C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002490

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/B, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PHUM CU HO OAS
SUBJECT: HONDURAS STILL FAR AWAY FROM NAMING ABMASSADOR TO
CUBA

REF: A. HAVANA 17832


B. OCTOBER 21 TRIVELLI-PALMER E-MAIL

C. STATE 297777

Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri;
Reasons 1.5(B) and (D).


1. (C) President Maduro's National Security Advisor, Ramon
Medina Luna, informed PolCouns October 21 that the Government
of Honduras (GOH) was still a long way from naming an
ambassador to Cuba. Medina Luna assured PolCouns that
selecting an ambassador to Cuba was not a pressing issue, nor
was it likely to be on the GOH's agenda for the immediate
future. Medina Luna did make a point of noting, however,
that Cuba has already posted an ambassador to Honduras.
Because the decision to normalize diplomatic relations was
made by the previous government, Luna indicated that at some
point in the future the GOH would have to move on the issue.
He also repeated concerns about attending to the 700 Honduran
medical students in Cuba and continuing pressure on this
issue from the Honduran private sector.


2. (C) Separately, on October 17 and on October 22, PolCouns
pressed the MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Mario
Fortin and Chief of Protocol Ambassador Ricardo Flores,
respectively, on the possible naming of a Honduran Ambassador
to Cuba. Both stated unequivocally that naming an ambassador
to Cuba was not a high Honduran foreign policy priority.
Fortin added that he did not think there would be any
movement on this issue until some time next year. He then
characterized the recent public statements by newly appointed
Foreign Minister Leonides Rosa Bautista as having been
twisted by the media and given greater prominence than they
merited. Fortin explained the FM's comments on this
sensitive topic revealed Rosa's inexperience in how to deal
with the media in his new position as Foreign Minister.
(Comment: In other words, Rosa learned a lesson that his
comments as FM are more likely to generate media interest and
that he must more carefully parse his public statements than
he did as a Congressman. End Comment.)


3. (SBU) Both interlocutors shared our concern over Cuba's
March crackdown on civil society members and expressed
agreement on the need for international action. Flores could
not commit to GOH support for a resolution at the
Ibero-American Summit (ref C), but Post expects that Honduras
would support such an initiative, if approached by the
sponsors.
Palmer