MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, DECEMBER 14, 2005

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002505

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 ETRD HO USTR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, DECEMBER 14, 2005



1. On 12/14 the Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna"
published an editorial entitled "Bomb Race." "After
congressmen took a break to dedicate their time to the
political campaign, the legislative session began with a
great number of delayed legislations that weren't discussed
before elections. But the Executive branch is in desperate
need of their approval because it is urgent for CAFTA to
begin."

"Because CAFTA has to start on January 2006, the Secretary
of Commerce is pushing the congressmen to approve the
decrees pending."

"The congressmen are not happy that they are being pushed
upon and even threaten that CAFTA is in danger if they don't
finish the projects. One congressman was upset by the
presence of the Secretary of Industry and said: `Isn't it
true that the U.S. or its President will become desperate or
won't sleep because Honduras doesn't approve these laws.'"

"There is no way that all this work will be done
conscientiously. The country still doesn't know the content
of CAFTA because it was never adequately advertised and is
still ignorant of all the various requirements. The economic
sectors won't participate in the debate and the discussion
of its content, which is very different from how the
government negotiated FTA."

Ford