BORDER CLOSURES WITH HONDURAS ORDERLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000905

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (Classified by statement)

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR HONDURAS TASK FORCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ES
SUBJECT: BORDER CLOSURES WITH HONDURAS ORDERLY

REF: TEGUCIGALPA 967

Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Official Salvadoran border closures due to
the Honduran curfew have been orderly. Protesters from both
sides did block traffic for a few hours each mid-day from
September 20-23, in demonstrations coordinated with the local
authorities. There are reports of increased AmCit traffic
out of Honduras into El Salvador, approximately 130 each day.
Conservative media reports continue to suggest Honduran
President Zelaya likely entered Honduras by crossing the
Salvadoran-Honduran border. Zelaya did meet with FMLN
hardliners at the international airport Sunday evening,
September 20. If they helped him enter Honduras, such an
action would have been in direct defiance of President Funes'
authority. End Summary.

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BORDER CLOSINGS AND PROTESTS
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2. (U) Emboff visiting Salvadoran-Honduran border reports
that official border closures due to the curfew have been
orderly. During the first two hours of the border reopening,
all traffic is processed into Honduras to allow travelers and
commerce to pass and make the most of non-curfew hours. The
final two hours prior to the curfew are dedicated to getting
traffic out of Honduras. Otherwise, the border crossing is
operating normally in both directions when open.


3. (U) From September 20-23, between 70-200 protesters would
meet in the middle of the bridge between El Salvador and
Honduras during mid-days and block traffic. Reports were not
conclusive as to where the protesters originated from or
their political leanings, but more appear to be from
Honduras. The protests were orderly and negotiated with
authorities on both sides of the border.


4. (U) AmCit traffic out of Honduras has increased to about
130 per day at this crossing, El Amatillo. The traffic does
not seem to be substantial, and we are unable to gauge the
scale of the increase.

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ZELAYA'S RETURN ENGINEERED BY FMLN?
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5. (C) Conservative media continue to report that Honduran
President Zelaya likely entered Honduras by crossing the
Salvadoran-Honduran border. Salvador Samayoa (strictly
protect) told Emboff September 22 that he believes, based on
what he described as a credible, authoritative source, that
Zelaya entered Honduras from El Salvador with the assistance
of hard-line members of the FMLN. The (conservative) ARENA
party has called for an official inquiry in the Salvadoran
legislature.


6. (C) Comment: We would estimate that there was a 50
percent chance that Zelaya entered Honduras via El Salvador.
(The other 50 percent speculates that Zelaya re-boarded the
same Venezuelan plane that brought him here on Sunday night
and flew to Guatemala, then made his way overland from
there.) FMLN hard-liners have advocated for stronger action
to return Zelaya to power and they are intimately familiar
with the border region from their years there during the
civil war. If proven true, it will have been a direct
challenge to President Funes' authority, as Funes had stated
unequivocally that he would not permit El Salvador to be used
as a staging area for any Zelaya operations.
BLAU