U.S. Priorities in the Western Hemisphere: a Briefing with Deputy Assistant Secretary Francisco Palmieri 
Autor: Vasco de Jesus | Publicado: 2015-10-02T22:17:00-03:00






FOREIGN PRESS CENTER BRIEFING WITH FRANCISCO PALMIERI, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS

MODERATOR:&nbsp; So good afternoon, everyone.&nbsp; Thank you for joining us.&nbsp; We’re very pleased to have Francisco Palmieri, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs with us today, and to all of you joining us both in Washington at the Washington Foreign Press Center and via live stream.

The deputy assistant secretary is going to provide some opening remarks on U.S. foreign policy priorities in the Western Hemisphere, and then we’re going to open the floor to questions.&nbsp; Please wait for the microphone and state your name, your media affiliation before you’re asking your question.&nbsp; And those colleagues in D.C., if you could step to the podium, and we’ll recognize you in turn.

Today’s briefing is on the record, and with that, thank you for joining us.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Good afternoon.&nbsp; I’m really happy to be here with you all, and I want to take an opportunity to outline some of the important events this week here in New York related to the Western Hemisphere.&nbsp; As you all saw, the President had a historic meeting with Raul Castro on Tuesday.&nbsp; The White House has put out a good statement about how that has advanced the process of normalizing relations.&nbsp; And that will be a long process but it is one that is underway.&nbsp;

In addition, Secretary Kerry met with his counterpart, the foreign minister of Mexico, the new foreign minister.&nbsp; They had a very excellent conversation.&nbsp; That same day, earlier in the day, Mexico had taken a very large step and extradited 13 different people to the United States who had – we had long sought their extradition.&nbsp; It’s a clear signal and underscores the deep law enforcement cooperation between our two countries.&nbsp;

But the relationship with Mexico is more than just law enforcement cooperation.&nbsp; We are trading partners.&nbsp; We are countries that share a common border.&nbsp; And Mexico has been an important ally in helping us manage the undocumented flow of migrants from Central America over the last year, and we discussed that as well.

Later that same day Secretary Kerry met with President Santos and had an excellent opportunity to review the Colombian peace process.&nbsp; It is a historic development over the last week and a half in Colombia.&nbsp; The peace process really has offered the hope that the conflict in Colombia – the 50-year-old conflict in Colombia may be coming to an end.&nbsp; The two parties have agreed on a significant set of actions that they both will take over the next six months, and we look forward – the United States – to continuing our longstanding support to the Colombian Government there.

We also had meetings with people in – foreign ministers of Central America and in the Caribbean as well.

I’ll stop there and I’ll take your questions now.&nbsp; Thank you.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Good afternoon Mr. Palmieri.&nbsp; Thank you very much for taking the time to do this press briefing.&nbsp; My name is Rafael Mathus-Ruiz from Argentina.&nbsp; I’m with La Nacion Newspaper from Buenos Aires.&nbsp; I want to ask you two questions related Argentina.&nbsp; The first one is:&nbsp; President Cristina Kirchner say that the U.S. Government is not cooperating in finding a former agent named Stiuso, related to the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman.&nbsp; I wanted to know:&nbsp; What’s the U.S. position on what President Kirchner said at her UN speech?

And the second question is:&nbsp; There is going to be presidential elections in Argentina in a couple weeks, and there has already been some irregular local elections.&nbsp; I was wondering if the department – State Department is – how is the State Department looking at this process, if there’s any concern regarding how the election process may go.&nbsp; Thank you.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; We’ll take the election question first.&nbsp; Argentina has a long and strong democratic process.&nbsp; The elections that were carried out in the first round – or the primaries earlier this year were conducted in an open process.&nbsp; We expect that this next round of elections will be equally open and observed and carried out.&nbsp; No strong concerns about that process.&nbsp; It should be fair, free, and credible.

