“Open Letter to Jimmy Carter”, an article by Dr. Leonel Fernández

Dear President and friend:

Recently, the suspension of your trip to Guyana due to health reasons – where you were to lead a delegation to observe the electoral process in that South American nation – caused us some concern. Thankfully, our concern soon disappeared when we learned that you had returned, almost immediately, to your daily duties.

Now, however, we have felt great dismay after you revealed that after a recent liver surgery, it was discovered that you have cancer and that it had spread through various parts of your body.

We cannot forget the day we met you, back in 1988, when Professor Juan Bosch appointed me to represent him in the invitation that had been extended to him to participate in the Democratic Party Convention, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia. The Convention would choose its presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis, for the elections that were to be held that year.

During that occasion we had the opportunity to greet and share with you the possibility that you could lead a commission that would supervise the presidential electoral process that was scheduled to take place in the Dominican Republic in 1990.

And you did. That year you visited our country. I remember that we met with you, that is Professor Bosch and other leaders of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), at the home of architect Eduardo Selman, currently the Dominican Consul General in New York City.

We remember your interest and efforts so that we Dominicans could have fair, clean and transparent elections. Likewise, I remember your meeting with the leader and founder of our Party, the day after the elections, when we were convinced that the popular vote had been tampered with.

Also, we will never forget, distinguished friend, the kind and cordial welcome with which you received in your office at the Carter Center a delegation made up of members of the Political Committee of the PLD party, headed by Vicente Bengoa. The meeting was to present you with our evidence on the irregularities and fraudulent acts that had been committed during the aforementioned electoral process.

In short, there are so many reasons to always remember you with affection, respect and admiration. But, your efforts to further peace, democracy, development and respect for human rights go beyond our memories and currently receive global recognition.

The Man from Georgia

As you yourself will admit, you were not initially perceived as the figure who would become President of the United States in 1976. Only five years before you were elected Governor of the State of Georgia and, the truth is that outside your jurisdiction, you were virtually unknown.

But various events occurred that you – based on your work, talent and dedication – would take full advantage of. The Watergate scandal erupted, bringing to a disastrous end the Presidency of Richard Nixon.

People were tired of Washington politicians. They wanted someone who was not from the traditional power circles. Thus, based on moral preachings on the need to rescue long-standing values, you defeated your rival, President Gerard Ford, Nixon’s replacement.

We know that you faced great challenges during your Administration. You had to face serious problems of economic stagnation with high inflation and high levels of unemployment, which economists of the time called stagflation. The energy crisis was no less difficult, as many of your compatriots had to wait in long lines to buy fuel at gas stations.

On the international level, we cannot forget the fact that your government was surprised by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which was then perceived by senior officials in your Administration as an attempt by the Kremlin to seize the Middle East oil wells, thereby putting at risk the industrial production capacity of the Western world.

We are also aware of the impact felt by your government when the Islamic Revolution in Iran triumphed, under the leadership of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; of the taking of hostages in the American embassy in Tehran; and of the resounding failure of the plan to rescue them, which culminated in an aircraft crash and the death of several American officers and soldiers.

But, on the other hand, your achievements were more than remarkable. It was you who really formalized diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China after several decades of diplomatic rupture. It was you who promoted the Camp David Peace Agreement between Israel and Egypt, as a way of advancing a solution to the conflict between Jews and Arabs.

It was you who, defying the imperial tradition of certain power groups in your country and a noisy public opinion, signed the Panama Canal treaties with General Omar Torrijos, ordering the return and administration of the Canal to those who it rightfully belonged to: the Panamanian people.

It was also you who introduced the concept of human rights as a supreme value and cardinal principle when it came to U.S. foreign policy. This change brought about radical changes in the way key actors of the international scene carried themselves.

But although it does not appear in your memoirs, Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President, nor in a more recent publication, White House Diary, the truth is that it was your participation in the elections held in the Dominican Republic in 1978 which gave rise not only to a new chapter in the contemporary history of our country, but to the process of democratic transition in Latin America.

The Universal Man

It is public knowledge that everything began with the visit of President Joaquín Balaguer to Washington D.C., in 1977, precisely during the signing of the Panama Canal treaty.

On that occasion, according to Dominican journalists Victor Grimaldi and Marino Mendoza – who traveled to cover the event at the White House – you, President Carter, approached President Balaguer to discuss the need for the Dominican elections of 1978 to be “open and free, and a model for all on the universality of the right to vote and the free expression of the people’s thoughts to choose their own leaders.”

Your words, President and friend, changed the course of history. Not only here in the Dominican Republic, where the attempt to suspend the counting of votes was defeated by pressure from your government and other democratic nations, but also throughout Latin America where, from that moment on, the transition from despotic and authoritarian regimes transitioned to civilian governments, elected through a democratic vote.

More than three decades have passed since then, and during that time period the peoples of Latin America have made progress in consolidating their democracies, respecting human rights and strengthening economic progress and social well-being.

Much of that is due to you. But it has also been more than three decades since you left the White House, and since then your work has been nothing but commendable. Through the Carter Center in Atlanta, you have maintained an international presence, monitoring elections, negotiating peace processes, building housing for the poor, and fighting catastrophic diseases in places as remote as sub-Saharan Africa.

There are those who claim that you are the best ex-President in history. We do not doubt it. For all the work you carried out for the benefit of humanity, you were deservedly and justly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Over the years we have had the privilege of meeting with you, under various circumstances. On many occasions, we have returned to visit you at the Carter Center. We have participated in conferences and seminars. We have worked, together with members of your team, in various electoral observation processes.

Over the years, our admiration for you has only grown. For that reason, we feel deeply proud that during our Administration we were able to recognize all your work and contributions by awarding you the highest decoration that our country grants: the Medal of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella, our Founding Fathers.

You, Mr. President, face great challenges in the future. However, we embrace the hope that with God’s help, you will once again emerge victorious. World peace demands your presence.

In the meantime, please accept the cordial greetings of a friend who deeply appreciates, admires and respects you.

Sincerely,

Leonel Fernandez

Author’s Note: International public opinion was shaken earlier this week by the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He was 100 years old. His passing came after suffering for several years from a brain tumor. His inseparable wife and political collaborator, Rosalynn, passed several years before him.