TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #48 08/21/2009 AS OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000790 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CASC MARR KDEM PHUM ASEC HO SUBJECT: TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #48 08/21/2009 AS OF 13:00 LOCAL (15:00 EDT) REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 787 AND OTHERS ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 738 -------------- DEMONSTRATIONS AND OTHER ACTIVITY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On August 21, as of 12:30 local (14:30 EDT),a medium-sized group (1,000-5,000 people) of pro-Zelaya supporters were congregating in front of the Channel 36 building. There was a police presence with this demonstration. ¶2. (SBU) As of 10:00, a small group (200 people) of the pro-regime Civic Democratic Union was demonstrating at the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) building. The group is protesting the inclusion of (Zelaya) Finance Minister Rebeca Santos in a CABEI meeting in El Salvador and the exclusion of de facto Finance Minister Gabriela Nunez. ¶3. (SBU) According to local media, of the 25 people who were arrested in relation to the protests near the National Congress on August 12 (Ref B),18 were released with no charges. Seven were put under house arrest and will face hearings within 60 days. Also, (Zelaya) Deputy Minister of Agriculture Angel Murillo, in a conversation with EmbOff, said that he was in a "provoked car accident" on August 12 at approximately 23:00 and he heard gun shots. He says that bullet holes were found in the car days later. Murillo suffered non-severe shoulder and head wounds and was taken to a local hospital. ¶4. (SBU) At present, there are no curfews in place in the country. The Embassy Warden Message urges AmCits to consult television and radio announcements each night in case a curfew is again imposed. ¶5. (U) Argentine Charge reported that as of August 21 neither his embassy nor his foreign ministry in Buenos Aires had received any official notes from the Honduran government asking them to vacate their Embassy. (Note: The de facto Honduran foreign ministry announced August 19 that it was expelling the Argentine mission.) As a precaution, he said that he and the two other Argentine diplomats in Honduras had moved from their embassy to his residence. -------------- Infrastructure and Communications -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa (TGU) and San Pedro Sula airport remain open. ¶7. (U) Most of Honduras' land borders with Guatemala and El Salvador are currently open to commercial and private vehicles. The borders between Honduras and Nicaragua have been closed intermittently since Friday, July 24. ¶8. (U) There are no reports of abnormal public utility outages in the country. -------------- Consular and Embassy Operations -------------- ¶9. (U) The Embassy is open for normal business on Friday, August 21. Barring any changes in the security situation, the Consular Section will remain open for regular consular services until further notice. ¶10. (U) The Consular Section continues to receive sporadic inquiries from AmCits regarding the political situation. Post circulated a Warden Message Monday, August 10. The Consular Section continues to regularly update ACS information on the Embassy website. TEGUCIGALP 00000790 002 OF 002 ¶11. (SBU) The next EAC meeting will be held as needed. HENSHAW