Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TEGUCIGALPA212
2008-03-07 19:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:
NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ORELLANA CLEANS HOUSE AT THE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0811 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHTG #0212 0671906 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 071906Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7788 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 0171 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID IMMEDIATE 0492 RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//CINC/POLAD// IMMEDIATE RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE RUEAHND/CDRJTFB SOTO CANO HO IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUMIAAA/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
MADRID FOR H. LLORENS, BRASILIA FOR S. HENSHAW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM HO
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ORELLANA CLEANS HOUSE AT THE
MINISTRY
Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ford, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
MADRID FOR H. LLORENS, BRASILIA FOR S. HENSHAW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM HO
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ORELLANA CLEANS HOUSE AT THE
MINISTRY
Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ford, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (C) Foreign Minister Edmundo "Mundo" Orellana took office
on February 1. On his first day in office, he received the
Ambassador and told us of his plans to clean up the Ministry
by removing some of the over 500 employees (all party
activists) who had been added during former FM Milton
Jimenez's tenure. True to his word, on February 29, 80
employees were fired from the Ministry, most of whose
contracts had run out. He told PolCouns that he expected two
more waves of dismissals, one at the end of March and the
other at the end of April. In addition, Orellana publicly
fired the Honduran Consuls based in New York (Javier
Hernandez) and Washington (Marta Zuniga) for corruption or
abuse of authority, and is publicly investigating the consuls
in Houston (Lastenia Pineda),Atlanta (Rosa Juarez de
Pineda),New orleans (Enna Liliana Castro Rice),and Mexico
City (Carlos Mendieta Linares). He also fired the vice
consul in New York, Gilda Concepcion Argenal, who is a close
friend of Liberal Party leader Patricia Rodas. Argenal has
been receiving a salary of USD 4,400 per month for over a
year, but still lives in Honduras and has never reported for
work in New York.
2. (C) Comment: Orellana is firing all of Jimenez's loyal
party followers who were unqualified for their jobs or who
never even bothered to show up for work. Although Jimenez no
longer controls a Ministry, he is still close to President
Zelaya, and retains substantial influence as his legal
advisor. We have heard that Jimenez is very upset about the
firings (mostly because they make him look bad) and that he
will deny any knowledge of specific cases if approached by
the press. We have also heard that Orellana's days may be
numbered, but he has been very smart to do this publicly,
because the firings have been wildly popular and thus give
him some measure of protection. In order to support these
courageous moves, the Embassy will set up background
briefings with local press to discuss our cancellation of
visas of those who are fired by the MFA and our previous
struggles with the abuse of diplomatic visas for those who
were going to the United States but never appeared at work.
End Comment.
FORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
MADRID FOR H. LLORENS, BRASILIA FOR S. HENSHAW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM HO
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ORELLANA CLEANS HOUSE AT THE
MINISTRY
Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ford, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (C) Foreign Minister Edmundo "Mundo" Orellana took office
on February 1. On his first day in office, he received the
Ambassador and told us of his plans to clean up the Ministry
by removing some of the over 500 employees (all party
activists) who had been added during former FM Milton
Jimenez's tenure. True to his word, on February 29, 80
employees were fired from the Ministry, most of whose
contracts had run out. He told PolCouns that he expected two
more waves of dismissals, one at the end of March and the
other at the end of April. In addition, Orellana publicly
fired the Honduran Consuls based in New York (Javier
Hernandez) and Washington (Marta Zuniga) for corruption or
abuse of authority, and is publicly investigating the consuls
in Houston (Lastenia Pineda),Atlanta (Rosa Juarez de
Pineda),New orleans (Enna Liliana Castro Rice),and Mexico
City (Carlos Mendieta Linares). He also fired the vice
consul in New York, Gilda Concepcion Argenal, who is a close
friend of Liberal Party leader Patricia Rodas. Argenal has
been receiving a salary of USD 4,400 per month for over a
year, but still lives in Honduras and has never reported for
work in New York.
2. (C) Comment: Orellana is firing all of Jimenez's loyal
party followers who were unqualified for their jobs or who
never even bothered to show up for work. Although Jimenez no
longer controls a Ministry, he is still close to President
Zelaya, and retains substantial influence as his legal
advisor. We have heard that Jimenez is very upset about the
firings (mostly because they make him look bad) and that he
will deny any knowledge of specific cases if approached by
the press. We have also heard that Orellana's days may be
numbered, but he has been very smart to do this publicly,
because the firings have been wildly popular and thus give
him some measure of protection. In order to support these
courageous moves, the Embassy will set up background
briefings with local press to discuss our cancellation of
visas of those who are fired by the MFA and our previous
struggles with the abuse of diplomatic visas for those who
were going to the United States but never appeared at work.
End Comment.
FORD