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P 302203Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9818
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS

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 
 
 
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