MEDIA REACTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000510 SIPDIS FOR WHA/PDA, WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN, AND INL/LP FOR IIP/G/WHA AND IIP/T/ES EMBASSIES FOR PAOS, IOS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP SNAR PREL KPAO HO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR),MARCH 7, 2005 ¶1. On 3/5, the Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El Heraldo" carried a half-page article entitled "Commended in anti-drug fight by U.S. report" with the subheading "Minister Oscar Alvarez says these results have cost blood, sweat and tears." It also ran a statement by Minister of Public Security Alvarez, "We appreciate the State Department acknowledging the work we've done, because we don't have the logistics or the financial resources to engage in a face-to-face fight against drug trafficking, whereas drug traffickers have access to an unlimited quantity of money, and yet we've been successful." ¶2. The San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" on 3/5 ran an EFE story entitled "State Department: Drug shipments through Honduras have continued at an `alarming rate'" with the subheading "Despite that, they acknowledge the government has accomplished `great seizures' of marijuana and other assets linked to drug trafficking." Palmer