HONDURAN MINISTER OF CULTURE RESIGNS; CITES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000056 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CEN AND INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2014 TAGS: PGOV PINR SCUL HO SUBJECT: HONDURAN MINISTER OF CULTURE RESIGNS; CITES ON-GOING DISPUTE WITH FIRST LADY REF: 03 TEGUCIGALPA 1880 Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (U) On January 6, Honduran Minister of Culture Mireya Batres (former fiancee of Honduran President Ricardo Maduro) publicly announced her resignation. Batres' resignation comes as no surprise, as her tense relationship with First Lady Aguas Ocana has flared publicly on more than one occasion. It is unclear at this point who will be selected to replace Batres; and there are rumors that her ministry will be subsumed into the Ministry of Education. Batres' father, a presidential advisor, had resigned earlier due to the First Lady's behavior (reftel). ¶2. (U) In a press conference on January 7, Batres indicated that "when personal and professional situations interfere with one another, then it is time to go." Apparently, Batres made her final decision to resign after National Security Advisor (and de facto Chief of Staff) Ramon Medina Luna intercepted her on her way into a January 5 New Year's reception for the diplomatic community at the presidential palace. According to Batres, Medina Luna requested (on behalf of Maduro) that she not attend the ceremony "because it would upset the First Lady," even though all other ministers were invited to the event. ¶3. (U) In an open letter to President Maduro, Batres (who up to this point had refrained from caustic public remarks regarding the First Lady) called Ocana's actions "intolerable," claiming that the First Lady on more than one occasion had impeded her from carrying out her official responsibilities. Ocana subsequently publicly denied any involvement in the decision to exclude Batres from the diplomatic event and Maduro has denied to comment on his reasons for excluding Batres from the event. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: The manner in which Batres was eased out of her cabinet position is indicative of the leadership style exhibited by President Maduro and his administration thus far. Rather than confronting prickly personnel situations head-on or delivering unpopular policy decisions himself, Maduro often prefers that his subordinates carry the water when any type of bad or uncomfortable news is announced, which at times creates even more conflict. END COMMENT PALMER