Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SANSALVADOR597
2009-06-29 21:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy San Salvador
Cable title:  

GOES REACHES OUT ON HONDURAS, PLOTS MODERATE COURSE

Tags:  PGOV PREL HO ES 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #0597 1802145
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 292145Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1297
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
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)

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