SAN PEDRO SULA PRISON FIRE KILLS 103 INMATES;

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001141

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CEN, DRL/PHD, INL/LP, INR, CA, AND DS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2014
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SNAR KCRM KJUS CASC ASEC HO
SUBJECT: SAN PEDRO SULA PRISON FIRE KILLS 103 INMATES;
SECOND DEADLY PRISON FIRE IN LITTLE OVER A YEAR

REF: A. 03 TEGUCIGALPA 1742


B. 03 TEGUCIGALPA 861

C. 03 TEGUCIGALPA 1309

Classified By: DCM Roger D. Pierce; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (U) A fire allegedly caused by an electrical short circuit
in a refrigerator for soft drinks in a cell block for gang
members killed 103 inmates in a prison on the outskirts of
San Pedro Sula. Approximately 25 injured prisoners were
treated at a nearby hospital. (Two other injured prisoners
died at the hospital.) The vast majority of the victims were
members of the gang "Mara Salvatrucha," AKA "13." The
incident caused President Ricardo Maduro to cut short his
trip to Europe and announce he plans to return to Honduras.


2. (U) The prison, reportedly built to hold 800 prisoners,
housed approximately 1,960 prisoners at the time of the fire
according to the GOH. San Pedro Sula is Honduras' second
largest city and economic capital, but is plagued by gang
violence and an extremely high murder rate.


3. (SBU) Police are speculating that Mara Salvatrucha's
rival, the "M-18 (diez y ocho)" gang, may have deliberately
set the fire. Others are sure to soon blame the GOH for the
fire given what happened in April 2003 at the El Porvenir
prison near La Ceiba. While at least one inmate claimed that
prison guards shot at prisoners, prison authorities said that
the only shots fired were into the air to prevent a mass
escape. Currently, there is no evidence that any of the
victims were shot.


4. (U) Note: On April 5, 2003, 68 persons, 61 of them gang
members, were killed in a violent incident at El Porvenir
prison near La Ceiba. Reports produced by the Public
Ministry, a Special Commission of the Honduran National
Council for Internal Security (CONASIN),and the Human Rights
Commissioner placed the blame for the vast majority of the
deaths on government security forces (police and military
under police command) and non-gang member inmate trusties.
(See refs A-C for background and septel for an update.) End
Note.


5. (U) There are two American citizen prisoners at the
prison, but the Embassy's Consular Agent in San Pedro Sula
has confirmed that neither was injured in the fire.


6. (U) Minister of Public Security Oscar Alvarez told Embassy
Law Enforcement Advisor that the GOH would thoroughly
investigate the incident. EmbOff offered the assistance of a
law enforcement consultant currently working with the Police
Internal Affairs Unit if needed.


7. (C) Comment: Especially given the April 2003 incident at
the El Porvenir prison, there are likely to be allegations
that the GOH is either (a) responsible for setting the fire,
(b) negligent in letting a fire be started, and/or (c)
negligent for allegedly not assisting the inmates in their
burning cell block immediately. However, as noted above, it
is quite possible that gang rivalries could have led to this
incident. Violence between gang members (both inside and
outside the prisons) is common. Past violent incidents have
occurred at this San Pedro Sula prison, including grenades
thrown over the prison walls. The San Pedro Sula prison has
less controls than the main Tamara prison outside of
Tegucigalpa. Post will closely follow the investigation of
this incident and urge the GOH to conduct a complete and
transparent investigation. End Comment.
Palmer