PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION PROTESTS COLUMBUS DAY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002928

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR WHA/CEN, DS/OP/WHA, AND S/CT
STATE PASS USTR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2012
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PREL PTER ETRD PHUM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION PROTESTS COLUMBUS DAY,
GLOBALIZATION, AND U.S. POLICIES OUTSIDE EMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA

REF: TEGUCIGALPA 2860

Classified By: Political Chief Francisco Palmieri;
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (U) On October 11 approximately 100 peaceful demonstrators
protested outside Embassy Tegucigalpa. The protesters
included representatives of the Convergence of Movements of
the Peoples of America (COMPA),the public university
worker's union (SITRAUNAH),the Civil Council of Indigenous
and Popular Organizations and Ethnic Groups of Honduras, and
the loose political alliance known as the Popular Block.


2. (U) The demonstrators protested against a number of
issues, including Columbus Day, Plan Puebla Panama, Plan
Colombia, the planned Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA),
globalization, the proposed privatization of municipal water
services, and U.S. policy on Iraq. It received front page
coverage in the major newspapers. Aldo Mauricio Calderon, a
journalist for the San Pedro Sula newspaper El Tiempo, helped
choreograph the protest, something he has done at past
anti-U.S demonstrations. Ericka de Ramirez, the reigning
Miss Honduras from the Garifuna community who has traded
accusations with pageant organizers, led a similar peaceful
protest in La Ceiba (the third largest city in Honduras) and
called for observance of women's rights.


3. (SBU) Honduran security forces notified RSO in the hours
prior to the demonstration that two busloads of indigenous
people had been sighted en route to Tegucigalpa from La
Esperanza, a town four hours from Tegucigalpa. The
approximate number of occupants of the buses matched the
rough number of indigenous protesters later witnessed in the
demonstration outside the Embassy. These "protesters for
hire" had been allowed to enter the city and after completing
a peaceful protest were most likely paid for their services
prior to leaving Tegucigalpa, a pattern that has been
observed many times in the past. Post notes that few of the
demonstrators, other than the leaders, appeared to be from
Tegucigalpa.


4. (C) COMMENT: While much tamer than protests in previous
years, the GOH has reacted very nervously to these
demonstrations. The Minister of Defense and the Minister of
Public Security (Police) separately asked if the Embassy was
noticing an increase in activities by leftists groups in the
country or whether we had any information about these groups
arming themselves again a la the 1980's armed Patriotic
Morazan Front. They acknowledged that their concerns were a
bit exaggerated but noted that a recent spate of bomb threats
in Tegucigalpa (directed at government offices) and San Pedro
Sula had prompted them to ask their intelligence units to
monitor the situation. END COMMENT.
PALMER