GUNMEN SHOOT ADVANCE CAR OF HONDURAN FIRST LADY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000882

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, DS/OP/WHA, CA, INL, AND DRL
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SNAR KCRM CASC ASEC PINR HO
SUBJECT: GUNMEN SHOOT ADVANCE CAR OF HONDURAN FIRST LADY
AGUAS DE MADURO; GOH SAYS ATTEMPTED ROBBERY LIKELY REASON


Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (U) According to Honduran Minister of Public Security
Oscar Alvarez, an advance car for Honduran First Lady Aguas
Santas Ocana de Maduro was shot by unknown gunmen near the
town of Los Limones on the road from Olanchito to the
Caribbean coastal city of Trujillo in the Department of Yoro,
at approximately 11:30 a.m. Honduran time on April 10. Note:
A separate GOH source gave the location as near the town of
Los Encuentros (near La Union) in the Department of Olancho.
End Note. The driver of the advance car was wounded in the
leg by the gunfire; the other two occupants of the car were
apparently not injured. No suspects have been caught. The
GOH does not believe that the gunmen knew that the car was an
advance car for the First Lady, who was in Tegucigalpa at the
time of the incident.


2. (U) Alvarez told the DCM that the car was advancing a
planned trip via helicopter by the First Lady to Trujillo.
He emphasized that the First Lady was never scheduled to
travel by car and that her helicopter flight had been
canceled due to bad weather. The First Lady told ConGen that
she was ok, but shaken by the incident.


3. (U) Whether it was on highway 41 in the Department of
Olancho, known as the "corridor of death," or highway 23 in
the Department of Yoro, both have been the scene of violent
robberies in the past in which gunmen have shot at cars and
buses to disable the vehicles or force the vehicles to stop.
Gunmen then have robbed the drivers/passengers of the
vehicles.


4. (U) Post notes that President Ricardo Maduro has been in
Washington, DC since April 9 for the Central American
presidents meeting with the President to discuss CAFTA. The
two have been married since October 2002. The First Lady is
a Spaniard.


5. (C) Comment: Given the fact that the First Lady never
intended to travel by car, Post has no reason to believe that
this was anything other than an attempted robbery, but
EmbOffs will follow-up with GOH contacts as the incident is
investigated further. End Comment.
Palmer