Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon scheduled a meeting with the U.S. State Department in Washington for early March, though the trip was ultimately cancelled. According to internal text messages obtained by The Gazette, U.S. consular officials discussed the planned diplomatic outreach and its subsequent cancellation with Quebec public officials.
Internal Messages Reveal Washington Itinerary and Cancellation
The extent of the sovereignist party’s plans to engage with American diplomats came to light following the release of text messages involving Robert Sanders, who served as the U.S. consul general in Montreal at the time. On March 3, Sanders texted a Quebec public official to clarify the status of the prospective diplomatic visit.
“Just to confirm, PSPP did not/not go to Washington this week. No word on our part if/when it may be rescheduled,” Sanders wrote in the text message obtained by The Gazette. The acronym refers to Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois.
Prior to the cancellation, the U.S. State Department took the step of informing its consulates in Quebec that the Parti Québécois was planning a trip to Washington and had requested a meeting.
| Date | Key Development | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Early March | Parti Québécois schedules Washington meetings with U.S. State Department (ultimately cancelled). | The Gazette |
| March 3 | U.S. Consul General Robert Sanders texts Quebec public official confirming PSPP’s trip did not happen. | The Gazette |
| Saturday | State Department informs Quebec consulates of the PQ’s planned Washington outreach. | The Gazette |
US Officials Track Parti Québécois Leader's Schedule
The communications show that U.S. officials were tracking the schedule of the Parti Québécois leader. While the State Department initially acknowledged the request for meetings, the visit did not take place in early March.
The text messages from Sanders indicate that U.S. officials had received no indication regarding whether or when the diplomatic meetings might be rescheduled for a later date.
