CASA ALIANZA HONDURAS IS NOT LINKED TO BRUCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002873

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2014
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM SMIG HO
SUBJECT: CASA ALIANZA HONDURAS IS NOT LINKED TO BRUCE
HARRIS SCANDAL; EMBASSY RECOMMENDS CONTINUED USG FUNDING

REF: STATE 269517

Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; Reasons 1.5 d.


1. (C) PolOff met November 8 with Gustavo Zelaya, Legal
Assistance Program Coordinator for Casa Alianza. Zelaya told
PolOff that Casa Alianza had been fully cooperating with the
Public Ministry investigation into the alleged crimes of Casa
Alianza Central American Director Bruce Harris in Honduras.
Zelaya said that Casa Alianza was also conducting an internal
investigation, but emphasized that it was Harris and not Casa
Alianza Honduras that were alleged to have committed wrongful
acts.


2. (C) PolOff spoke again December 29 with Zelaya, who said
that it was Casa Alianza's understanding that the Public
Ministry investigation had found no wrongdoing by Casa
Alianza.


3. (C) Special Prosecutor for Children Nora Urbina, an
excellent Embassy contact and upcoming IVP grantee, told
PolOff December 29 that the Public Ministry had completed its
investigation of Casa Alianza and its various shelters and
had found no wrongdoing. She particularly noted that the
Public Ministry had found no evidence of any cases of sexual
abuse and/or exploitation. Urbina said that the
investigations had found that Harris, and not Casa Alianza,
was responsible for Harris' actions and there was no
wrongdoing by Casa Alianza. She declined to state what the
Public Ministry's conclusions had been about whether or not
Harris' actions constituted crimes, as this has yet to be
made public. She said that the Public Ministry was still
working on an investigation into alleged sexual abuse in the
Catholic Church and would release the conclusions of the
three investigations (Harris, Casa Alianza, and the Catholic
Church) at the same time when all three were ready.


4. (C) PolOff spoke December 30 with Casa Alianza Honduras
Director Jose Manuel Capellin, who has retained the title of
Associate Executive Director of Latin American Programs. He
told PolOff that, although each Casa Alianza country office
now reports directly to Covenant House in New York, he is
doing some regional coordination. Capellin's comments echoed
Zelaya's. He made it clear that it was Casa Alianza's policy
to immediately report to Honduran authorities any evidence
that came to light about alleged child abuse or exploitation,
as they had done in the Harris case. Capellin reiterated
that Casa Alianza Honduras was not culpable in any way for
Harris' acts.


5. (C) Comment: Casa Alianza has been fully cooperative with
Ministry of Public Security (police) and Public Ministry
(prosecutors) in the Harris case and subsequent
investigations, and received public praise from Minister of
Public Security Oscar Alvarez, a man not known for showering
praise on NGOs, for the forthright manner in which it brought
information to Honduran authorities after Harris' actions
came to their attention. Once the initial publicity over
Harris' actions died down, Casa Alianza appears to have been
able to continue operating as one of the key nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) on children's issues in Honduras. Post
is in regular contact with Casa Alianza on issues such as
gangs and rehabilitation, street children, extrajudicial
killings, trafficking in persons and commercial sexual
exploitation. Post is not aware of any information that
would led EmbOffs to recommend a cutoff of USG assistance.
Post believes that the USG should continue supporting Casa
Alianza Honduras. End Comment.
Palmer