CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO HONDURAS ALLEGES COMING U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001106 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CCA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, AND INR/AN/IAA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2014 TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR KDEM CU HO CHR SUBJECT: CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO HONDURAS ALLEGES COMING U.S. INVASION OF CUBA REF: STATE 102042 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i.; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Cuban Ambassador to Honduras Alberto Gonzalez Polanco, in public statements May 12, claimed that the GOC was at military alert for a potential U.S. invasion. He told reporters that the GOC feared such an attack was "closer than ever." He added that Cuban citizens were well prepared to resist an American attack and would make it very costly for U.S. troops. He also criticized the recent Report of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba and Radio Marti. The Cuban Ambassador's comments were reported in all four of Honduras' daily newspapers. ¶2. (U) Note: Acting PolCouns delivered the fact sheet on the Report of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba (reftel) to Honduran MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Ambassador Mario Fortin May 13. End Note. ¶3. (C) Comment: Ambassador Gonzalez Polanco has been the GOC's point man in Tegucigalpa over the last several months regarding hot issues such as the GOH's drafting of a UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) resolution on Cuba, a proposed (and then withdrawn) Cuban-drafted UNCHR resolution on Guantanamo detainees, and the resulting ramifications for Honduran-Cuban relations. He had been quiet for the last couple weeks until his comments May 12. End Comment. PIERCE