TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #70 10/05/2009 AS OF

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001013 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CASC MARR KDEM PHUM ASEC HO SUBJECT: TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #70 10/05/2009 AS OF 14:00 LOCAL (16:00 EDT) REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1007 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 999 ¶C. TEGUCIGALPA 993 ¶1. (SBU) Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),along with members of her staff, arrived in Tegucigalpa October 5. The CODEL had arranged meetings at the Presidential Palace with de facto regime representatives and a press conference. The CODEL will also meet with Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez and with representatives from civil society and U.S. businessmen living in Honduras. The CODEL will receive a country team briefing at the Embassy. They are scheduled to depart at 0705 local (0905 EDT) Tuesday, October 6. ¶2. (SBU) Representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) arrived on the same flight to Honduras as Representative Ros-Lehtinen, but are not part of the Codel. They participated in some of the same regime meetings with Ros-Lehtinen. -------------- Diplomatic Process -------------- ¶3. (U) The OAS advance team continues to prepare for the October 7 arrival of the OAS delegation of Foreign Ministers, which will include OAS Secretary General Insulza. -------------- Domestic Political Situation -------------- ¶4. (U) The Council of Ministers met today, October 5 and decided to overturn the emergency decree curtailing civil liberties that has been in effect since September 26. The decree will go out of effect once the ministers decision is published on October 6. ¶5. (U) In a television appearance, de facto regime leader Micheletti said that although he will not accept a referendum on a constitutional assembly, he would be willing to consider the possibility of reinstating Zelaya after a new president is elected in transparent elections on November 29. ¶6. (SBU) According to Mario Garza, IMF Resident Representative, local press articles on the recently released IMF Global Financial Stability Report are misleading. Stories in the local press have cited the report as touting the strength and stability of the Honduran commercial banking sector. However, as Garza noted, the Honduran commercial banking system is in fact not even mentioned in the 238-page report. The commercial banking sector does get good marks in the IMF's draft Article IV report, which was recently posted on the web site of Honduras' central bank in spite of the fact that it is an internal working document. This report, however, reflects the situation before the June 28 coup. Like the de facto regime's premature and ultimately inaccurate claim that it would be able to access funding set aside for Honduras by the IMF, this appears to be a case of the de facto regime distorting the facts in order to create an impression of international legitimacy. ¶7. (SBU) The Ambassador sent a letter to pro-Zelaya radio station Radio Globo condemning anti-Semitic comments made by the station's director, David Romero, last week (reftel A). The Embassy has released the letter to the media. -------------- Civil Unrest and Security Environment -------------- ¶8. (U) Approximately two hundred pro-Zelaya supporters protested in the vicinity of the Embassy today, October 5. They announced that they will meet at the Embassy again Tuesday, October 6. ¶9. (SBU) Post is investigating reports of two deaths over the weekend which pro-Zelaya forces have claimed were political; police do not believe they are related to the political crisis. Mario Fidel Contreras, a teacher and active anti-coup protestor, was allegedly killed on October 2 as he was leaving a grocery store in Tegucigalpa. Police spokesman, Commissioner Cerrato, told Embassy employee that they believed the murder was not related to the political crisis, but also noted that Contreras had complained to human rights organizations that he feared for his life. Contreras' family reported to police that he was killed resisting an armed robbery. In an unrelated case, Mateo Antonio Leiva was allegedly killed by 'unknown assailants' for 'unknown motives' on October 2 in the Santa Barbara department. Leiva was an active member of the anti-coup movement and leader of the National Organization of Indigenous Lenca of Honduras (ONILH). Police have no further information on the death and Embassy is working to confirm the circumstances of Leiva,s death. ¶10. (U) The thirty-eight Zelaya supporters who were arrested and charged with sedition for occupying the National Agrarian Institute in Tegucigalpa (reftels A and C) and who are being held at the National Penitentiary in Tamara were granted a writ of habeas corpus. The protesters have declared a hunger strike to protest what they allege to be cruel and inhumane treatment. -------------- Consular/ACS -------------- ¶11. (U) The Consular Section issued a warden message October 2 reminding American citizens that the decree suspending certain constitutional rights is still in effect. -------------- Embassy Operations -------------- ¶12. (U) The Embassy is open today, October 5, and will remain open unless a curfew is imposed. As of 1400 local (1600 EDT) no new curfew announcement had been made. (Note: official announcements have been made minutes before imposing or lifting curfews since September 21. End note.) ¶13. (SBU) Limited travel of mission personnel within Honduras is now permitted. TDY travel into Honduras will be approved on a limited, case-by-case basis. LLORENS