the near future. ¶3. (SBU) PANAMA. In the delegation's meeting with President Torrijos, Chairman Engel said the Congress hoped to vote on the Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA) this year and he would do everything he could do to see that it went through. Engel reinforced the need for the U.S. to engage more with Latin America and Caribbean. Ranking Member Mack and Representative Meeks both reiterated their desire to see the FTA passed as soon as possible. Torrijos said he was working hard for passage of the FTA as well as for a closer relationship and increased cooperation with the U.S. on issues including trade, counternarcotics and organized crime. He added that Panama is proceeding with the Canal expansion project and the Minister of Trade said investment in Panama has created 83,000 jobs in the last 15 months. ¶4. (SBU) CHILE. President Bachelet urged greater and broader U.S. engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean. She noted that regional leaders have very high expectations for President Obama and will want to see concrete results. Bachelet recommended that U.S. foreign policy not be "prejudiced" and that the U.S. avoid engaging exclusively with ideological allies. She suggested we engage more with Brazilian President Lula and that we try to seek "respectful relations and cooperation" with Bolivian President Morales and others. She urged the U.S. to reconsider "sanctions" against Bolivia and to work with Paraguay. Chairman Engel asked that Chile help the U.S. encourage President Morales to support counternarcotics efforts in the region and informed Bachelet of his bill to include Paraguay in the Andean Trade Preferences program. Bachelet emphasized greater regional investments in developing human capital through education and referenced the $6 million partnership forged with U.S. universities. She confirmed her support of pilot projects for solar power energy in Northern Chile and hoped for greater emphasis in this area throughout the region. Bachelet also urged the U.S. to recapitalize the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in order to strengthen the economies of Latin American countries. Representative Meeks noted he will hold a hearing on the PORT OF SP 00000197 002 OF 005 IDB in mid-May. On the Cuba issue, Bachelet stated that all Organization of American States (OAS) member states would like to have seen Cuba at the Summit and advocated for the U.S. to end the embargo. Representative Meeks referenced President Obama's recent announcement on Cuba. ¶5. (SBU) OAS. The delegation, along with Members traveling on the official delegation, met with OAS Secretary General Insulza over breakfast. Insulza praised President Obama's speech at the opening ceremony and said it was very positive Obama was there to listen to leaders of the region. Insulza told Members that President Obama was the most popular leader in the hemisphere and it was important that we collectively were focusing on the same issues, such as poverty and inequality in the region. Insulza said the OAS was in need of additional resources, noting they were not able to give staff cost of living raises. Representative Meeks remarked he had created a new caucus on the OAS and invited all Members to join. Insulza said the OAS would soon be releasing a report on crime in the region. ¶6. (SBU) URUGUAY. Chairman Engel told President Vazquez that OAS Secretary General Insulza, in their previous meeting, had praised the peacekeeping work, in particular, that Uruguay has participated in. Engel added Uruguay has been a good friend and partner to the U.S. Vazquez said it was important to work together, to focus on our similarities, and to continue to look for ways to cooperate in the hemisphere. Vazquez told the delegation of a market access issue regarding lamb exported from Uruguay that he hopes can be resolved. He also said he wanted Uruguay to receive the same trade benefits through the Andean Trade Preferences and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) that were being considered for Paraguay. Engel said he would be happy to work with Uruguay and reiterated that his bill on including Paraguay in ATPDEA had just been introduced. ¶7. (SBU) HONDURAS. President Zelaya said President Obama's speech at the opening ceremony was one of hope. He told the delegation there were four areas that Honduras and the U.S. could continue to cooperate on. The first is the need to fight the causes of violence (not just violence itself). Zelaya said the Merida Initiative is a good plan, but more funds need to be invested. He said he supported the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and said Congress should be sure to judge each program individually. On trade, Zelaya said CAFTA-DR is a good initiative, but we need to continue to work to increase its strengths and reduce its weaknesses. On migration, he acknowledged U.S. businesses need migrants, but added individuals need support at home, as they wouldn't leave if there were jobs at home. Engel said he is a supporter of increased funds for Central America in the Merida Initiative and he will continue to work on that. He also said he supports a longer extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Zelaya noted the good work of Ambassador Llorens and invited Engel to attend the OAS General Assembly to be held in Honduras in