Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02TEGUCIGALPA2814
2002-10-07 23:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:  

TRADE MINISTER RESIGNS

Tags:  ETRD PGOV HO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002814 

SIPDIS

PASS TO USTR FOR ANDREA GASH DURKIN
FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD PGOV HO
SUBJECT: TRADE MINISTER RESIGNS

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002814

SIPDIS

PASS TO USTR FOR ANDREA GASH DURKIN
FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD PGOV HO
SUBJECT: TRADE MINISTER RESIGNS


1. (SBU) Minister of Industry and Trade Juliet Handal
resigned on Friday, October 5. In announcing her
resignation, Handal mentioned that she was interested in
devoting more time to her family and pursuing her business
interests. She also pledged support for President Maduro as
a private business person. Press reports indicate that she
resigned after learning that the GOH planned to form a
special team outside of the Ministry to negotiate the
USCAFTA. The press also spoke of differences between the
Ministry and coffee growers and millers over price controls,
but Handal did not confirm that these confrontations
affected her decision. The GOH plans to name her
replacement sometime this week.


2. (SBU) Embassy had heard rumors during the past two to
three weeks from two sources that the GOH had planned to
appoint Ramon Medina Luna, current Minister for Strategic
Issues and Communication and former Minister of the Economy,
to be a special trade negotiator. It is possible that the
GOH will ask Medina to take over the Ministry instead.
Another possible replacement for the trade minister, or
alternatively possible chief of a USCAFTA negotiating team,
is Norman Garcia, current director of the export promotion
NGO called FIDE.


3. (SBU) A third possibility, although Embassy contacts
have not mentioned his name recently, is Oscar Nunez, a
director at the Central Bank. Nunez headed Honduras'
negotiating team for the GATT accession in the early 1990's.


4. (SBU) Comment. Minister Handal never had the support of
the President's closest advisors, who viewed her as
inexperienced and at times a loose cannon. Handal and her
Vice Minister for Foreign Trade, Irving Guerrero, did not
have backgrounds in trade policy but improved markedly in
their understanding and management of trade issues since
they entered office in late January. With limited funds,
they had restructured the Ministry and were beginning to
form and train a team of negotiators, with some help from
our USAID G-CAP program and USAID's bilateral PEP program,
in preparation for USCAFTA negotiations. The Embassy was
heartened to see during Handal's time at the Ministry, more
operational control of the Honduran Mission to the WTO in
Geneva and more cooperation from the GOH on key WTO issues.
End comment.

Pierce