GOES REACHES OUT ON HONDURAS, PLOTS MODERATE COURSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000597 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL HO ES SUBJECT: GOES REACHES OUT ON HONDURAS, PLOTS MODERATE COURSE Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: President Funes and FM Martinez reached out to us early June 28 to coordinate on action at the OAS in response to that morning's expulsion and exile of Honduran President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya. Going into the Managua SICA Summit, the GOES position was aligned with Guatemala and Costa Rica, condemning the coup, calling for Zelaya's return, and urging respect for human rights. The FMLN had staked out its own more aggressive support for Zelaya, and sent a delegation of observers for the aborted referendum. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Shortly after the Honduran military expelled President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya to Costa Rica June 28, Francisco Caceres, Private Secretary to Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, and Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez, reached out to Charge and PolCouns, respectively, seeking to put Funes and Martinez in touch with Washington counterparts. Following a conversation between Funes and the Charge, Funes and Martinez later spoke with WHA A/S Shannon and echoed to us their concerns about the situation in Honduras, seeking support for their position, shared with Guatemala and Costa Rica, condemning Zelaya's expulsion. Going into the SICA Summit in Managua June 29, Martinez told PolCouns the GOES position was aligned with Guatemala and Costa Rica, condemning the coup, calling for respect for human rights, and seeking Zelaya's return to office. ¶3. (C) Martinez said he could not predict how ALBA countries would behave in Managua as they were still coordinating their position. The GOES was coordinating a morning flight from Tegucigalpa to San Salvador to evacuate some of its Embassy personnel, Salvadoran PARLACEN Deputies (including FMLN radical Nidia Diaz),Legislative Assembly Deputies visiting Tegucigalpa, and some private Salvadoran citizens. The GOES was also prepared to evacuate Zelaya's spouse and children on that flight if they could safely reach the airport. ¶4. (C) The ongoing tension between Funes and the ruling (left-wing) FMLN was on full display in the days leading up to Zelaya's June 28 seizure and expulsion. FMLN Spokesman and Assembly Deputy Sigfrido Reyes on June 27 expressed solidarity with the Honduran people and President Zelaya, "who, in a democratic manner is seeking a popular, constitutional opinion, that must be heard and respected." Reyes and other FMLN Deputies planned to travel to Honduras to observe the planned June 28 referendum, as he put it "not to intervene, but to monitor." Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez had taken a more cautious public stance, respectful of Honduran internal processes. ¶5. (C) Comment: Funes-FMLN discrepancies have become more pronounced since Funes took office June 1, and now extend to regional politics. The FMLN followed the Hugo Chavez line in support of Zelaya's moves to allow him to stand for a second term. We are heartened by the fact that the President and Foreign Minister reached out to us first, and adopted a measured, pragmatic position. BLAU