June. ¶8. (SBU) ECUADOR. Chairman Engel said he is working hard in the Congress to strengthen U.S. ? Ecuador relations, stressing the importance of working together. He said with President Obama we have a new beginning and need to look forward to the future as Obama noted in his opening ceremony remarks. President Correa thanked Engel for his help and said there was a lot we could work on together such as combating narcotrafficking. Correa remarked it would be useful if we could establish a more permanent commercial agreement to avoid the renewal issue we continuously face with ATPDEA. He reiterated Ecuador does not support the FARC and noted Ecuador is also a victim of the Colombian conflict, as they deal with refugees on their northern border. Correa noted he had just met with President Obama with the other UNASUR countries and noted his impression that Obama has a different approach to the region. Correa was pleased by this as he thought the previous Administration's approach to the hemisphere had been terrible. Correa added there are huge expectations for President Obama in the hemisphere. Engel said we have huge opportunities, but we need to keep expectations realistic. He added he hoped despite recent disagreements we could keep the dialogue going. Representative Meeks said Correa could be a unifier in the region. On the issue of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),Correa expressed concern that the IDB follows strict policies of conditionality and argued IDB, IMF, and World Bank-imposed policies have increased the gap PORT OF SP 00000197 003 OF 005 between the rich and poor in Ecuador. Representative Engel ended the meeting by asking if Ecuador would recognize Kosovo; Correa said he was waiting for a decision at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the matter. ¶9. (SBU) HAITI. Chairman Engel opened the meeting with President Preval by stressing we need to help Haiti in every way possible. He said he mentions Haiti in all the meetings he has on the region, adding great strides have been made, but there is much more to be done. President Preval said Haiti was on its fifth UN Stabilization Mission which should be more successful since Haiti now has political stability. He conveyed his concern that there might be fatigue among the international community with regard to Haiti, but the international community has a big role to play. Preval raised two areas where Haiti needed assistance ? building roads to allow producers to bring goods to market and increasing electricity. Without electricity, individuals are unable to benefit from HOPE. Preval mentioned that of the eight bridges destroyed during the last hurricane season, only three have been repaired. Representative Kendrick Meek raised the issue of temporary protective status (TPS). He said he had productive meetings with the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security and that the issue is under review. Meek advised should TPS be approved, measures would need to be taken to ensure there would not be a mass migration. Representative Greg Meeks said he is exploring with the IDB why $100 million for Haiti was held up and said he hopes to have the money released no later than June. He also suggested that resources flow through the GOH so that citizens better understand that the government is providing the help they need. Chairman Engel noted the potential Haiti has for growing jatropha and said he was happy Secretary Clinton announced additional funding at the April Donors' Conference. ¶10. (SBU) CARICOM. Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) joined the delegation for its meeting with the leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Chairman Engel noted the excitement surrounding President Obama and said there was a new dynamic in dealing with the region. CARICOM leaders said they recognized the changes President Obama has afforded. The first issue the CARICOM leaders raised was "tax havens" and the pending legislation in the U.S. Congress. Leaders think the most disturbing repercussion of the legislation would be the potential it has to destroy their financial sector which could bring a halt to investment in the region. CARICOM agrees there need to be international standards and they are working on those issues but see the legislation as detrimental to investment. On security, leaders noted the importance of the Merida Initiative, but said it needed to be extended to the Caribbean as they too faced drug/arms trafficking issues which would likely grow. They added they hoped the $30 million President Obama had announced at the Summit's opening ceremony was for the first six months of a longer commitment. They also commended the previous Administration for the 2007 Conference on the Caribbean in DC and noted the e-trace initiative is making progress. ¶11. (SBU) CARICOM, cont. Representative Rangel said CARICOM leaders should remember they had great access to the U.S. Congress. He agreed that legislation which actually named countries as "tax havens" was wrong and could adversely affect CARICOM countries. He added the discussion could continue with Ambassadors in Washington DC on the best way to handle the issue. Chairman Engel said he has asked Representative Doggett to meet with the CARICOM Ambassadors to discuss the legislation and added he had previously arranged a meeting between CARICOM Ambassadors