NATIONAL PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MARIO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000223 SIPDIS SIPDIS MADRID FOR H LLORENS AND BRASILIA FOR S HENSHAW E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV KDEM HO SUBJECT: NATIONAL PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MARIO CANAHAUTI GETTING DESPERATE Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ford, reasons 1.4 (b & d) ¶1. (C) Summary: National Party (NP) Presidential candidate Mario Canahuati is quickly losing supporters and growing increasingly desperate. In private meetings with the Ambassador, he has made serious but unsubstantiated accusations against his main rival, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo and some of his associates, and wants the USG to "do something" about them. (Note: We have referred his information to the appropriate law enforcement officials, and we have briefed Lobo on narcotics trends. Lobo himself has asked the Embassy to informally vett some of his questionable supporters, and we are doing so. End Note.) In the meantime, Canahuati is threatening to take his information to his contacts in Washington. In Honduras, he is making laughable public accusations against Lobo and the NP. As he loses his own credibility, he appears to want to damage that of his rivals on his way out. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Former Honduran Ambassador to the United States and current contender for the Nationalist Party (NP)presidential nomination, Mario Canahuati, is feeling the pressure as his followers leave in droves to join Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo's camp. As his allies announce their desertion publicly, Canahuati appears to have decided that one of his only remaining strategies is to turn to the U.S. Embassy for help. On January 8, Ambassador and PolCouns met with Canahuati, who accused his main rival Lobo of making pacts with narcotraffickers. Canahuati followed up these accusations with multiple phone calls, giving us the names of several mayors who he says are involved in drug trafficking and other nefarious dealings, and asking us to investigate. (Note: Searches by CONS, ORA, DEA, ICE and RSO turned up derogatory information on only one subject. We will broach this subject with Lobo separately to see if he is indeed considering placing this individual on his candidate list. End note.) Canahuati also delivered a DVD recording of a NP meeting in Copan, where Lobo sat next to the mayor of Nueva Arcadia. Canahuati says that this is proof that Lobo is involved with narcotraffickers, but our searches brought up no derogatory information about this mayor. (Note: The mere fact that Lobo was seated next to a questionable person is obviously not enough to discredit him. End Note.) Canahuati then began a series of desperate phone calls to PolCouns accusing her of telling Lobo's camp that Canahuati had given us this information. ¶3. (C) In the meantime, Canahuati has been all over town accusing Lobo both privately and publicly of involvement with narcotraffickers and many other transgressions, such as lying and corruption. Canahuati then approached the press on March 7 to accuse the Central Committee of the NP of being "illegal" because of technicalities in registering the members with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in 2004. ¶4. (C) At the NP convention on March 8 (see septel), Canahuati arrived late, accompanied by only a handful of people. Upon conclusion of his remarks, Lobo left the arena, as is custom, to allow for the various "movements" to freely speak their minds. Upon his departure, about 80 per cent of the crowd followed. Canahuati expressed his outrage to the press for this "affront" and accused Lobo of inhibiting the arrival of 40 buses carrying his followers. (Note: As Poloffs were present at the convention, we do not believe that the NP was logistically capable of blocking certain buses and allowing others. End note.) Canahuati was only able to muster enough supporters to cover the stage. The press joked that his was the movement with the least number TEGUCIGALP 00000223 002 OF 002 of followers. ¶5. (C) Comment: Canahuati is growing increasingly desperate and seems to believe that the USG should take some action to discredit Lobo publicly. In the meantime, Lobo has approached us with names of people about whom he is unsure and asked that we give him feedback. Lobo asked for and received a briefing on narcotics trends by DEA, RSO, and POL on March 8. We do not believe it is appropriate for us to tell Canahuati the details of our interactions with Lobo or the actions we have taken in response to his accusations other than saying that they have been referred to the appropriate law enforcement officials for consideration. Canahuati has begun spreading dirt about Lobo and has told us he will be approaching his contacts in the United States, especially in the U.S. Congress, over this issue. We would like to ensure that the Department and other USG agencies are aware of this situation and also of the steps the Embassy has taken in response to his very serious accusations. Canahuati's desperation has driven him to make laughable public accusations against Lobo and the rest of the NP establishment, which will further discredit him amongst the populace. We believe he has absolutely no chance of gaining any momentum as a candidate and will be forced to leave the race or lose in a landslide. It appears, however, that he wants to hurt his enemies, especially Lobo, on his way out. End Comment. FORD