MEDIA REACTION ON UNCHR RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000808

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PD, WHA/CCA, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN
STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, INR, AND IIP/G/WHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO PHUM PREL KDEM CU HO CHR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON UNCHR RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
IN CUBA, APRIL 15, 2005



1. On 4/14, the Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna"
published a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
titled "Honduras will vote against Cuba." The San Pedro
Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" carried an article
entitled "Honduras supports the U.S. in resolution against
Cuba."


2. On 4/14, the evening television newscast "Hoy Mismo" on
Channel 3 broadcast a statement by Leonidas Rosa Bautista,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, who said "Honduras is
exercising its multilateral right as a member of the UNCHR
to vote as we think appropriate, we haven't presented a
resolution as we did last year, we have exercised our right
to vote as other twenty countries did, since the final
result was 21 to 17 in favor of the resolution." The Cuban
ambassador in Honduras responded, "I'm not authorized to
speculate about the reaction of the Cuban government on
Honduras' support to the UNCHR resolution. These matters
are decided by the top authorities of each country."


3. On 4/14, the evening television newscast "Vica Noticias"
on Channel 9 also broadcast a statement by Minister Rosa,
"We have exercised our sovereign opinion, I believe we as
Hondurans should be proud of our international relations, we
have always acted in accordance to our democratic
principles."


4. On 4/15, "Tiempo" published an article titled "Minister
of Foreign Affairs tries to justify vote which favors
embargo against Cuba," which included the following
statement from the FM, "Honduras hasn't presented the
resolution and neither has it sponsored it, we have read its
content and we favor the resolution presented by the U.S."
It also ran three AFP wire stories, entitled "U.N. condemns
Cuba," "Cuba counterattacks, asks to investigate
Guantanamo," "Exiled Cubans celebrate." The Tegucigalpa-
based moderate daily "El Heraldo" carried a statement by the
Cuban ambassador in Honduras, titled "Our cooperation will
continue." It also published an AP story entitled "U.N.
condemns human rights situation in Cuba." La Tribuna ran
three AFP articles, titled "U.N. condemns Cuba," "Perez
Roque: Mexico betrayed us," "Cuban Minister of Foreign
Affairs criticizes `pathetic and submissive' role of EU."

Palmer