SPECIAL EDITION: U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada

PALCUS has been at the forefront of the campaign to maintain the operation of the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. After monitoring the situation for several months, PALCUS has launched a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness and gather support. The campaign is gaining momentum through our letter writing initiative, press and social media outreach, appealing to federal and state legislators and meetings with U.S. Department of State representatives in Washington, D.C.

Logo of the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada

"We are united. Friendship since 1795."

Why is the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada important to Portuguese-Americans?

The U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada is the oldest, continuously operating U.S. Consulate in the world. From the beginnings of our nation, the Azores have played a strategic role as a stepping stone for relations with Europe. As early as 1777, the Continental Congress used the islands to coordinate travel for emissaries seeking support from Europe for the revolution. In 1795, President George Washington named John Street as the first U.S. Consul to Portugal in the Azores.

Ever since, the Azores have held strategic military and diplomatic significance for the United States. The islands have been the site of operations for World War II and the site of the Lajes Air Force Base on the island of Terceira. Numerous diplomatic meetings and summits have taken place under the presidencies of Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush.

Even more importantly, 14,000 American citizens visit the Azores each year. The vast majority of this number travel to visit family and friends which is no surprise since there are three times as many Azoreans in the United States as in the Azores. The consulate is important for the safety, rights and well-being of all American citizens living or visiting the Azores. Without this consulate, the nearest services are 950 miles and an ocean away at the Embassy of the United States in Lisbon.

Meeting with U.S. State Department in Washington, DC

On Friday, January 27th, Board of Directors Chair Fernando G. Rosa and Government Affairs Chair Rosa Alves, J.D., met with Doreen Maroney, Desk Officer for Portugal & Spain, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and David Feldmann, Desk Officer for Western Europe, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department offices in Washington, D.C.

Nationwide Letter-Writing Campaign

Drawing on its nationwide reach, PALCUS has mailed letters to 416 Portuguese-American clubs, organizations and associations throughout the country appealing to them to write letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton against the closing of the consulate. They were urged to not only send a letter as an organization but to provide photocopies of the sample letter to their members to mail as well. This multiplier effect can generate hundreds if not thousands of letters in support of keeping the consulate in operation.

In addition, PALCUS Directors have personally reached out to their respective communities encouraging their participation in this campaign by talking about the issue at meetings and events. Social media has played a part as well by regularly promoting participation on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo-Groups and Linked-In.

Legislative Support on Federal, State and Local Levels

The Portuguese-American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives, co-chaired by Congressmen Jim Costa (CA), Dennis Cardoza (CA), Jim McGovern (MA) and David Cicilline (RI), sent a letter in support of the consulate last fall to Secretary Clinton. A letter from Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) of the Friends of Portugal in the U.S. Senate, soon followed.

State legislators have also joined the movement. On February 1, 2012, RI State Representative Helio Melo sponsored a resolution on behalf of other RI Representatives of the Portuguese-American Caucus of the RI House of Representatives, "respectfully requesting Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to continue operations at the American consulate in Ponta Delgada, Azores." See resolution at: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7321.pdf

How can you help?

We all agree that maintaining pressure on the State Department is the best strategy in making our voice heard. The State Department will recognize individually mailed letters accompanied by a name and address and signed in BLUE ink. Government agencies do not recognize petitions or mass mailings.

Therefore, please consider mailing your letter today and ask your friends to do the same. Feel free to copy, paste and print the following sample letter or write one of your own.  You can also copy and paste this letter into an online form: http://contact-us.state.gov/app/ask  

Thank you for your support! We are 1.5 Million strong and we have a voice if we choose to use it!

Sample Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

The Honorable Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State

U. S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Clinton:

As a Portuguese-American, I am writing to object to the closing of the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Portugal for the following reasons:

The US Consulate in Ponta Delgada is extremely important to the safety, security and rights of the 14,000 American citizens who travel there every year primarily to visit family in the Azores.

If the consulate closed, the nearest services would be at the US Embassy in Lisbon, 950 miles away, creating hardship for the citizens who would need help.

There are three times as many Portuguese-Americans of Azorean descent in the United States as in the Azores mostly in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, California and Hawaii.

The US Consulate in Ponta Delgada is the oldest continuously operating US consulate in the world.

U.S. Air Force's 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes Field on the island of Terceira continues to be of critical military and diplomatic strategic importance.

President Barack Obama and President of the Republic of Portugal Anibal Cavaco Silva reaffirmed the work of the U.S. - Portugal Bilateral Commission in strengthening ties between the two allies and friends at a meeting in the Oval Office on November 8, 2011.

Please keep the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada open!

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Signature:________________________________________ Date: _________________

Name:

Address:    

Contact Information