Cablegate: Nicaraguan Fm Santos Letter to Secretary Rice:

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #2233 2751927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021927Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1401
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEPINS/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJF/HQ INS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002233

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN AND CA/FO
PANAMA FOR DHS REGIONAL REP--EDDIE DOLAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG ODPC PREL PREF CVIS NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUAN FM SANTOS LETTER TO SECRETARY RICE:
REQUEST STAY OF DEPORTATIONS AND EXTENSION OF TPS

1. (U) On Tuesday, September 25, we received, under cover of
a Foreign Ministry (MINREX) diplomatic note, a letter to the
Secretary from Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos.
The letter thanks the U.S. for assistance rendered during
Hurricane Felix and, citing the internal displacement and
destruction caused by Felix, requests that the U.S.
temporarily suspend all deportation proceedings for
Nicaraguans as well as extend Temporary Protective Status
(TPS) until such time as the Government of Nicaragua (GON)
can adequately receive and reintegrate its citizens. The
diplomatic note and signed original letter, all in Spanish,
have been pouched to the Department (WHA/CEN). The text of
the MINREX unofficial English translation of Santos' letter
is in para 2 below.

2. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF UNOFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Your Excellency:

On behalf of my government and of myself, please accept our
gratitude for all of the help your government has provided to
the victims of Hurricane Felix. As you may know, this has
been one of the worst natural disasters that has affected
Nicaragua in the last decade. Our country is still grappling
with the economic and social aftershocks. Our attention is
now centered on trying to bring stability, with dignity, back
to the areas destroyed and the local economy: 90% of the
houses (more than 9000) have been ruined, more than 100,000
Nicaraguans are now without shelter, and the death toll, thus
far, totals more than 146, with others still missing. Our
government has allocated emergency resources to deal with the
crisis upon us.

As you know, tens of thousands of Nicaraguans live in the
Unites States. Your government has now accelerated the
removal of Nicaraguans and recently a planeload of our
citizens just arrived in Managua. They landed as other
airplanes were bringing resources and emergency aid for the
victims of Felix. Given the emergency situation engulfing
our nation at this point, I respectfully and officially
request that your government halt removing Nicaraguans until
we can stabilize the on-going crisis. In the near future,
once the statistics for Felix become available, we may ask
you for additional cooperation in trying to obtain the remedy
called TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for the victims of
the aforementioned disaster. We believe in the principle of
mutual respect for the internal affairs of all nations. That
is why we understand that you have to comply with the
applicable immigration regulations that may or may not affect
our citizens. But we believe you have the discretion to act
at this point, given the situation at hand.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
And avail myself to reiterate my highest esteem and
consideration.

Samuel Santos Lopez

H.E. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State, United States of America

SIPDIS
United States Department of State
Washington, DC

END TEXT OF UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION
TRIVELLI

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