HONDURAN PRESIDENT ZELAYA HOLDS FIRST BILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000193

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PPC, WHA/EPSC, AND WHA/CEN
STATE FOR EB, INL/LP, PRM, AND PM
DOJ FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES
NSC FOR DAN FISK
DHS FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AMB CRIS ARCOS
STATE PASSS USTR
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD ECON KJUS SNAR SMIG PINR HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENT ZELAYA HOLDS FIRST BILATERAL
MEETING WITH U.S. AG: POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR RELATIONSHIP

REF: TEGUCIGALPA 161

Classified By: Ambassador Charles A. Ford;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Directly after his swearing-in ceremony on
Friday, January 27, 2006, President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya
Rosales met with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and the
rest of the official U.S. Presidential Delegation. While a
variety of issues were discussed in a short time, it was the
fact that Zelaya chose to have his first official bilateral
meeting with the U.S. that was most telling. End Summary.

Meeting With USG is First Official Act
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2. (SBU) As his first official act as President of the
Republic of Honduras, President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya
Rosales held a bilateral meeting with the U.S. Delegation.
U.S. Attendees were:
- The Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, Head
of Delegation
- Ambassador Cresencio Arcos, Assistant Secretary,
International Affairs, Department of Homeland Security
- Mr. Miguel A. Estrada, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
- Mr. Redmond James Hogan, President, Latin America and
Caribbean Resources, LLP
- Ambassador Charles A. Ford
- James G. Williard, Deputy Chief of Mission
- Derrick M. Olsen, Political Chief
- interpreter

Honduran Attendees were:
- President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales
- Vice President Elvin Santos
- Foreign Minister Milton Jimenez
- Private Secretary Raul Valladares


3. (SBU) The meeting was held in the President's private
office, and the wives of President Zelaya, Vice President
Santos, Attorney General Gonzales, and Ambassador Ford had a
spontaneous bilateral meeting of their own on the other side
of the room. Despite the close quarters, several substantive
issues were raised by the Attorney General: the
Inter-American Convention and Optional Protocol on Mutual
Assistance in Criminal Matters (which the USG is a party to,
but Honduras has yet to even sign),the extradition of
fugitives (which the AG acknowledged would require amending
the Honduran constitution),and the need for continued
cooperation and joint training where Central American gangs
are concerned. The Attorney General applauded Zelaya's
statements on corruption and encouraged him to keep it a top
priority. Zelaya began the meeting by re-stating his
intention to make a March 1 entry into force date with the
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The new
President also brought up organized crime and
counternarcotics, especially efforts along the North Coast,
emphasizing the importance of bilateral cooperation to
prevent transnational crime. Zelaya, as expected, also
emphasized the importance of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
and the overall USG immigration policy as it affected
Honduras, to which the Attorney General replied that the
issue is under continued review by the Administration.
President Zelaya spoke warmly about both Ambassador Ford and
Ambassador Arcos, highlighting a locally famous statement by
Arcos about impunity in the administration of justice in
Honduras.


4. (SBU) Following his bilat with the U.S., Zelaya held a
bilateral meeting with the Colombians, and then hosted a
lunch for heads of delegations (see septel). After the lunch
he held bilateral meetings with several other delegations.

Subtle Message?

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5. (C) Comment: While the limited time made the bilat between
the U.S. Delegation and President Zelaya more ceremonial than
substantive, with the only hard commitment made being
Zelaya's March 1 promise regarding CAFTA, the fact that the
meeting was the first official act of the freshly-inaugurated
President Zelaya was a strong message. Additionally, Zelaya
stated his intention that his first official trip abroad be
to the United States at the end of February or the beginning
of March. The Ambassador told the Attorney General that
anything he could do to facilitate a meeting between Zelaya
and President Bush would be greatly appreciated. While only
time will tell how the Zelaya Administration will do both in
Honduras and on the international scene, his initial
willingness to engage with the USG seems genuine and bodes
well for a successful relationship. End Comment.
Ford