HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES STOLEN VEHICLE TREATY

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 003322 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR L/T, INL, EB, AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PBTS KTIA KCRM ETRD HO SUBJECT: HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES STOLEN VEHICLE TREATY WITH U.S.; DECREE PUBLISHED IN HONDURAN FEDERAL REGISTER REF: STATE 242132 ¶1. Upon receipt of reftel that informed Post that the Senate on November 14 had given advice and consent to ratification of the Treaty With Honduras for Return of Stolen, Robbed, and Embezzled Vehicles and Aircraft, EmbOffs began checking into the status of Honduran congressional action on the treaty. The Economic Section discovered that on October 29 a decree (266-2002) was published in "La Gaceta," the Honduran version of the Federal Register, announcing that Congress had given approval August 6 to the treaty. ¶2. PolOff confirmed this information December 6 with MFA Director General for Treaties Ivonne Bonilla. PolOff informed Bonilla of the Senate's action and Bonilla said that the MFA is ready to discuss an exchange of instruments of ratification as soon as the USG is ready. ¶3. Comment: Post notes that EmbOffs were never informed by the MFA nor Congress that Congress had approved the treaty or that the decree had been published in La Gaceta. Unfortunately, this is not atypical behavior for the MFA. End Comment. PIERCE