TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #61 09/24/2009 AS OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000963 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CASC MARR KDEM PHUM ASEC HO SUBJECT: TFHO1: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #61 09/24/2009 AS OF 11:00 LOCAL (13:00 EDT) REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 957 AND OTHERS ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 958 -------------- Domestic Political Situation -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Bertha Oliva de Nativi, executive director of human rights NGO Committee for the Family of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH),told Poloff on September 23 that Francisco Moncada Alvorado was the name of the victim confirmed killed by security forces due to anti-coup violence in the Flor de Campo neighborhood of Tegucigalpa on September 22 (ref B). She stated the family expressed to COFADEH fear of filing a formal complaint with the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights or speaking to the authorities. ¶2. (SBU) Post has confirmed that the death of Elvin Jacobo Eucedea in San Pedro Sula on September 22 was not related to the political crisis (ref B). On September 24, Honduran National Police contacts told an Embassy employee that the death of Eucedea in the neighborhood of &El Carmen8 in San Pedro Sula occurred after police tried to carry out an arrest warrant for a robbery unrelated to the coup. Police said the death occurred on the opposite side of town from the location of the political marches. ¶3. (U) Press reports on September 23 stated that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) had sent letters to de facto leader Roberto Micheletti requesting urgent permission to enter Honduras to document alleged human rights violations since September 21. Post is confirming these reports with the IACHR. On September 22, the IACHR publicly denounced alleged human rights violations by security forces in response to protests following the return of President Zelaya. -------------- Civil Unrest and Security Environment -------------- ¶4. (SBU) RSO reports the pro-Zelaya movement leadership gathered to meet at the Pedagogical University this morning to prepare a public communique. A large (more than 5,000) pro-Micheletti crowd demonstrated at the UN building and then the US Embassy. The demonstrators were loud, but peaceful. ¶5. (SBU) Police contacts who had expressed concern to Embassy employees on September 23 regarding a large, possibly violent "push" that evening have expressed relief today that no such large movement materialized. They note "very few" would-be protestors entered Tegucigalpa from outside, and police believe these two facts reflect a much weaker anti-coup leadership than they first feared. -------------- Consular/ACS -------------- ¶6. (U) The Consular Section issued a revised warden message the afternoon of September 23. The Consular Section continues to regularly update ACS information on the Embassy website. -------------- Embassy Operations -------------- ¶7. (U) The Embassy is open today, September 24. The Embassy will remain open September 24 if no curfew is imposed, and will be open again September 25, depending on curfew status. (Note: official announcements have been made minutes before imposing or lifting curfews since September 21. End note) ¶8. (SBU) All Mission employees and dependents have been instructed to remain within Tegucigalpa through the weekend of September 26-27. No non-essential travel, either personal or official is authorized until further notice. All TDY TEGUCIGALP 00000963 002 OF 002 travel into Honduras has been suspended for the remainder of the week. LLORENS