MEDIA REACTION ON MAR DE PLATA AND CENTRAL AMERICAN

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002309 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE, WHA/EPSC, AND WHA/CEN DEPT. PASS USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO PREL ETRD ENRG KSUM HO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MAR DE PLATA AND CENTRAL AMERICAN REFINERY, NOVEMBER 10, 2005 ¶1. On 11/10 the San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" ran an op-ed by Tulio Mariano Gonzales entitled "Honduras and the Possibility of a Central American Refinery." "The Central American Integration System (SICA) is duplicating efforts by negotiating with Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia to build a gigantic refinery in the sub-region." "Honduras, which lacks a defined energy agenda, hasn't established a position." "Actually, the necessity to guarantee enough supply, lower costs, alleviate the energy crisis and strengthen commercial trade, and assure the joint generation of electrical energy have been discussed. Recently, Bay of Tela was technically recognized for having unbeatable conditions for location of this refinery." "Taking advantage during the Fourth Summit of the Americas in Mar de Plata, the exhausted Central American Presidents and the weakened Mexican President agreed to boost the context of the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) to include the electrical interconnection between the south of Mexico and its neighbors, the construction of a refinery, a hydroelectric plant and a gas pipe that will cross the whole isthmus thru Colombia." "It is a $3 billion initial investment. The technical requirements to determine the depth, location, access, and other requirements will be defined soon; the Trujillo Bay meets these valuable factors and so the Government of Honduras has the opportunity to take a step forward or to continue being the Central American `cinderella.'" Ford