Regarding the question on law enforcement cooperation, we have a long record of cooperating with the Argentine Government, and with respect to that specific case, we would refer any requests about the status of any specific requests for assistance to the Department of Justice.&nbsp;

QUESTION:&nbsp; Vasili Sushko, Sputnik News.&nbsp; Raul Castro reiterated his call for Guantanamo Bay to be returned to Cuba and the embargo lifted.&nbsp; Any concrete timeline or developments on that?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; The process of normalizing relations with Cuba is going to take – it’s going to be a long and complex process.&nbsp; It’s going to require continued interaction and dialogue as we build on the January 20th re-establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of our embassy in Havana.&nbsp; I think we will be focused on issues that help Cuban people and continue our policy of protecting and advancing human rights.&nbsp;

Other issues on the agenda will be discussed during this – through the Bi-National Steering Commission we’ve established, and we will take those up in the course of those diplomatic conversations.&nbsp; I don’t have anything specific on a timeline related to that specific Cuban request.&nbsp;

QUESTION:&nbsp; Hi, Claudia Torrens from Associated Press.&nbsp; The Cuban foreign minister talked a couple of days ago here at the UN and said that Obama could do more when it comes to – with his executive power regarding the embargo, and that there could be more of a push regarding that on the hands of the President.&nbsp; What is your comment on that?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Well, I mean, as everyone knows, the embargo is still in place, and legislative action will be required to end the embargo.&nbsp; The President has called on Congress to end the embargo as soon as possible.&nbsp; But consistent with this view, the Administration has also taken a number of steps within the President’s authority to begin the process of normalizing relations and to support and empower the Cuban people.&nbsp;

While travel to Cuba is still not permitted for tourist purposes, we have taken a number of regular – regulatory changes that make authorized travel easier.&nbsp; It also allows – it increases the amount of remittances that are permitted, authorize the commercial sales and exports to Cuba of certain goods and services for use by Cuban entrepreneurs, and encourage more engagement by U.S. telecom companies in Cuba to support better connectivity and access to information by the Cuban people.&nbsp;

The changes will permit the U.S. private sector to engage more directly with the Cuban people in an effort to bolster Cuba’s growing private sector.&nbsp; We will – I’ll stop there.&nbsp;

QUESTION:&nbsp; Thank you very much.&nbsp; Fabiola Ortiz, I’m a Brazilian journalist.&nbsp; I write for IPS and for the BBC Brazil, the website.&nbsp; Just a quick question about this – Venezuela.&nbsp; Venezuelan activist Lilian Tintori, married with Leopoldo Lopez, in jail – contempt – for over 13 years now – she was here this week meeting with some authorities.&nbsp; So I wonder if you’ve been able to see her, to meet her, in case you’ve been – so if you could make some comments about this meeting in case.&nbsp; And she’s been asking here – she went – she came this week to the – to United Nations, and yeah, to New York, so she’s been asking international community to make some pressure on Maduro’s government to preserve human rights.&nbsp; There are some other students in jail as well, so if you could make some comments on this and the next elections in Venezuela.&nbsp;

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp;I did personally get a chance to see and talk to her on Wednesday morning at the Council of the Americas.&nbsp; We, the United States, continue to be very concerned about the grave injustice both in the trial and sentencing of Leopoldo Lopez to 13 years and 9 months.&nbsp; We’re also concerned about the sentencing of student activists in Venezuela and call for the release of all prisoners of conscience there in Venezuela.

It’s very important that the December elections have a wide and a robust international election observation.&nbsp; The U.S. has called for that.&nbsp; UNASUR, OAS, other international delegations should be invited in.&nbsp; The process of international observation helps lend credibility and ensure the fair, free, and legitimate elections are undertaken.&nbsp; She made her points very eloquently, and she not only in the United States but in other capitals in the Western Hemisphere and in Europe has been advocating strongly as well for international observers to attend the elections.

