TFH01: THE AMBASSADOR AND PRESIDENT-ELECT LOBO

S E C R E T TEGUCIGALPA 001264 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL HO SUBJECT: TFH01: THE AMBASSADOR AND PRESIDENT-ELECT LOBO DISCUSS COSTA RICA TRIP REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1244 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 1231 ¶C. TEGUCIGALPA 1253 Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (b & d) ¶1. (S) The Ambassador discussed the latest political developments with President-elect Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo on December 7. Lobo confirmed to the Ambassador that he will be traveling to San Jose at the invitation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias tomorrow, December 8. Lobo said he would be traveling to San Jose accompanied by presidential candidates Elvin Santos (Liberal Party),Bernard Martinez (PINU),and Felicito Avila (Christian Democrats). Lobo said he had also invited Cesar Ham of the Democratic Unification Party (UD) but that Ham had still not confirmed. Lobo said that Ham had indicated that he hoped to have a good "bilateral" working relationship with the incoming president but was not as inclined to work in tandem with the other presidential candidates. Lobo said that the visit to San Jose would include a working lunch and an afternoon meeting. ¶2. (S) Lobo added that this would be a busy week from a diplomatic vantage point. He said he expected Panamanian President Martinelli to visit Tegucigalpa on Wednesday, December 9. Lobo also said that he planned to travel to the Dominican Republic on Thursday, December 10. According to Lobo, he said that he had a scheduled meeting with Dominican President Leonel Fernandez on December. 10. Lobo and the Ambassador agreed to meet on December 9, upon his return from San Jose, and discuss needs steps in the effort to ensure that regime leader Roberto Micheletti steps down and that a government of national unity is created to serve a transition role until Lobo's inauguration on January 27, 2010. LLORENS