Posted on 11/04/2003 2:06:22 PM PST by TheOtherOne
'Embarrassing' U.S. Memo Denigrating Nicaragua Surfaces During Powell's Visit
Published: Nov 4, 2003
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"Nicaragua crawls along as the second-poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti, battered by storms of nature and their own making, with little hope of changing things in the future," the unsigned document, released by the U.S. Embassy, said.
"Privileged Nicaraguans see the U.S. in a generally favorable light. They prefer to dress in Ralph Lauren shirts, drive large Ford SUVs, watch American movies and, when going out for a meal, brag that they go out to T.G.I. Friday's."
The reporters accompanying Powell here found the document in a press packet distributed after Powell arrived late Monday for a 16-hour visit.
Asked about the memo shortly before Powell and his party left for Honduras on Tuesday, a senior State Department official dismissed the document as "a set of gross simplifications."
"I'm dismayed to see anything like that written, much less passed out. It's embarrassing," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The message of the document contrasts sharply with the Bush administration's view of Nicaragua. After decades of misrule, Nicaragua is viewed by U.S. officials as potentially ripe for takeoff under President Enrique Bolanos, 73. A former businessman, Bolanos is unabashedly pro-American, is untainted by corruption and believes that free trade and open markets are the keys to prosperity.
The convergence of views and mutual regard between Bolanos and Powell were on display at an hour-long news conference Monday night at the presidential palace.
Powell praised the transparency with which Bolanos is running his government. Bolanos returned the favor, lauding successive U.S. administrations for generous humanitarian aid following natural disasters. He also said U.S. support has been invaluable in moving Nicaragua toward an agreement to ease an onerous debt burden.
Powell, in an apparent reference to U.S. support for anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua in the 1980s, acknowledged the difficulties of the relationship in the past.
"This is a brighter era: an era of democracy, rule of law, the end of corruption, the encouragement of trade, the education of young people and the diversity of an economy that will allow Nicaragua to play an important role, its rightful role in central America and the Americas," he said.
Powell spent several hours in Honduras that included a luncheon meeting with President Ricardo Maduro. They later appeared at a news conference, their remarks competing with the shouts of up to 50 protesters who demonstrated outside the gates of the presidential palace.
AP-ES-11-04-03 1647EST
Geez, we handed this out? How dumb is the U.S. Embassy / State Department
I wonder if he was able to keep a straight face while saying that?
WHAT THE US EMBASSY SAID: "Nicaragua crawls along as the second-poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti, battered by storms of nature and their own making, with little hope of changing things in the future," . . . "Privileged Nicaraguans see the U.S. in a generally favorable light. They prefer to dress in Ralph Lauren shirts, drive large Ford SUVs, watch American movies and, when going out for a meal, brag that they go out to T.G.I. Friday's."
WHAT POWELL SAID: "This is a brighter era: an era of democracy, rule of law, the end of corruption, the encouragement of trade, the education of young people and the diversity of an economy that will allow Nicaragua to play an important role, its rightful role in central America and the Americas,"
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