MODERATOR:&nbsp; We’re going to go next to Washington, D.C., to the Foreign Press Center.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Okay.&nbsp; This is Maria Garcia with Notimex.&nbsp; Could you talk about the cooperation of U.S. with Mexico in the recapture of the Mexican kingpin “El Chapo” Guzman, and also if you have confidence that he could be extradited to U.S. once he is captured again?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Yeah, I – the Mexican Government is actively pursuing its own investigation in pursuit of Mr. Guzman.&nbsp; Where appropriate and where we can, the United States is prepared to assist when requested.&nbsp; On the matter of extradition, that would be a matter that we would take up after he is recaptured.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Back to the question of Venezuela – oh, Diego Senior from Caracol Radio in Colombia – back to the question on Venezuela, I remember that Thomas Shannon, a former member of the State Department, has been acting to close – to re-establish ties between Venezuela and the U.S.&nbsp; What was the result of that effort, and what are the recent efforts on behalf of the U.S. Government in order to approach Venezuela once again?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Well, Tom Shannon is still very much active at the State Department.&nbsp; He’s the counselor for the department.&nbsp; I think you all are aware that he has had some conversations.&nbsp; We continue to have diplomatic relations with Venezuela.&nbsp; We have a charge d’affaires and an embassy in Caracas.&nbsp; We do not have an ambassador there.&nbsp; Our efforts are based on diplomatic conversations that reflect the deep mutual respect two sovereign nations should have in the normal conduct of bilateral relations.&nbsp;

We will continue to find areas where we think we can work with the Venezuelan Government, such as in Haiti, and where we are concerned about human rights issues, like in the case of Leopoldo Lopez, we will not hesitate to defend universal principles such as are raised in that case, in that trial.&nbsp; Thank you.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Thank you, good morning.&nbsp; Ramon Sahmkow with Agence France-Presse.&nbsp; I have a question on Colombia.&nbsp; Yesterday, Secretary Kerry mentioned that the U.S. Government is working on adapting Plan Colombia for the post-conflict – if that – if the government and FARC reach an agreement.&nbsp; Could you explain what is the process the U.S. Government is working on to do that?&nbsp; Will there be an adjustment in the investment – the money the U.S. is investing in Colombia?&nbsp;

And I have two questions on Venezuela as well.&nbsp; The United States has denounced – as you have today said also that the trial against Leopoldo Lopez is – are sanctions on the table against Venezuela for – on this case?&nbsp;

And on the elections, the Venezuelan electoral authority has already said that only UNASUR and other – expert from MERCOSUR and ALBA will be only the ones allowed to go to observe the elections.&nbsp; If that is the case, if the OAS and the European Union are not going to be allowed to observe the elections, what is going to be the position of the United States?&nbsp; Thank you.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; So I think it’s really important that we all remember that Plan Colombia, which started more than 15 years ago, has played a very important role in support and contributed to Colombia’s own efforts to bring about an end to the violence in that country that was so prevalent two decades ago, and that has eventually led to this historic opportunity.&nbsp; The architect of that effort, though, have been the Colombians themselves.&nbsp; President Santos has been courageous in the way he’s moved forward in the peace process, and the agreement reached last week is historic and offers the real hope to Colombia that the 50-year-old conflict can come to an end.

There are three key issues there: transitional justice, disarmament, and then a timetable for a signing of the final agreement.&nbsp; Where U.S. assistance, through Plan Colombia or through adjustments to Plan Colombia, can assist with disarmament, demobilization, retraining, helping the Colombians advance this process, the United States will continue to be a willing partner as we are asked by the government to do that.&nbsp; It’s really important that we understand that that support to Colombia has been a bipartisan effort between the – between both parties and by – fully supported by our Congress as well.&nbsp; And moving forward as the peace process begins to reach its culminating point, we would hope that that type of bipartisan support will continue.

Regarding the case in Venezuela, as I said, we see it as a grave injustice, both the trial and the verdict, and not just for Leopoldo Lopez, but for the other three students who were convicted in that case, and for other students who are also still being held in prisons.&nbsp;

The last question was on election observation.&nbsp; It’s really important that we have robust election observation.&nbsp; It’s important for Venezuela.&nbsp; It goes to establishing the confidence that its own citizens will have in the outcome, and our efforts are not to single out Venezuela for this kind of observation, but to point out that around the hemisphere, around the world, multiple international election observation missions help strengthen the democratic process.&nbsp; And I know that’s something we all share for Venezuela.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Hi, a follow-up question on Argentina.&nbsp; Can you tell me if this whole Stiuso ordeal has created any tension in the bilateral relationship?&nbsp; Can you give me an assessment on how things are now?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; I would not characterize it as creating tension in our bilateral relationship.&nbsp; It’s an issue that the Argentine Government raised and our response is very clear.&nbsp; We cooperate on law enforcement matters with any number of different countries when they make requests to us, and with respect to the specific case, they – the Department of Justice would have more definitive information about the status of that.

