TFHO1: UPDATE ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN HONDURAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001121 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM HO PHUM SUBJECT: TFHO1: UPDATE ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN HONDURAS REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1067 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 1007 ¶C. TEGUCIGALPA 949 ¶D. TEGUCIGALPA 989 ¶E. TEGUCIGALPA 952 ¶F. TEGUCIGALPA 707 ¶G. TEGUCIGALPA 584 Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: This is the second in a series of cables regarding meetings held by Poloff and visiting DRL Deskoff October 13-20 to obtain a better understanding of the human rights situation in Honduras since the June 28 coup d'etat. DRL Deskoff and Poloff met with Cesar and Yani Rosenthal, owners of Channel 11 and El Tiempo newspaper, who expressed concern over the state of press freedom and freedom of expression since the June 28 coup d'etat and explained in greater detail the September 18 visit by police and prosecutors to their Tegucigalpa-based cable company, Cable Color. The Rosenthals, as members of the Honduran Jewish community, expressed concern about the anti-Semitic remarks made by radio station "Radio Globo" journalist David Romero on September 25. In a different case, the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights in San Pedro Sula, Johny Cesar Mejia, filed an injunction against the National Electricity Company (ENEE) and the Honduran National Police (HNP) for their alleged intimidation of anti-coup radio station, Radio Uno, on September 21 in San Pedro. Anti-coup broadcaster Eduardo Maldonado in Tegucigalpa told DRL Deskoff and Poloff he continued to fear repression of press freedom by the de facto regime. End Summary. INTIMIDATION OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SAN PEDRO SULA -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Brothers Yani and Cezar Rosenthal, owners of Channel 11, "El Tiempo" newspaper, and "Cable Color" cable company told DRL Deskoff and Poloff on October 19 that they remained concerned about press freedom, and the possibility that the regime could still close down their operations. The Rosenthals said that despite various decrees restricting press freedom, they had instructed their editors and reporters to not engage in self-censorship. The Rosenthal brothers provided further details about a September 18 visit by police and prosecutors to the Tegucigalpa offices of their "Cable Color" cable company (Ref E). Although they initially thought that the visit related to an internet-based phone service that is also owned by the Rosenthal family, the brothers said they now believe that the incident was due to the coup d'etat and because their company provided a signal uplink service for anti-coup Radio Globo. The two brothers said that when the police arrived, they phoned members of the pro-Zelaya resistance movement in Tegucigalpa who then immediately sent six buses of anti-coup supporters to the offices of Cable Color. The Rosenthals told DRL Deskoff and Poloff that they believe the only reason the police did not confiscate equipment was because of the presence of the protestors. ¶3. (SBU) Special Prosecutor for Human Rights in San Pedro Sula, Johny Cesar Mejia, told DRL Deskoff and Poloff on October 19 that the Attorney General's office filed a complaint for injunctive relief on September 22 against the Honduran National Police and the National Energy Company (ENEE) for intimidation of anti-coup radio station, Radio Uno, in San Pedro Sula on September 21. The case file given to DRL Deskoff and Poloff contained photographs of approximately 10 police officers standing below what is alleged to be the San Pedro Sula offices of Radio Uno. The complaint also stated that the National Energy Company (ENEE) had purposefully cut electricity to the building of Radio Uno. Although the police officers left the Radio Uno building and electricity outages ended the same day on September 21, Judge Fatima Baide de Mejia approved the injunction on September 25, which ordered the police to refrain from sending unsolicited police protection to Radio Uno and also ordered ENEE to stop cutting electricity to the building. JEWISH COMMUNITY VIEWS ON ANTI-SEMITIC STATEMENTS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Television and newspaper owners Cesar and Yani TEGUCIGALP 00001121 002 OF 002 Rosenthal are prominent members of the small Jewish community in San Pedro Sula and expressed outrage to DRL Deskoff and Poloff over the September 25 anti-Semitic comments made on the air by Radio Globo journalist David Romero (ref B). The Rosenthals stated that in response to these comments and the feeling that anti-Jewish statements were on the rise, the Jewish community in San Pedro Sula began construction of a security wall around the San Pedro Sula synagogue. The Rosenthals stated that while they think the security barrier is probably not necessary, their cement company is donating materials for its construction. The brothers expressed concern to DRL Deskoff and Poloff that the Romero incident was the first time they could remember public anti-Semitic comments made on-air by a journalist in Honduras. They said that in the past, however, negative and racist comments among the public had been against persons of Middle Eastern descent. ¶5. (C) While the Rosenthal brothers were highly critical of Romero's anti-Semitic assertions, they passionately defended the freedom of the press guaranteed under Article 73 of the Honduran Constitution. They criticized the closure of anti-coup Radio Globo and Channel 36 on September 28 under the executive decree that limited civil liberties which was put into effect on September 26 and abrogated on October 17 and argued that the anti-Semitic comments and the closure of Radio Globo were two separate issues (refs A & D). They stated that Honduran law provides for the prosecution of the crimes of defamation and slander and it is under these statutes that Romero should be punished. CONTINUED FEAR OF REPRESSION -------------- ¶6. (C) Maya TV journalist Eduardo Maldonado, who alleged the company that hosts his television program has made him engage in self-censorship, expressed to DRL Deskoff and Poloff on October 13 continued concern about press freedom restrictions (refs C, F, G). Maldonado, a thirty percent owner of television station, Maya TV, stated that the private sector had pulled almost all advertising on anti-coup stations and that they were suffering financially as a result. ¶7. (C) Maldonado opined that while the anti-Semitic statements by Radio Globo's David Romero on September 25 were what he characterized as "excessive," Radio Globo owner Alejandro Villatoro was not ultimately responsible because Villatoro is from rural Honduras and probably did not know who Hitler was or the genocidal crimes he committed. DRL Deskoff and Poloff disagreed with this assessment and highlighted the importance of journalistic ethics and responsibility and that regardless of Villatoro's purported ignorance about Hitler, the radio station owner was ultimately responsible for the anti-Semitic statements made on his station. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) Despite the attempts by some, such as the Rosenthals, to resist self-censorship and defend press freedom, it appears the de facto regime decrees that curtailed civil liberties and closed media outlets have seriously eroded the sense of press freedom that was enjoyed in Honduras prior to June 28. Romero's outlandish anti-Semitic comments on September 25 continue to be controversial but it is a testament to the state of press freedom prior to June 28 that prominent Jewish media moguls such as the Rosenthals adamantly defend the right of Radio Globo to remain open. LLORENS