HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON CHAVEZ SOCIAL CHARTER EVENT;

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001776 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/USOAS, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN STATE FOR DRL/MLA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2015 TAGS: SOCI PREL KSUM XL XM HO OAS SUBJECT: HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON CHAVEZ SOCIAL CHARTER EVENT; GOH TO BE REPRESENTED BY OAS PERMREP REF: A. STATE 154693 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 408 ¶C. STATE 29142 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i., James G. Williard; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge and PolChief delivered August 25 ref A demarche on the Venezuelan-hosted Social Charter event (schedule for August 28) and emphasized USG concern to Minister of the Presidency Ramon Medina Luna and Foreign Minister AMB Mario Fortin. PolChief noted that USG representation would be at a low level, if at all. The FM said that the GOH would attend but would be represented by Honduras OAS PermRep Salvador Rodezno, and not at the ministerial level. Post suggests that USOAS discuss U.S. concerns directly with AMB Rodezno. ¶2. (C) On February 18, the previous FM had voiced to EmbOffs GOH concern over Venezuela's motivations and potentially harmful role with respect to the OAS Social Charter (see ref B). Then-FM Leonidas Rosa Bautista had said at the time that there were two options - to try to stop the process or to try to work it for a better outcome. He favored the latter as it would avoid controversy, especially if a group of countries took the lead. AMB Fortin, then-Vice Minister, had noted that the draft charter could be influenced through the process. Rosa Bautista said the GOH wanted to avoid a direct confrontation with Venezuela but also did not want an unfavorable initiative to go forward. Rosa Bautista pledged to instruct the Honduran OAS PermRep to work with USOAS on the issue. ¶3. (C) Minister Medina Luna took the opportunity of the August 25 discussion on Venezuela to voice again GOH concern about possible Venezuela coordination with the Cubans in support of leftist elements within Honduras, including the leftist Popular Block protest organization. EmbOffs emphasized that the USG was concerned about any possible Venezuelan and/or Cuban funding in Honduras and urged the GOH to share any more specific information they obtained with the USG. Williard