MODERATOR:&nbsp; I think we have time for one or two more questions.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Vasco De Jesus Rodrigues, VascoPress Communicacoes, Brazil.&nbsp;&nbsp;Would you care to comment on the developments on the bilateral relationship between Brazil and the United States in view of the issues such as the strong support Brazil has for the governments of Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina; the large Middle Eastern flow of immigrants; and next year’s Summer Games?&nbsp; Thank you.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Thank you.&nbsp; The United States and Brazil are natural partners on any number of different issues, including the issues you raise.&nbsp; We are working closely with the Brazilian Government to assist with preparations for the Summer Games next year, offering our assistance where they ask for it or request it.&nbsp; With regard to relations around the hemisphere, we have shared values about democracy and human rights.&nbsp; Brazil is one of the, I think, leaders in the hemisphere in the advocacy of those rights, and we continue to work closely with the Brazilian Government in those areas.

MODERATOR:&nbsp; Great.&nbsp; Let’s go to the Washington Foreign Press Center.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Thank you very much.&nbsp; This is Marcelo Ninio from Folha de Sao Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper.&nbsp; I have a question about Brazil.&nbsp; Brazil’s going through a very unstable moment due to crisis, political crisis, and economic crisis.&nbsp;

My question – first question is:&nbsp; How concerned the American Government is that this crisis could paralyze some areas of the government and put in risk the – some cooperation that was set in place in the recent visit by President Dilma Rousseff to Washington?&nbsp;

And the second question about the Syrian crisis:&nbsp; Brazil used to be very close to the Assad regime.&nbsp; Would the American Government expect right now from Brazil to take a stand and condemn and also to defend the – that Assad – the only solution for the crisis in Syria is that Assad leaves power?&nbsp; Thank you.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; I think on the Syria question, I’m going to have to defer that.&nbsp; I’m – I don’t have the latest on the specific issue that you’re raising, so we’ll have to get back to you on that.&nbsp; The situation in Brazil is an internal situation there.&nbsp; Our areas of cooperation, as outlined during President Rousseff’s visit to the United States in June, continue to move forward.&nbsp; We’re – and we are working closely to re-establish a lot of the working groups that were called for coming out of that meeting, irrespective of the situation on the ground there.

QUESTION:&nbsp; Vasili Sushko, Sputnik News again.&nbsp; There have been reports over the past maybe year or so that Cuban-Russian relations – there’s been talks of possibly opening up some military facilities in Cuba.&nbsp; Moving forward now that it seems that Cuban-American relations are thawing, is it being considered, current Russian-Cuban relations, when implementing policy regarding American-Cuban relations?&nbsp; Perhaps these future facilities, whether they will be established, whether they won’t – is that being considered moving forward when developing these new relations between Cuba and America?

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; We expect that Cuba will continue to maintain its own foreign policy objectives and goals and relations, as it has during the period of the last 50 years.&nbsp; What I think President Obama’s December 17th announcement has paved the way for is for a new normal relationship between the United States and Cuba.&nbsp; And as we move forward on that effort, we will be focused on those issues that are between our two countries and ways that we can deepen and work toward a more normal and productive relationship with Cuba.

MODERATOR:&nbsp; So we’re out of time.&nbsp; I want to thank the deputy assistant secretary very much for spending your afternoon with us on a rainy day in New York City.&nbsp; Thanks to all of the viewers watching online.&nbsp; The transcript will be posted at our website at fpc.state.gov when it is ready, and we encourage everyone who is watching today to follow the Foreign Press Center on Flickr and Facebook and through Twitter.&nbsp; Thank you so much.

MR PALMIERI:&nbsp; Thank you.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015, 2:00 P.M. EDT

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