HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON VENEZUELA; MFA SEES GOV AS

S E C R E T TEGUCIGALPA 001592

SIPDIS

NOFORN

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN
STATE FOR INR/IAA. INL/LP, S/CT, AND EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER SOCI EPET PINR HO VZ
SUBJECT: HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON VENEZUELA; MFA SEES GOV AS
LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT, BUT ONE THAT MEDDLES IN REGION

REF: A. STATE 127251


B. TEGUCIGALPA 886 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Paul Tuebner;
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).


1. (S) Acting PolChief delivered ref A talking points on
Venezuela to MFA Acting Director General (A/DG) of Foreign
Relations Alan Javier Oviedo Garcia during a meeting July 19.
After A/PolChief gave the demarche, Oviedo stated that the
Government of Honduras (GOH) isn't quite sure how to respond
to the issue since Chavez has been elected by the people and
his government is still recognized by all countries.
A/PolChief reiterated that the USG recognizes Venezuela's
democratic legitimacy but emphasized that the U.S. Government
has serious concerns about the Government of Venezuela's
(GOV) recent actions and comments about the U.S. and
hemispheric issues. A/PolChief also expressed U.S. concern
over recent accusations and stories of GOV funding of
anti-government parties and movements within various
countries of Central and South America. Oviedo registered
some surprise at the strong language of the demarche and the
information contained within it, especially the decrease in
U.S.-Venezuela cooperation on narco-trafficking and
anti-terrorism. A/PolChief reiterated the U.S. Government's
strong support for democracy and the governments of the
region. Oviedo stated that the GOH hopes that diplomatic
relations between the U.S. and Venezuela do not end, since
this would leave Honduras in a bad position. He also
expressed concern over the possible election of an ally of
Chavez in Nicaragua, and how this will affect relations in
Central America between the U.S. and other countries.
However, he also expressed the GOH's strong preference for
relations with the U.S. in case diplomatic ties between the
U.S. and Venezuela should come to an end in the future. He
noted that Chavez is a democratically-elected President and
that GOH maintains a relationship with the GOV, but assured
A/PolChief that Honduras is progressing in terms of
democratic values and looks more to the North than to the
South.


2. (S) COMMENT: It seems that the MFA is walking the
Organization of American States line here. Chavez and the
GOV are democratically elected and therefore are somewhat
sacrosanct. In addition, their oil makes Honduras tread
lightly, despite the fact that less than five percent of
total Honduran petroleum imports come from Venezuela. The
lines get a little more murky when Chavez' activities in the
region and support of fringe anti-government groups are
discussed (see ref B). Chavez' machismo against the U.S. is
a source of pride for some Honduran leftists. The powers
that be within the GOH sometimes use U.S. concerns over
Venezuela and Cuba to exaggerate the threat they pose to sway
U.S. policy in their favor. As stated in ref B, alleged GOV
funding of leftist groups in Honduras has yet to be proved,
but conferences and political diatribes do suggest close
coordination with at least one anti-government group, the
Popular Block, which is linked to the leftist UD Party. If
GOV funding of anti-government activities could be
definitively proved to the GOH, GOH acceptance of GOV and
Chavez would greatly diminish, if not disappear. Post is
concerned that during this election season possible GOV
funding of leftist groups could have a negative effect on the
democratic process in Honduras. END COMMENT.
Tuebner