and officials at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. On Merida, Engel said he is a strong supporter who pushed to have Central America included, and is doing the same now with the Caribbean. On arms trafficking, he said he had sent a letter to President Obama on the issue, calling for the assault weapons ban to be reinstated. He added the news that President Obama had asked the U.S. Senate to ratify the CIFTA treaty was also important. On deportations, Representative Payne remarked U.S. law on deportations won't change, so he is interested in ways we can work together on issues related to deportations such as reintegration programs and working to provide more information on deportees. He noted the importance of the PEPFAR program. Representative Meeks noted he was planning a hearing on the IDB in mid-May and asked for any thoughts on re-capitalization of the IDB. PORT OF SP 00000197 004 OF 005 ¶12. (SBU) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. President Fernandez told the delegation the Summit is historic and serves to lower the tension between the U.S. and other countries. He is looking forward to working with President Obama. Fernandez raised the overall issue of the financial crisis and then discussed his work to strengthen and deepen democracy and democratic institutions. He said the Dominican Republic continues to work to fight drug trafficking, but the $2.5 million provided in the Merida Initiative is not sufficient. The DR needs additional funding and a strategic plan. Representative Engel reiterated his strong support for Merida, particularly regarding funding for Central America and the Caribbean, and noted his support for the fine work Fernandez is doing. ¶13. (SBU) COLOMBIA. In their meeting with President Uribe the delegation praised the courage and work of Uribe, as well as the work of Ambassador Barco in Washington DC. Chairman Engel remarked how Colombia has impressed so many and said before Uribe's leadership, Colombia was on the verge of becoming a failed state. On the FTA, Engel said he wants to see it come up for a vote and is optimistic any obstacles can be overcome. He also thanked Uribe for the friendship he has provided to the U.S. President Uribe expressed deep gratitude to the Members for the support Colombia has received from the U.S. and said he recognized that help publicly during his speech in one of the plenary sessions. He said if you look at statistics, it is clear Colombia has made progress on various issues, but there is much more to be done and the GOC is determined to keep going. Uribe reconfirmed his commitment to restoring law and order in Colombia and is focused on improving the administration of justice, reparations for victims of the conflict, and more directly addressing social issues such as health and education. He added that President Obama had asked him what the next steps were on fighting drug trafficking and he said he responded that we needed to persevere. Representative Clarke said she was very impressed with Uribe and the paramilitary demobilization process which she said could be used as a global model. On the FTA, she said opponents in the Congress need to be honest with Colombia on what they are looking for and that she would be willing to work on a strategy with Members who are not supportive. Representative Becerra agreed there needs to be clear signal on what the Congress needs to see for a trade deal to happen. Representative Meeks said he is very passionate about Colombia and the FTA. He said Uribe has turned Colombia around, has saved lives, has a 70 percent approval rating, is working on ILO standards and has done more for Afro-Colombians than any other President. ¶14. (SBU) ARGENTINA. President Fernandez de Kirchner spoke at length on the need for responsible leadership in the region and noted her hope that U.S. relations with the hemisphere (and Cuba) will change and lead to concrete results. She added her initial impressions of President Obama are excellent. Chairman Engel said he believed we will see progress in the hemisphere under President Obama and that we are committed to strengthening relations. Representative Meeks asked about recapitalization of the IDB and Fernandez de Kirchner spoke about the high levels of inequality in the hemisphere. On Cuba, Representative Payne reminded that Cuba had to do more than just talk in order for us to continue to be able to move forward. ¶15. (SBU) MEXICO. President Calderon expressed his hope that collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico is moving in the right direction. The current security and judicial crises are at the top of his agenda and he thanked the U.S. for working closely with his administration on these issues. Members acknowledged that reports indicate 90 percent of the weapons used in Mexico are being purchased in the U.S. and much of the demand for drugs in the U.S. has fueled conflict in Mexico. They reconfirmed their commitment to address issues in the U.S. and collaborate more closely with not only Mexico, but others in the region to combat the drug trade and keep it from spreading to new transit and entry points. All appeared hopeful that the Merida Initiative is moving in the right direction, yet acknowledged that there are many challenges that lie ahead. ¶16. (U) Chairman Engel has cleared this cable. PORT OF SP 00000197 005 OF 005 RIES