OAS SECGEN CANDIDACY OF FRANCISCO FLORES -

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000149

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2015
TAGS: PREL AORC HO OAS
SUBJECT: OAS SECGEN CANDIDACY OF FRANCISCO FLORES -
HONDURAS STILL WILL NOT SUPPORT FLORES

REF: A. STATE 10956


B. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 2818

Classified By: Roger Pierce, Charge d'Affaires, a.i.;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Ambassador has raised this matter on multiple
occasions with Honduran President Ricardo Maduro, most
recently on January 18 during visit of CODEL Weller. Maduro
again demurred taking a position in support of Francisco
Flores. During this most recent instance, Maduro, after
reciting again his concerns about the domestic impact of
supporting Flores' candidacy, Flores' historical behavior on
the border issues, and the lack of a Central American
consensus (see reftel B),went as far as to suggest that his
own disputed nationality (many in Honduras accuse him of
selling out Honduran interests too readily because he was
born in Panama) also made it difficult/impossible to support
Flores. He told the Ambassador that he had made clear his
position on Flores' candidacy to Salvadoran President Saca.
Pierce